4 things you need to know about LASIK surgery
Author: Doctoranytime
One of the dreams of people who have worn glasses all their lives is to stop wearing them at some point in their life without the danger of not being able to see anything around them. For this reason, innovations are emerging every day in the field of ophthalmology to help patients improve their sight with various types of surgical interventions. One of these surgeries, and also one of the most popular, is LASIK. However, is this procedure for anyone with vision problems? We will give you five things you need to know to consider the option of having surgery with this method.
1.- It only solves some vision problems
LASIK is a surgery that uses lasers to correct refractive problems in the eye. These types of problems refer to when the eye does not adequately capture light, which generates a distortion in the way the patient sees things in his environment. Although this surgery seems like a magic solution for these types of conditions, not all people are candidates to request one. This procedure is used to treat hyperopia, astigmatism, and short-sightedness.
2.- Your ophthalmologist will be the one to decide if this surgery is for you
The first step for any procedure that you want to do in the eyes is to see an ophthalmologist. This is the specialist in charge of eye health and all health problems that may affect them. Before considering any surgical intervention, it will be necessary to check the health of your eyes. Later, the size of your pupil and cornea will be checked. The most important point is to obtain the measurements of the refractive error that you suffer to determine if there is stable or unstable growth. As a bonus, the doctor will check the number of tears you produce to determine if you have dry eyes.
3.- There are side effects to this procedure
After the recovery period, you may start to notice some side effects or consequences of this procedure. The most common is having dry eyes, as LASIK temporarily decreases normal tear production. This is solved with eye drops that are prescribed by the ophthalmologist. Difficulty seeing normally at night is another important point to consider and is one that causes fear for most patients. There is no need to worry, as it is a matter of letting a few weeks pass to return to your normal vision.
4.- Candidates for this surgery have these characteristics
Certain characteristics must be met to be a candidate for LASIK. Some of them are:
- Be over 21 years of age, since vision is a little more stable
- Have any of the previously mentioned vision problems
- Not having thin corneas
- Have a growth in their stable refractive problem
Ultimately, your ophthalmologist will be the one to decide what treatment or surgery will help you improve your vision. It is important to have clear expectations about the results you can get from treatment, as it is by no means a magic solution to all vision problems. On the other hand, you should see a doctor who has experience with this procedure to ensure that your health is in the best possible hands.
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