LASIK Surgery in Detroit for Nearsightedness By William Goldstein on January 28, 2013

LASIK surgery is one of the most popular and safe methods to permanently correct myopia or nearsightedness. The surgery involves making a small corneal flap and removing tissues exposed by this flap. The laser used in this surgery accurately removes the tissues from the cornea without any damage to the tissues nearby.

What you can expect

LASIK is an outpatient surgery that is performed under local anesthesia. It normally takes about 15 minutes to complete and is performed in the same-day surgical area or the doctor’s office itself. The entire process of paperwork, surgical preparation, surgery and postsurgical care takes roughly about two hours to complete. The patients are also expected to have someone accompany them during and the day of surgery to drive them to and from the hospital.

Follow-up with the doctor

Patients are asked to return to their LASIK eye surgeon in Macomb the next day for checkup, and medications to prevent inflammation and infection. Follow-up visits are also scheduled in the first week following the surgery and on regular intervals for the first year after the surgery.

Precautions after surgery

After the surgery, for the first few days, you may experience, watery eyes, irritation, and scratchiness. There is also a possibility of experiencing temporary dry eyes. You will be expected to wear eye patches. You must not drive for a few days after the surgery until the symptoms of haziness and blurriness resolve. For about two weeks after surgery, you will be asked to avoid eye makeup, water activities, and heavy workout.

People who should avoid LASIK

LASIK surgery for nearsightedness is a cosmetic, elective procedure performed on otherwise healthy eyes. The procedure is not performed on people who:

Are below the age of 18 years
Have experienced change in vision over the past one year
Are currently breast-feeding or pregnant
Have corneal diseases
Have connective tissue disorder or autoimmune disease that are not under control

Efficacy of treatment

Not much is known about the long-term outcome of LASIK surgery in Detroit. The effectiveness of the surgery is largely dependent on the skills of the surgeon. Not all people who undergo this surgery achieve a perfect 20/20 vision.

Studies have shown that people with nearsightedness of less than 6 diopters have a 67-72% chance of 20/20 vision and 95-96% chance of 20/40 vision. People with 6-12 diopters have a 48-64% chance of 20/20 vision and 89/94% chance of 20/40 vision.