Laser Eye Surgery - Introduction

Welcome to Laser Eye Surgery. Here at Laser Eye Surgery you will find all the important information necessary in order to make an informed decision about using laser eye surgery for vision correction. Laser eye surgery is also known by the name LASIK. LASIK is an acronym for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis. For our discussion here, LASIK is laser eye surgery.

Here we also provide a book store. Our book store consists of a large collection of books about laser eye surgery, general eye health, and alternative vision correction. So if you want to learn more about these topics, we invite you to browse our book store. Anyone who is considering laser eye surgery for vision correction should purchase at least one book on the subject. Knowledge is the key in terms of making the right decision with regards to whether LASIK Laser Eye Surgery is right for you.

We also provide a chat room about laser eye surgery. This chat room is for anyone who has an interest in LASIK. Our chat room allows for an unlimited number of users. All we ask is that the conversations within our chat room stay within the realm of LASIK Laser Eye Surgery and related topics.

Our goal here is to not sell you on LASIK, but to simply provide you with the information you need so that you can make an informed decision. This is why on this page you will see ads for LASIK and for natural vision correction. We provide the information, and let you follow the path you feel you should take in terms of vision correction without glasses.

We have included a laser eye surgeon directory for the Dallas, Texas area, which is useful to the potential laser eye surgery candidate who resides within this area. In any case, no matter where you live, if you are considering LASIK for vision correction, the information you find here should be useful.

Here at Laser Eye Surgery you will also find a discussion about how laser eye surgery works, and news about laser eye surgery and general eye health. Because we have included a news component, the laser eye surgeon should also find this site useful.

Laser Eye Surgery - Discussion

In order to make an informed decision about whether to pursue laser eye surgery for vision correction, you need to create an understanding about how laser eye surgery works. Therefore, this discussion will include an examination of typical and atypical eye anatomy along with the steps involved in laser eye surgery.

We will also look at the possible complications from laser eye surgery and look at these risks in a context of current technological developments.

Laser Eye Surgery - Typical and Atypical Eye Anatomy

The human eye consists of many parts but the most important components which you need to know in order to create an understanding of how laser eye surgery works, are the cornea, lens, retina, and photoreceptor cells. First we will discuss what the typical anatomy of the human eye consists of.

We will follow this with a discussion of atypical anatomy and we will examine how this different anatomy results in a loss of visual acuity. We will then tie this all together with a discussion of how laser eye surgery corrects for a loss of visual acuity.

Image courtesy of I.J. Brown

The cornea has the basic function of focusing the light rays from the image to the back of the retina. This image is actually inverted. The back of the retina consists of photoreceptor cells called rods and cones.

The lens acts like the lens of a camera in that it focuses the image even further to create a sharper image on the back of the retina. Once the inverted image is received by the photoreceptor cells, electrical impulses pass along the optic nerve to the optical region of the brain where the image is processed and placed right side up.

This is obviously a simplified presentation of how the human eye works, but from the perspective of the laser eye surgery candidate, this is really all you need to know.

LADARVision®, an excimer laser, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism through LASIK surgery. Image courtesy of NASA

So what are the causative factors for a loss of visual acuity and the subsequent need for glasses or contacts. The most common visual problems are nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

All of these have to do with the cornea not being the right shape and the light rays not being focused properly onto the back of the retina. In nearsightedness, the image is focused in front of the back part of the retina. In farsightedness, the image is focused behind the back part of the retina. In astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football and the image therefore is focused at two points on the back of the retina instead of the usual one point. So as you can see, it is the shape of the cornea which is the cause of most visual acuity loss.

So how does laser eye surgery correct for this loss of visual acuity. The principle is actually quite simple. When laser energy from an excimer laser is applied directly to the cornea, changes take place at the molecular level which results in a change in the shape of the cornea.

The type of laser energy produced by the excimer laser does not produce heat. So laser eye surgery actually corrects the shape of the cornea so the image can be focused properly onto the back of the retina. What is occurring at the molecular level is outside the purview of this discussion, but it is suffice to say that it actually works and this cornea reshaping is the underlying principle of laser eye surgery. Lets now examine what the exact steps are for laser eye surgery.

Laser Eye Surgery - Procedure

Each step is indicated in the animated diagram on the right.

Image courtesy of Ophthalmic Consultants, P.C.

1) The first step for laser eye surgery is to create a epithelial flap using a motorized blade called a microkeratome.
2) After the flap is pulled back, laser energy is applied to the top of the cornea. The length of time for laser energy application is usually very short. The amount of laser energy needed depends on the amount of correction needed.
3) The epithelial flap will then be placed back to it’s original position.
4) The epithelial flap will act as a band aid and will stay in place with no sutures needed.

Laser Eye Surgery - LASIK is Not LASEK

In looking up the term LASIK, you have probably come across the term LASEK as well. This is not a misspelling . LASEK is very similar to LASIK. The only difference is that in LASEK the thickness of the epithelial tissue which is cut in order to produce a flap, is much thinner then what is cut in the laser eye surgery procedure.

Sometimes individuals have a very thin layer of epithelial tissue overlying the cornea, and for these individuals, LASEK would be the preferred choice of surgery for vision correction.

Laser Eye Surgery - Possible Complications

As in all surgical procedures, laser eye surgery is not without risks. Laser eye surgery complications can develop from the procedure, but because of today’s technological developments in the field of refractive surgery, the possibility for these risks have been brought down to an acceptable level.

In the late 1990’s the percentage of individuals who developed complications was around 5%. Currently, laser eye surgeons are reporting complications in about 1% percent of individuals. We can not confirm or deny the accuracy of this figure, so it is safe to say that complications develop in 1% to 5% of individuals who undergo the procedure. Some studies indicate that the incidence of laser eye surgery patients having unresolved complications six months after surgery is 3% to 6%.

Slightly different data outcomes indicates that most likely different studies have slightly different sets of possible complications incorporated into their surveys. It is very important that you ask your surgeon, along with other questions, what the percentage of complications are in his/her particular case.

You have a right to know the track record of the surgeon you select. Find the right surgeon you feel comfortable with. So what are the possible complications.

1) Possible increase sensitivity to light.
2) Halos or glare can develop which can be corrected with additional treatment.
3) Laser over correcting or under correcting.
4) Astigmatism development. This can occur if the cornea heals in a wavy pattern.
5) Regression and an increase in contrast sensitivity.

These are the possible complications. In the early days of laser eye surgery, many of the complications that developed were from the cutting irregularities that were produced from the microkeratome. A company called IntraLase has developed a laser which allows for a very clean cut with no irregularities.

The use of the IntraLase laser has resulted in fewer complications from laser eye surgery. While this new technology has reduced the number of complications, it has also made the procedure more expensive.

Laser Eye Surgery - Conclusion

To conclude, laser eye surgery in the form of LASIK and LASEK is considered a viable method for vision correction. Benefits must be weighed against possible risks. The US military provides free laser eye surgery to some of it’s soldiers. Many people from all walks of life are currently having the procedure done.

The technology has advanced to the point where the FDA believes the risks are acceptable. Do the research and verify the information you find. After you create a thorough understanding, then you can make a decision which is right for you.