Lasik Eye Surgery: Before & After Lasik Eye Operation

Before laser eye surgery, an interview is carried out to determine your personal suitability for eye surgery and to determine which type of operation may suit you and give an idea of the likely results. The next stage is to carry out a thorough eye test to determine a current up to date eye prescription and to take precise measurements of the eye structures.
It is normally recommended that a friend for this examination accompanies you as part of procedure involves using eye drops which dilate your pupil and blur your vision for upto 18 hours. Also it is advised to carry a pair of sunglasses on this day,as bright lights and dilated pupils can cause discomfort. If you normally wear contact lenses these can affect the corneal curvature and consequently it is necessary if you wear soft lenses to discontinue wear for at least one week prior to,and on the day of consultation, and with hard and gas permeable lenses to discontinue wear at least four weeks prior to and on the consultation day. Normally you need to complete a general health questionaire.You are then normally given a complete eye examination. Based on the result of these examinations your eye surgeon will advise you about the most suitable procedure for you,discuss the risks and also the alternatives. You also have the opportunity to ask any further questions you may have.
You can then decide whether or not to proceed to a surgical appointment.The advantages resulting from laser eye surgery are ability to see immediately on waking up, no more fumbling for your glasses in the dark, not having to wear glasses or contact lenses saving time and lots of money on opticians visits as well as trouble in maintenance and upkeep, improved self confidence in appearence (hopefully!), easier participation in sports leading to an overall improvement in feeling of personal well being. Most of the patients, who undergo laser eye surgery claim that they are satisfied with procedure and it has improved the quality of their life significantly and often state that they regret not having it sooner.
Lasik eye surgery is a laser surgery procedure for vision correction.The technique involves using a laser which is controlled by a computer to reshape the front surface of the eye(cornea). As with all surgery a pre-op consultation is required to ascertain the best eye surgery for the individual.In normal vision light enters the eye and is bent by the cornea and focussed to produce a sharp image on the back of the eye the retina. When a person has a refractive/visual error like short or long sight the light is bent such that a blurred image is produced.
Lasik eye surgery can be used to correct short sight, long sight and stigmatism (correct spelling astigmatism).Older patients who have presbyopia/age related near vision problems cannot have their vision improved with this procedure. The cornea has an alcohol solution applied to help lift the epithelial flap which is then cut(a fine layer about 50 microns thick ) with a Trephine blade (ALSO CAN BE CUT WITH A LASER BUT AGAIN IT IS A SIMILAR PROCEDURE ) , but not completely removed and remains hinged on one side allowing it to be replaced inthe same position. The surgeon raises the flap, and an excimer laser shapes the the cornea to the dimensions determined at the pre op consultation.The eye surgeon replaces the epithelial corneal flap, within minutes, natural forces hold it in situ, and the eye surgery is finished.The surgery as with LASIK takes approximately 15 mins each eye. However recovery normally takes a bit longer approximately one week and there is usually some discomfort for the next 48 hours.
This is just a general outline of the what happens after laser eye surgery procedures following refractive surgery (as there are wide variations depending on individual needs and surgery techniques).Patients are normally provided with antibiotic eye medication and lubricating eye drops to be used in the days immediately after surgery. It is common and good procedure for the eye surgeon who performed your operation to exam your eyes the day immediately after any eye surgery. Further appointments are then generally advised at the desired intervals. In the first few days and hours after surgery it is important to refrain from touching or rubbing the eyes and to try and rest as much as possible and to use any medication prescribed.Protective eye shields are normally provided to prevent rubbing of eye during the night whilst sleeping.Within 3-4 days most normal day to day activities like housework,driving and shopping can be resumed. After 2-3 weeks Most sporting activities can be resumed ,however hard contact activities such as boxing,football martial arts are best left for 3 months or more to ensure the best chance of full recovery.Following the post operation laser eye surgery aftercare program advised by your eye surgeon is very important in the overall.
Dr. Ajay Khanna who heads the Refractive Surgery & Vitreo Retinal Services at Dr. Om Parkash Eye Institute India has been performing Laser correction for specs since 1997.Dr. Ajay Khanna has been the earlier ones in the country to start with Thin Flap Lasik to treat patients with high myopia & thin corneas. This eye hospital was the first in the country to use for laser correction of specs, the state-of-the-art, Customized Lasik using NAVEX Quest -NIDEK CX III with Pentacam and OPD Scan.