Corrective eye surgery, also known as refractive surgery, is a type of procedure that uses lasers or other surgical techniques to correct various vision problems, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. The goal of corrective eye surgery is to improve a person’s visual acuity and reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contact lenses. The procedure works by reshaping the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, so that light entering the eye can be properly focused onto the retina. There are several different types of corrective eye surgery, including LASIK, PRK, and phakic IOLs, and each has its own set of risks, benefits, and candidacy requirements.
LASIK
LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgical treatment is perhaps the most widely known refractive surgical treatment today. LASIK can assist patients with myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. During the treatment, the physician makes a flap in the outer layer of the corner to reach the underlying tissue and then utilizes a laser to improve the tissue which permits the cornea to then focus light appropriately. The treatment is typically painless and vision is generally clear within a couple of hours.
Current advances in the field have actually developed subcategories of LASIK surgery such as Bladeless LASIK, which utilizes a laser instead of a mechanical tool to make the initial flap or Wavefront (custom) LASIK which utilizes computer system mapping to guide the reshaping of the cornea and is able to create a a lot more exact visual correction for extremely subtle optical imperfections. There is likewise a procedure called Epi-LASIK in which following the procedure, the medical professional uses a soft contact lens to safeguard the surgical area, holding the flap in location while it heals.
PRK
PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) also uses a laser to fix mild to moderate myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. PRK was a precursor to LASIK which eliminated a number of the issues of previous surgical treatments such as glare, seeing halos around lights, blurred vision and regression of vision. Unlike LASIK, the procedure just reshapes the surface area of the cornea and not the underlying tissue.
Subsequently, there is often some pain for a number of weeks up until the outer layer of the cornea heals. Additionally, the client might experience blurred vision during this period of healing. PRK does offer an advantage over LASIK in that there is less danger of particular complications. Wavefront technology is also available for PRK surgeries.
Due to the increased convenience of LASIK there was a period that PRK saw a decrease. Recent studies show however that LASIK and PRK have comparable long-lasting success for improved visual skill and with the assistance of recently established reliable discomfort medications, PRK has actually ended up being more popular again as an option.
LASEK
In LASEK or laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratomileusis, the physician develops a flap smaller but similar however to LASIK, and then uses an alcohol solution to loosen the tissue around the cornea which is pushed aside, and then a laser is used to reshape the cornea itself.
In an Epi-LASEK procedure, the medical professional may apply a soft contact lens to hold the flap in location to assist in reattaching to the cornea as the eye heals. Patients that go through LASEK generally experience less pain and quicker vision healing than PRK clients. LASEK may be preferred over LASIK as a safer choice for clients with a thin cornea.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract Surgery is an extremely typical refractive surgical treatment that gets rid of the natural lens of the eye and changes it with a synthetic lens called an IOL (intraocular lens). Lots of clients these days will receive a lens that also fixes any refractive mistake they have such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or presbyopia.
RLE
RLE or refractive lens exchange is a non-laser procedure the changes the natural lens of the eye. This is the same as the surgery that is used to deal with cataracts,, yet for non-cataract patients, RLE is utilized to remedy extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness.
The procedure includes the doctor making a little cut in the cornea, getting rid of the natural lens and replacing it with generally a silicon or plastic lens. It is especially helpful for clients with small corneal problems such as thin corneas or dry eyes.
RLE is riskier than the other treatments mentioned and can impact the client’s capability to concentrate on close things, possibly requiring reading glasses following the procedure. However, in cases of severe vision correction, it is often the chosen method.
PRELEX
PRELEX or presbyopic lens exchange is for patients with presbyopia, the age-related condition in which you lose the versatility of your lens and can no longer concentrate on close items. Clients that choose not to wear reading glasses or multifocals, can select a procedure in which the physician removes the natural lens of your eye and replaces it with a multifocal artificial lens.
This procedure is frequently done in combination with cataract surgery.
Phakic Intraocular Lens Implants
Phakic IOLs are implants that are used for people with extremely high nearsightedness who do not qualify for LASIK or PRK. The implant is connected to your iris or placed behind your pupil, while the natural lens stays undamaged. Due to the fact that this is a procedure that includes the inner eye, it is more risky than LASIK or PRK and is therefore also generally more expensive.
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
CK utilizes a hand-held radio wave device to diminish tissue on the cornea to improve it. The procedure is typically used to deal with mild farsightedness and presbyopia, particularly for clients who have actually currently undergone LASIK.
Any surgical procedure has risks and might have some adverse effects or problems that you must research before you choose to go ahead with the surgical treatment.
Nevertheless, as innovation advances these problems are being considerably minimized making refractive surgical treatment an excellent option for vision correction in many patients.