Lasik Eye Surgery Procedure - Why Safety First Is Vital
It’s becoming unusual not to know somebody today who hasn’t experienced the benefits of Lasik eye surgery.
Lasik eye surgery procedure has been promoted as being painless yet very effective in the majority of instances. It’s one of the safest surgery procedures a person can undergo yet as with all surgical procedures, there is always an element of risk involved.
Lasik Eye Surgery Procedure Criteria
There are some qualifying guidelines a patient must satisfy before they even make it to the surgeon’s operating theater. In the USA for example, you need to satisfy criteria set out by the American Academy of Opthalmology. For example:
- the procedure is not done on anyone under the age of 18 since the vision of those under 18 tends to still evolve and possibly change or improve given time.
- surgery on women in pregnancy or nursing is considered as these biological conditions can actually change the makeup of the eye and alter the shape of the eyeball.
- eyes need to be in a satisfactory state; in other words, must satisfy the surgeons pre-testing scrutiny.
These are just some of the criteria which need to be scrutinized before a patient is allowed to under the Lasik eye surgery procedure. If none of the above are required from you during the pre-screening stage and it’s suggested you are a good candidate without proper screening, then it might be a good idea to find another surgeon.
The Surgery Process
The process actually takes very little time at all. In some respects, it’s the easy part for patients. This is especially so considering the sometimes lengthy screening process a person needs to undergo.
Here’s a brief rundown of the procedure:
- Lasik is a painless procedure.
- It involves the use of a local anaesthetic which is a simple drop on the eye surface.
- Time of the surgery can vary according to the needs of the patient with some cases completed in a minute or less. Generally, the Lasik eye surgery procedure will take up to ten minutes or more per eye.
- The flap on the cornea is cut by a special device and lifted out of the way. The surgeon then goes to work re-shaping the tissue beneath the flap and when completed, the flap is replaced.
- No stitches or sutures are required and the flap automatically heals itself and reattaches to the corneal tissue almost immediately. A shield is placed over the eye to protect the cornea while the healing process takes place.
The recovery time can vary from patient to patient. The majority of patients can head straight home however, it’s recommended someone be with them at this time because blurred vision can hamper a person until the eye settles down.
The standard recovery time following Lasik eye surgery procedure is several days and may even require a follow up visit to the doctor. If there is discomfort, this is allevaited through the use of medication.