Guide To Eye Surgery
Guide to Eye Surgery
We all desire to have a perfect vision. However
with growing age or any unfortunate mis-happening an individual’s vision may get
distorted. But today science has blessed mankind with several wonderful
techniques to rectify the faulty vision.
1. Flap Procedure treatments- are those where the surgeon removes the flap in
the cornea to have an access to the tissue underneath. Some of the well known
Flap treatments are as follows-
LASIK refractive eye surgery is quite a commendable eye surgery these days.
The term LASIK stands for ‘laser in situ keratomileusis’ surgery. This
treatment is basically meant to treat nearsightedness (myopia),
farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism (misshapen cornea). LASIK
provides a correct vision through the use of a laser by reshaping the cornea
and changing its focusing power. LASIK usually takes less than one minute
per eye. In USA LASIK surgeries have been performed since 1993.
Contemporary technique of LASEK or Laser Epithelial Keratoileusis surgery is
also widely in use nowadays. LASEK is akin to LASIK refractive eye surgery.
But unlike LASIK, in LASEK the surgeon cuts a flap in the epithelium only
instead of through the epithelium and part of the stroma. After this the
surgeon loosens the edges of the flap with the help of alcohol. The cases
that are too sensitive to be treated by LASIK i.e. where people have thin or
flat corneas are operated under the LASEK. Though LASEK is quite beneficial
it has few shortcomings over LASIK. For instance the after LASEK surgery the
patient feels uncomfortable for a long time and in comparison to LASIK,
LASEK takes more time to heal.
Epi-LASIK surgery is also a form of LASEK where the flap is removed only at
the epithelium without the use of any blade or alcohol. In Epi-LASIK the
surgeon makes use of a separator, epikeratome that creates an epithelial
sheet. Since there is no alcohol used in this entire process, the patient
feels less pain in this surgery and heals relatively faster.
ALK or the Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty surgery is meant to treat the
problem of nearsightedness and mild farsightedness. In ALK firstly the
surgeon cuts a flap in the stroma. Then with the use of a microkeratome he
removes the material under the flap. This removal is not done in case ALK is
taken up to treat far-sightedness. Usually it takes less than an hour to do
the ALK eye surgery.
2. Photoablation Technique- this requires the use of ultraviolet radiation to
remove the eye tissues. Photoablation is basically the step that follows LASIK
and LASEK surgeries.
PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy is a surgery that mainly treats
nearsightedness, mild farsightedness and astigmatism. Here the surgeon makes
the use of an excimer laser to remove the tissue from the surface of the
cornea. The tissue ablation is taken up to give a new shape and minimize the
vision problem. PRK is not a lengthy procedure. It usually takes less than
one minute per eye.
Mansi gupta writes about
eye surgery .