Understand the Different Types of Lasik Surgery

Lasik surgery cost ranges anywhere from $499 to $2,500. The cost of Lasik is based on your surgeon’s experience and the type of Lasik surgery performed. There are options when it comes to which Lasik procedure you can choose. Your decision should rest on an appropriate surgical procedure for your eye condition, a trusted Lasik surgeon and a price you’re comfortable paying. Understand the different types of Lasik eye surgery and decide which types of Lasik surgery is best for you.

Lasik Background

Lasik is among the most popular forms of laser eye surgery. Lasik eye surgery involves a procedure to permanently reshape the cornea and elicit vision correction. A microkeratome blade is used to create a flap in the thin outer layer of the cornea, called the epithelium. An excimer laser reshapes the cornea, and the flap is replaced. The procedure takes about 15 minutes and the recovery time is fairly fast. Most patients can return to normal activities the next day.

PRK as an Alternative to Lasik Surgery

PRK removes the epithelium with a metal surgical tool. The earliest form of laser eye surgery, PRK typically involves a longer recovery time, allowing for the epithelium to grow back. It can cause more discomfort than Lasik eye surgery. Results often take longer for PRK.

Though PRK involves a longer recovery process, it has been the preferred method for patients with thin corneas and large pupils. However, there are a number of newer variations to the original Lasik eye surgery. Many of these different types of Lasik surgery minimize the risk of original Lasik, and can be performed on patients with thin corneas and other eye conditions.

Lasek Surgery

Lasek is a refractive procedure that uses alcohol to separate the outer layer if the cornea, rather than a surgical blade. A laser reshapes the cornea and the epithelium is replaced. By eliminating the risk of a microkeratome blade, Lasek is an option for people with thin corneas.

Through its swift recovery process, Lasek may be a better alternative to PRK. However, Lasek is not without potential complication. The use of alcohol can cause eye irritation and inflammation.

Epi-Lasik

Epi-Lasik is similar to Lasik and Lasek, but employs a fine surgical blade, reducing the risk of a wide corneal flap. Instead of alcohol, a plastic cutting tool separates the epithelium from the eye. Epi-Lasek thereby eliminates possible irritation to the eye.

IntraLasik

IntraLasik, All-Laser Lasik, or Blade-Free Lasik very simply conducts the procedure through lasers, without the use of a microkeratome. IntraLasik is praised for precision through eliminating mistakes that can occur with a surgical blade.

While IntraLasik significantly lowers the risk associated with other refractive surgery, there are some possible complications to consider. The excimer laser is still subject to possible visual errors. A small percentage of patients have also reported issues with light sensitivity. The cost of IntraLasik can be substantially higher than other forms of Lasik surgery.

Wavefront Lasik

Wavefront Lasik is the most precise form of Lasik eye surgery. Much like IntraLasik, lasers replace blades during Wavefront Lasik. But where IntraLasik employs a freehand excimer laser, wavefront technology guides the excimer laser in Wavefront Lasik. The procedure also reduces the risk of night glare, a common complication associated with Lasik surgery. Though the most accurate, Wavefront Lasik is also the most costly among the different forms of Lasik.

Get Rid of Those Glasses With Lasik Eye Surgery

Author: Sarah Wilson

LASIK eye surgery is a surgical procedure that can be used for correcting vision defects. The surgery can be used to correct different types of visions defects like nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia and astigmatism among others. Lasik eye surgery is an expensive procedure, so you must take a health insurance cover, to take care of all the expenses associated with the surgery. Your eyes are one of the most sensitive organs of your body, so if at anytime you suffer from any kind of eye problems, make sure that you consult the doctor immediately. Certain eye conditions, if not treated on time, can cause blindness. Lasik eye surgery is recommended by several doctors these days because the success rates are very high and many people have had their visions restored due to this. Talk to your doctor about all the things associated with this surgery before you actually proceed to get the surgery done on your eyes.

If you are eighteen years or above, only then you are eligible for this surgery. Prolonged use of glasses is something that one cannot avoid, if they are suffering from defect of vision. Regular use of glasses can be annoying and the best way to get rid of this is, to undergo a lasik eye surgery. The eye surgery consists of two different procedures. One of the processes is making the corneas flap and the second is sculpting the cornea under the flap with a laser. The surgery reshapes the cornea of the eyes, so that the vision of the patient can be corrected. A microkeratome blade is used to create a flap in the outer layer of the cornea which is very thin; this layer is called the epithelium. The entire procedure of the surgery takes about 15 minutes and the recovery time after the surgery is also pretty fast. Patients can return to normal work on the very next day of the surgery.

This surgery is especially beneficial for regular glass wearers who are fed up of using glasses. Lasik eye surgery is very expensive, as said earlier, so make arrangements for this. A good alternative for patients could be to get the surgery done abroad. Medical science has made huge advancements and as a result, today you will find that the best health care facilities are available in most of the developing countries. You just need to get the surgery done, so if you can get it done in another country at a much lesser cost than that would be required in your country, you should definitely opt for this.

Now if you have decided to get the surgery done in your city, you must make sure that you are getting this done from the renowned eye surgeons there. Tell your doctor about any kind of health conditions that may be affecting you, as this will have a bearing on the kind of treatments referred for your condition. Make sure that you follow all the after surgery care steps suggested and prescribed by your doctor. This will have a significant impact on your recovery and restoration of glass free vision after the surgery.

Corrective Eye Surgery For Lazy Eye

Author: Dr Frank Thomnpson

Lazy Eye, or Amblyopia, is the condition wherein vision is diminished in one or both eyes and is not to be mistaken for other eye conditions such as near or farsightedness and astigmatism. There are usually two categories for the amblyopia. There’s the amblyopia and the toxic amblyopia. The former occurs more often in young children whose eyes are not properly lined up, which is a condition called strabismus. To counter the presence of a double vision, the brains works to prevent vision on one eye while the other eye does all the work, hence the name “lazy eye.” Over time, the inner structures of the stagnate or atrophy, although the symptoms may not at all be present. Unfortunately, by the time the symptoms appear, the vision may have become permanently damaged. There are cases when the symptoms can be very obvious. The eyes may either turn outward or in, or the eyes may not be looking at the same direction.

To treat the condition, the most important thing is to pay immediate attention to correcting the misalignment of the eyes. Corrective eyeglasses can help, as while as using a patch. Patching forces the use of the lazy eye, which in turn helps in developing binocular vision. Another treatment found to be effective is using atropine eye drops. One drop can be placed on the good eye every day. This drop blurs the vision in the good eye which forces the other one to strengthen its visual capabilities. One advantage of using drops is that it doesn’t require constant vigilance, especially when you are dealing with a child who may be apprehensive about wearing a patch.

However, for some people still resort to corrective surgery for treatment. Surgery is considered the best corrective treatment for amblyopic children possessing a fundamental physical problem such as strabismus. Undergoing surgical procedures such as Lasik surgery can correct the muscle disorder that causes the strabismus in the first place. The end result is that the eyes can focus together and see better. Still, many doctors say though, that eye surgery does not restore the normal binocular vision, which is a process controlled by the brain. All surgery might accomplish is to make the eye appear more “normal” or straighter by cutting it and repositioning the eyes. So while there might be a cosmetic fix, it may not fix the underlying visual problems which triggered the lazy eye in the first place. Surgery alone cannot correct the brain’s habit of using just one eye. In order for the problem to be truly fixed, the brain must learn to use both eye more properly.

How to Improve Your Eyesight with Vision-Enhancing Foods

Author: Michael Lee

Improving your eyesight can be as simple as any other healthy habit. And you don’t have to pay expensive fees to your doctor to know how to improve your eyesight naturally.

Following a healthy diet can do a lot in improving your eyesight. But you must learn about the different nutrients that you need to add into your daily diet to ensure that your eyes get the essential nutrients that they need. The different parts of your eyes such as the lens, retina, macula, etc. require certain nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in order to function better.

If you want to know better ways on how to improve your eyesight, then you should know the different essential nutrients that your eyes need. Vitamins C and E helps in providing your eyes with long-term and healthy vision support. The recommended daily dose of Vitamin A would also ensure that your eyes remain healthy. Pantothenic Acid, which is a part of the B vitamin group, may also help improve the clarity of your vision if taken regularly.

Fruits and vegetables are also a good addition to your diet if you wish to further improve your eyesight. These food groups contain a number of essential nutrients that help ensure the health of your eyes. Learning about substances like flavonoids and carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene may provide you with better insight on how to improve your eyesight.

Carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene accumulate throughout the eye tissues. These substances play important roles in trying to protect the eye tissues in the macula from significant damage done by free radicals. Carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and lutein can be found in corn, leafy vegetables, red grapes and pumpkins. Lycopene, on the other hand, can be found in fruits such as watermelon, apricots, papaya, guava and tomatoes.

Other nutritional supplements such as fish oils may also help improve vision. The cells of your retina contain long chained fatty acids that it uses to maintain normal functioning.

The most significant of these fatty acids found in the retina cells is DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that can be found in fish oils. DHA may help enhance your visual perception as well as improve color perception and visual depth. Just taking a fish oil supplement everyday that contains essential omega-3 fatty acids may go a long way in helping you to improve your eyesight.

I Donot Wear Glasses Anymore, How My Eyesight Was Restored

Author: Laura Eilers

I had 20/20 vision all my life until I was 27 years old. I first noticed a problem while driving at night. It seemed like I was experiencing double-vision. So I went to an eye doctor and was told that I was nearsighted. I don’t remember what my prescription was but the doctor told me I would need glasses to drive, go to the theater or any outside sporting events.

Since I was now wearing glasses, I had to go to the optometrist every two years to have my eyes checked. Sometimes my eyesight was worse, while other times it would be the same.

Eight years later, Paul and I married and he introduced me to juicing and taking whole-food supplements. I had never juiced before in my life, so I was not eager to jump on board. After watching him juice for a month or two, I decided to try it. I discovered I actually liked the taste of carrot juice (Green Giant carrots are my favorite). We juiced carrots almost every day (5 to 6 days a week).

A year and a half later, while driving to work one day, I noticed that my vision was blurry. I hadn’t been to the optometrist for a couple of years so I naturally thought my eyesight had gotten worse. But for the heck of it, I took my glasses off to see how things looked. I found I could actually see better with my glasses off! I haven’t worn them since (it’s been 8 years now).

I credit the recovery of my eyesight to our juicing regimen as well as taking whole-food supplements. I haven’t gone to the optometrist to have my eyes checked, but I’m sure they are 20/20. We are still juicing a blend of carrots, apples, celery and tomatoes as well as taking The Pops. Paul and I believe this is one of the foundations to good health.