The Laser Eye Surgery procedure, effect and risk.

The LASIK procedure

Every patient goes through a full series of eye tests and examinations before consulting with the surgeon to talk about and plan the specifics of personal visual correction.

For the laser surgery itself, you sit comfortably in a professional chair which is tilt back to a horizontal position. Experience with current anesthetics and analgesics mean that no injections are needed. The eye is anaesthetized with drops, to guarantee a painless experience. The lids are gently held open with a lid support. You look at a flashing red light while the laser uses cold energy pulsed to accurately vaporize microscopic layers of tissue to correct the focus. The actual laser surgery time ranges from 10 to 90 seconds in the majority of cases. You will be in the surgery suite for about 15 minutes.

LASIK and long term effects

There is a 9 year follow-up of patients undergoing laser vision correction surgery, and it is very stable. The behavior of an eye that has had LASIK parallels the behavior of a normal eye that has not had LASIK surgery. LASIK has been performed since 1991, and based on what we have learned from doing eye surgery over time, we know that if an eye is stable in its vision after 2 years, then it should remain stable at 20 years and more. The eye behaves in a predictable manner. If a visual result from laser vision correction surgery is stable after 9 years, it should remain stable over a lifetime.

Risks and side effects of LASIK

LASIK adds a controlled lamellar keratectomy to the refractive laser ablation. The laser power treatment is thus performed under the surface of the cornea with some change in risks and benefits of the procedure. The potential risks of LASIK include:

Creating a cap of corneal tissue and not a flap: by fully removing the top of the cornea instead of just lifting it. The removed tissue still heals back into place but require extra care in positioning.

There can be loss or damage of the corneal cap.

Infection can occur; very rare and usually controlled with medications.

Induced regular or irregular astigmatism. Epithelial tissue growth underneath the new corneal flap. It can usually be solved by lifting the flap and gently removing these tissue cells.

Increased or decreased response to surgery: Surgery can usually be enhanced or modified by lifting the cap to remove more tissue with the laser. Sometimes other types of surgery can be joint with LASIK to get better results.

Side effects are generally minimal with LASIK surgery since most of the surface of the cornea has not been affected by the surgery. But still, people who have the surgery may experience some light sensitivity and glare for a few days or weeks afterwards. Full visual stabilization may take several weeks.

Much more information about Laser Eye Surgery on this website.

Laser Eye Treatment ? 10 Risks To Consider

Laser eye treatment is a well-established form of treatment today and as we continue to see advances in technology and treatments of this nature gain wider acceptance, so a growing number of people are turning to laser eye surgery as an alternative to glasses or contact lenses.

But what are the risks of laser eye treatment?

Though the chances of having a serious vision-threatening complication, or severe eye injury, after laser eye treatment are minimal, treatment is not risk-free and in this brief article we will look at some of the more often seen problems.

Decrease in Best-Corrected Vision: Following laser eye treatment, a few patients discover that the best vision that they can obtain with corrective lenses is not as good as it was prior to the procedure. This can happen because of irregular tissue removal or be produced by corneal haze.

Undercorrection/Overcorrection: Each individual's eye is unique and it is not possible to predict perfectly it will respond to laser eye treatment. As a result, you might find that you continue to require corrective lenses following surgery to obtain good vision. In some instances, a second procedure can be done to improve the result.

Infection and delayed healing: The chance of the cornea becoming infected after laser eye treatment is less than 1 in 1,000. Generally, this means added discomfort and a delay in healing, but showing no lasting effects over a period of four years following surgery.

Regression: In the months following laser eye treatment some patients find that the effects of the procedure are gradually lost. This is similar to an undercorrection, and a re-treatment is often feasible.

Excessive Corneal Haze: Corneal haze can occur as part of the healing process following laser eye treatment. Usually, it has little or no effect on the final vision and will only be detected by an experienced eye doctor with the support of a microscope. In spite of this, there are some cases of excessive haze that interferes with vision which can commonly be cured using further laser eye surgey.

Distorted Flap: Distortion to the cornea can be produced by the irregular healing of the corneal tissue flap, resulting in a decrease of best-corrected vision.

Flap Damage or Loss: Occasionally, the flap of tissue which is supposed to remain hinged to the central cornea becomes detached. If this occurs it can be replaced after the laser treatment, however, damage to, or loss of, the flap remains a risk.

Halo Effect: Noticed in dim light, the halo effect is an optical effect. That part of the periferal cornea that remains untreated creates a second faded image as the pupil enlarges. The halo effect can create problems with driving at night for some patients.

Problems with a Perfect Procedure: Even when everything goes smoothly, the procedure can produce effects that may well cause some dissatisfaction. Older patients need to be aware that they cannot have both good distance vision and good near vision in the same eye without corrective lenses. A few myopic patients rely on their shortsightedness (by taking off their glasses, or by wearing a weaker prescription) so that they can read. Such patients could well need to use glasses when reading after the myopia has been surgically corrected.

Severe dry eye syndrome: The eye may be unable to produce sufficient tears to keep the eye both moist and comfortable because of laser eye treatment. Dry eye does not merely lead to discomfort, but may cause a drop in visual quality as a result of intermittent blurring and other visual symptoms. This problem may be permanent. Intensive eye drop treatment or further surgery could be necessary.

Now at this point you've probably decided that laser eye treatment is just too risky, but let's just put things into perspective.

Though the risks mentioned here are very real risks and do arise on occasion, the chances of coming across any of these problems is very small indeed. Literally thousands of procedures are carried out around the world every day and, in the vast majority of cases, patients are more than happy with the results.

The purpose of this article is not to scare you off, but simply to help you to make a reasoned decision balancing both the pro's and the con's before opting for laser eye treatment.

For more information on laser eye treatment and the questions that people considering surgery frequently ask visit Lasik Laser Eye Surgery at http://lasiklasereyesurgery.info today.

How To Make Laser Eye Surgery Cost Work For You

Laser eye surgery cost varies from clinic to clinic and country to country with the one constant being that patients are generally quoted per eye. If you have been tempted to "take the plunge" but are not sure of the cost involved, then it's advisable to get a wide cross-section of quotes from different providers.

Average Eye Surgery Costs

Laser eye surgery cost has risen steadily during the past four years. From an average cost of $1500 in 2002, prices now hover around the $2000 mark and beyond. If you have noticed cheaper quotes, under $1000, then it would be wise to check the fine print before you sign on the dotted line. Only a small percentage of providers are offering these low cost prices and in most cases, there are hidden costs or factors involved.

Costs for some of the common eye surgery procedures have risen considerably in the last few years. Common procedures such as corneal inserts and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) will set you back as much as $4000 and $2000 respectively depending on the circumstances.

What To Be Wary Of

Be wary of advertisements offering low cost eye surgery. Generally, this is a sales tactic to attract patients who then have to satisfy certain terms and conditions to qualify for the price on offer. If you answer one of these advertisements make sure you ask questions such as:

- What are the eligibility requirements to qualify for the price on offer? - Is there a fee involved for the consultation? - What sort of after care maintenance will be required and what will it cost?

It's a little like buying a car. You are attracted by the super low price being offered yet, when you go into the sales room, you discover there are other costs involved like stamp duty, dealer delivery, insurance etc. You get the picture. Just be aware of this because it will save you unnecessary stress when the final bill is presented to you after the procedure!

How To Choose A Surgeon

Choosing a surgeon takes a little skill as well. Again, asking a lot of questions will help you cover your bases. Remember, it's your eyes we're talking about here so there is little margin for error. Reputation counts for a lot in any field and it is no different with laser eye surgery.

During the consultation process, you'll get a feel for both the surgeon's integrity and that of his staff. Ask for references from former patients if possible. The consultation process itself should be thorough and at the end of it, you should have a complete understanding of the level of surgery required in your case. Not everyone is a good laser eye surgery candidate and this is the one thing you must get established. If you feel the consultation process was inadequate and rushed and your questions were unanswered, then it might be a good idea to look elsewhere.

Laser eye surgery cost is generally affordable for most people. Despite what appear to be high costs, being offered a payment plan that you can afford over an extended period of time and works for you and your surgeon is the ideal scenario. This should be another vote of confidence in your chosen surgeon who is willing to help make it work for you rather than being pressured with unsavoury sales tactics.

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Understand the ins and outs of laser eye surgery cost plus get the latest eye surgery news and reviews at =>http://www.eyesurgeryplace.com