How Safe Is Laser Treatment For Your Eyes?

by Rajeev Kumar Leading Eye Hospital Network India

Common Queries

• Could it be that I am going blind? It’s really unlikely. With LASIK surgery, the danger is negligible; there has never been a recorded case of total visual impairment. For a period of time following the procedure, your vision could also be blurred; otherwise, you could experience glare or different visual symptoms during the healing time of your eyes. These usually improve after some weeks.

• Will it hurt? Your eyes are going to be numbed with anaesthetic drops; therefore you won’t feel an issue throughout the procedure. Afterwards, you'll feel some discomfort; dry eye may be a common side-effect throughout the recovery amount, however, this will be treated with artificial tears.

• What if I blink? You may be distressed regarding the prospect of staying completely still throughout surgery. Won’t it ruin the results if you move your head, move your eyes or blink? Fortunately, a hi-tech pupil tracking device means the laser will adapt to your eye position. If there's an abrupt movement or a problem in the position, the laser can stop fully.

Conditions That Increase Risks

Certain health conditions will increase the risks related to LASIK surgery or create the end result less certain. Doctors might not advocate laser refractive surgery for you if you've got some conditions, including:

• Unstable vision as a result of medications, secretion changes, pregnancy, breastfeeding or age

• Keratitis, uveitis, herpes simplex affecting the eye area, glaucoma, cataracts, eye injuries or eyelid disorders

• Autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis

• Persistent dry eyes

• A weakened system caused by immunological disorder medications or HIV

Real Complications

Sight-threatening complications like important loss of vision from LASIK surgery are extraordinarily rare, and lots of side effects and laser eye surgery complications may be resolved with extra surgery or medical treatment.

Temporary discomfort and vision disturbances - Discomfort throughout the primary few days following LASIK surgery, like gentle irritation and lightweight sensitivity, is traditional and to be expected. Throughout the primary few weeks or months, you furthermore may experience halos; glare and starbursts in low-light environments, particularly at night; dry eye symptoms; hazy vision; and reduced sharpness of vision. Within the overwhelming majority of cases, these issues are temporary and disappear fully in 3 to 6 months.

Significant under-correction, over-correction or regression - Not everybody can achieve 20/20 vision after LASIK eye surgery, and make contact with lenses or eyeglasses for a few or all activities should still be needed in rare cases. If the laser removes an excessive amount of or deficient corneal tissue, or your eye's healing response isn't typical, your visual outcome is but optimal.

How should I prepare for LASIK laser eye surgery?

Before your LASIK laser eye surgery, you should meet with an authority who will discuss what you must expect throughout and after the surgery. Throughout this session, your medical record would be evaluated and your eyes are going to be tested. Possible tests will include measurement of corneal thickness, refraction, and pupil dilation. At any meeting together with your surgeon, you must raise additional queries you might have. Afterwards, you'll be able to book a meeting for the procedure.