Alternatives to LASIK Surgery in Macomb
Refractive surgery is conducted by adjusting the focusing ability of the eye, which is done by reshaping of the cornea. Most people are freed from glasses after the surgery but some continue to need glasses, especially for night driving and reading. There are mainly two types of refractive surgeries which are:
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Excimer laser surgeries
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Artificial implantation of lens
LASIK is the most common refractive eye surgery and usually employs excimer laser. The laser is computer controlled and lets the surgeons remove the exact amount of tissue from the cornea. The precision allows a degree of predictability of the outcome in terms of vision. Excimer also makes LASIK extremely safe.
Techniques related to LASIK
There are other surgeries today, which are somewhat similar to LASIK surgery in Macomb, some of which are:
Wavefront-guided LASIK: The guide reveals the smallest distortion in focus, which is done through mapping of light passage through the eye. The main purpose of wavefront is to reduce problems that commonly occur after the surgery like light halos, problems with night vision and glare.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK): The surgery can correct astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. PRK is most effective with nearsightedness. It involves the surgeon taking off the epithelium and using excimer to shape the cornea. Initial recovery from surgery can cause some discomfort. Full recovery of vision takes up to a few months sometimes. The slow healing is the reason why LASIK has largely replaced PRK but is still used in instances where cornea is felt to bee too thin for LASIK.
Laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) surgery: The surgery is similar to PRK. The main difference is the surgeon replaces the epithelium at the completion of the surgery. This is recommended for patients with thin cornea. The healing can be a bit painful.
Epi-LASIK: The surgery uses a special instrument called Epi-keratome used to form a corneal flap on the layers of the cells that cover cornea. Epi-LASIK is primarily used in people who are unable to tolerate LASIK surgery.
Intraocular lens (IOL) implants are also used in refractive surgeries, which can be phakic, toric, multifocal, accommodative, etc.
The determining factors
It is vital that the decision to undergo LASIK surgery is made after consulting a surgeon. The requirements, in general, include: Being 18 years or older, having healthy eyes, stable impaired vision (i.e., not needing prescription glass change for about the past 3 years) and having vision defects that are not beyond the scope of refractive surgery.
