What to expect in lasik eye treatment
How laser treatment for eye works?
Lasik eye surgery is being successfuly used in eye centres now for treating short sightendess as well as long sightedness with a few complications.Before choosing laser eye surgery as a treatment,there are a simple few points that may help you to overcome the fear that suddenly comes into mind after listening to the name of laser eye treatment as a choice.
The principle of laser tratment used for eye disorders is that it produces monochromatic light.The light energy is converted to heat which is absorbed by the melanin pigment and haemoglobin in the eye.Lasers used in the eye treatment work on three basic mechanisms.Each one of them gepending on the type have a specific mechanism and is used to treat specific diseases.But there are three basic mechanisms on which eye lasers work.(1)Photocoagulation (2)Photodisruption and(3)Photoablation
The laser used for the treatment of of short sightedness or long sightedness or astigmatism produces ultraviolet light of very short wavelength.The laser light being used breaks chemical bonds of biological materials turning them into small molecules which diifuse away.Such lasers are collectively called as Excimer lasers.They act by tissue modelling.
Excimers have Helium and Fluorine gas used in their atomic environment that is stimulated to produce laser light.These lasers exert their effect by photoablation.
In myopia(short sightedness) excimer laser used reshapes and flattens the central part of cornea.The process is known as photorefractive keratectomy(PRK).Lasik stands for laser assissted insitu keratomileusis.It is used to correct myopia of -8D to -16D
Is lasik surgery safe?
PRK or lasik surgery are the procedures that are perfomed for correcting weak eyesight.It does have both advantages and diadvantages.PRK is the first original form of lasik surgery.There is just one step differnt in the procedure so eyes treated with PRK take a bit long time to recover well.Lasik is fast comparatively.Its the doctors choice to tell the most suitable one for the patient.First the advantages that make it stand high among other treatment choices are:
1.A very thin layer of cornea is removed with Lasik,so it does not weaken the eye.
2.There willbe no cuts or weakened eye that may rarely occur with RK(a non laser therapy).
3.Excellent results with an accuracy of 95% seen in achieving a plus -0.5D with nil to negligible corneal haze.
A Side effects linked to lasik treatment is that residual corneal haze may occur in the corneal centre affecting clear vision.
1.A too thin flap taken during laser therapy can cause wrinkling of the flap on repositioning.
2.A too thick flap taken during laser therapy leaves very little corneal stromal tissue to work on.
However,risks of lasik treatment or its side effects canbe minimized more and more by finding best laser surgery centres and hospitals for eye care.
Other laser types and eye disorders:
Apart from lasik the other commonly used lasers in the eye therapy are the thermal lasers.Thermal lasers are used for eye dieases like small tumors of eyelids,used in the treatment of glaucoma,retinal detachments and many other intraocular tumors.
They depend upon the absorption of the laser light by tissue pigments of eye.Its converted into heat to cause increase in the teperature of the tissue on which its thrown.The temperature is high enough to coagulate and denature cellular elements.Argon,Krypton and Diode etc are the good examples of thermal lasers.
One specific indication for thermal lasers is Diabetic retinopathy where PRP is done for proliferative retinopathy.Another use is to correct age related macular degenerations.
Complications associated with thermal lasers are accidental foveal burns,hemmorhage,lens opacifications,accidental corneal burns,traumatic retinal detachments and alike
