If you are looking for a way out from your glasses or contact lenses, you are not alone. With an increasing percentage of the world population experiencing declining vision thanks to prolonged exposure to artificial light emanating from our laptops, desktops and mainly mobile phones, the need for more advanced medical options are necessary. Fortunately, technology and education has advanced considerably allowing for options only ever thought of before. Today, eye surgery options to provide permanent solutions for diseases and to improve sight are widely available, and safely so. Some of these include LASIK, Cataract surgery, Keratoconus surgery and PRK.
ABOUT LASIK
Due to hereditary or other reasons, people experience fluctuations in their vision especially as they grow older. Age is a major contributing factor, and treatment the older you are can be harder. However, many eye surgeries such as LASIK have displayed extremely positive results in terms of restoring vision. Although 20/20 vision is never a guarantee, it has been noted for its success in regaining vision as much as possible. LASIK can be performed either Blade or bladeless, and involves the correction of the corneal tissue. It does not take long, and recovery period is also quick enabling you to get back to your daily routine in next-to-no time.
SUITABILITY
As highly demanded as LASIK is, unfortunately not everybody can be considered a suitable candidate for the surgery. For safety reasons, there are pre-set guidelines every doctor and clinic must follow. If the criteria is not met, your doctor will discuss options with your for alternate treatments. Some of these include presence of other eye diseases such as glaucoma, age, other illnesses such as diabetes (open wounds take longer to heal or sometimes never do if diabetes is a factor), or if you had to have your prescription changed within the last year. Fluctuating eyesight will not allow your surgeon to make an accurate decision and you could jeopardise your vision for good.
ALTERNATE TREATMENT
All hope is not lost. Thanks to man’s adaptability, other methods of obtaining the same results are available which are often suggested for those who are not suitable candidates for LASIK. PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy, Implantable Collamer Lens, and Refractive Lens Exchange are all such alternatives and are suitable for those with the above issues as well as those who may have thin corneas. As certain occupations also do not allow LASIK treated employees, surgeries such as PRK are suitable. LASIK surgery involves the creation of a corneal flap to treat the tissues underneath, while PRK treats the outer layer of the cornea. What suits you is a decision best left to your doctor.
RESEARCH
Research is a good way of clearing up most doubts, or for information in generaL; however, be careful to obtain trustworthy and reliable sources. A lot of the data is not verified which can make it inaccurate. Book an appointment with your doctor so you can discuss your questions and be entirely clear on the subject before you make a decision. LASIK is permanent, and though repeat treatments are possible to correct vision in stages, reversing the procedure is not an option therefore analyse your situation carefully.