Lasik Surgery

Are you nearsighted, farsighted? Before your give up your glasses for contact lenses or Lasik surgery, check out the promises of eye braces. Eye braces promise to correct your vision without surgery - while you sleep.

A long time ago, back in the 1960s, two California doctors when getting feedback from their patients who wore contact lenses, kept hearing the same type of story over and over again. Many times their patients would leave their home, drive to work and then halfway through the day notice that they were not wearing their contact lenses. And they were seeing perfectly well. It appeared that the constant wearing of the contact caused a gradual reshaping of their cornea, improving their ability to see. This chance discovery eventually led to experimentations and studies on shaping the eyes using contact lenses.

Corrective eye braces or CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy) lenses as they are formally known, are hard contact lenses that act much like a retainer or braces do on your teeth. You put them on at night just before you go to bed. During the night, while you sleep, they reshape the cornea of your eye. When you wake up in the morning, your blurred vision is gone. You can see the pictures on your wall, the buttons on your clothes, and the alarm clock on your dresser. You have 20/20 vision.

Unlike laser eye surgery, the changes are not permanent. The changes to the cornea will last only a day on some people. On others, it has lasted up to a week.

So who are the most likely candidates for these eye braces?

Young teenagers for one. Many good eye surgeons will not operate on a teenager or a person under 18 or 21 because the body, including the eyes. may still be growing and changing. At those ages, they doctor may legitimately determine that the risk is not worth it and rule out corrective eye surgery altogether. In this case, eye braces, may be a good alternative.

The eyes are one of our most important senses and many people are leery of making any type of permanent change to them. Add to that the growing number of malpractice lawsuits involving refractive surgery, and some people, especially those already wary of surgical operations, begin to look for alternative ways of improving their vision. For them, eye braces are a good compromise between permanent contact lenses and laser eye surgery.

Those looking for a bargain will also like eye braces. The cost of CRT lenses is much less than the cost of laser eye surgery.

The news is not all good, however. The braces have to be hard, in order to reshape the cornea. This can make them uncomfortable to wear. And although most people will get used to them, some find they cant adjust.

Also, although relatively infrequent, the wearing of contact lenses, does increase the risk of microbial infections of the eye.

And thirdly, there have been no long term studies of the effect of wearing eye braces on a nightly basis for an extended period of time.

So if you want CRT lenses how do you get them? You cant just go into an eye doctors office and order them. A CRT lens has to be prescribed by a doctor who has been certified in CRT lenses.

Dana Siconolfi is a freelance writer who writes articles relating to custom eye laser surgery as well as other health related topics. Visit her site at http://www.lasereyesurgeryupdate.com .

Lasik surgeon is an ophthalmologist who performs LASIK; Laser assisted in situ Keratomileusis, basically to correct conditions like hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism thereby reducing the dependency on glasses and contact lens.

Before you decide to go for a Lasik for your eye problem, it is advisable to consult a Lasik surgeon. There are a lot of advertisements being given by refractive surgery centers quoting different prices and procedures. Do not let the lesser price for the procedure alone influence your decision. Take the advice from your own optometrist and also browse through the web sites and yellow pages before you choose a Lasik surgeon, who is associated with academic medical centers or who is experienced or comfortable with latest procedures and technology.

Lasik is not performed in teens as the eyes do not stabilize. It takes lesser time to heal and the patients feel less pain, thereby making it preferable to PRK, photorefractive keratectomy. Surgeons advise the patients to stop wearing contact lenses at least 15 days before surgery as they may change the shape of the cornea. The patient is awake and mobile during the operation, the duration of which is nearly 30 minutes. In Lasik, a metal blade called microkeratome, is used to create the flap of cornea thereby revealing the stroma. Then, excimer laser is used to vaporize the tissue in a controlled manner, thereby remodeling the corneal stroma.

A course of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops is usually prescribed after the operation. Dark goggles are given to prevent direct exposure to bright light. But the procedure also has some risks or complications. One of the most common post Lasik complications is Sub conjunctive haemorrhage, which can be corrected by drugs. Some of the other complications reported frequently are: Sensitivity to light, dry eyes, wrinkles in flap, double vision, debris under flap, erosion of epithelium. But around 92-98% of patients are satisfied with Lasik.

However, Lasik surgeons debate over the blade and bladeless Lasik procedures. Bladeless Lasik or Lasik plus is a procedure where instead of the microkeratome (blade), a laser called intralase is used to create a flap. Both have their own merits and demerits according to these surgeons. On the contrary, with intralase, the vision threatening complications are less as compared to the microkeratome method. Intralase method is suitable for even people with thin corneas. Flap quality is arguably better with intralase when compared to microkeratome.’

LasikAide is an online information hub for those who have minor defect in vision and want liberty from lenses and glasses. Lasik Laser Surgery has been designed to change the shape of cornea to correct the defect. Know more about Lasik Surgeon.

With a national network of eye surgeons who specialize in LASIK surgical procedures, the LASIK Vision Institute has corrected the vision of hundreds of thousands of people, allowing them to be free of eyeglasses or contact lenses.

The LASIK Vision Institute promises its potential patients that they will receive state-of the-art surgical procedures performed with LASIK equipment as soon as it receives FDA approval. It also claims to have introduced many innovations into the LASIK surgery field.

The Benefits of Numbers
Because the LASIK Vision Institute surgeons perform, on the average, a hundred thousand refraction-correcting surgeries each year, and more than five hundred thousand in the Institute’s history, there is no denying their collective experience. The large number of the LASIK Vision Institute’s surgeons is one of the company’s selling points; having so many surgeons with experience to draw up, the company claims, has an exponential effect on the amount of knowledge shared by all of them.

Because LASIK Vision Institute is focused on keeping the price of its surgeries as low as possible, it usually owns the buildings in which it surgeon’s offices are located; eliminating the need to pass the cost of rental fees on to the consumer. And the LASIK Vision Institute has the financial wherewithal to pay up to $500,000 for its own lasers instead of, like many individual eye surgeons must, having to rent them.

The LASDIK Vision Institute, however, does have some limits on the types of eye problems its doctors will treat. They will not deal with cases of cataracts nor glaucoma; those conditions are not treatable with LASIK surgery. They focus on correcting near and farsightedness and astigmatism.

The LASIK Vision Center provides both pre-surgical exams and post-operative care, both are required to ensure that the patient’s optical defects are properly diagnosed and the correct surgical procedure prescribed, and to address any complications which occur following the surgery. Certain complications are normal after LASIK surgery, but they still require prompt professional attention. The LASIK Vision Institute offers its patients around the clock live help, whether they are experiencing discomfort or simply need information.

Behind The Advertising
There are close to forty LASIK Vision Institute practices in the US and the company is still expanding. There is a caveat, however: if you are considering eye surgery at a LASIK Vision Institute, do not let its sheer number of doctors and patients intimidate you. Make sure that the surgeon in charge of your case has a clear understanding of your individual needs and is not treating you an anonymous face in the crowd. You deserve better.

And a further caveat: LASIK Vision Institute has, over the past few years, been the subject of multiple investigative reports on its advertising practices, and has settled at least one lawsuit which accused it of false advertising. One of its questionable practices has been to charge prospective patients a non-refundable $100 deposit before doing the exam necessary to determine if they qualify for the advertised $299 LASIK procedure.

You can find much more on the specifics of LASIK Vision Institute’s legal difficulties by performing an Internet search.

You can also find more info on target=_top>Lasik and href='http://www.2020lasikeyesurgery.com/' target=_top>LASIK Eye Surgery.
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Compared to brain or heart operations, of course, LASIK surgery is not particularly difficult or risky. But a negative outcome can affect your life tremendously, since the procedure involves crucial sensory organs, the eyes. Therefore, you must seek and choose your eye surgeon with the same diligence you would apply to finding a heart specialist.

The LASIK procedure is a kind of “refractive surgery,” and individual doctors, clinics and even major medical centers are now advertising this specialty on television and radio, and in magazines and newspapers. Many of these ads are quite informative, contain compelling information and end with a strong pitch and a “bargain” price. But reading ads and comparing prices is just the beginning of this decision process.

Surgeons associated with academic medical centers are somewhat more likely to keep up with current information in their fields. If they are isolated in their clinics or offices, they may not have the constant exposure to new procedures and developments. Being in good standing with the leading teaching hospitals is an additional positive reference for a LASIK surgeon, while additional assurance is provided by choosing a doctor who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, as the credentialing process is quite thorough.

The same due diligence should be applied to your research on the clinic, hospital or outpatient surgery center where the procedure is performed. You can accumulate a great deal of information from the Internet, from your own family physician and from private and governmental watchdog groups. However, it is probably best to focus your search on the doctor and then the surgery center, in that order.

For one thing, once you develop a trusting relationship with your LASIK surgeon, he or she can then inform you about the location where the procedure will take place. You can then do some research to validate the recommendation. The most valuable information you assemble will be from people and organizations with reputations for trustworthiness and honesty, and you may wish to check with the American Academy of Ophthalmology for detailed information about a particular surgeon’s standing among his peers.

You should also go ahead and call the various refractive surgery centers where you live, or as far as you are willing to travel for the procedure. Many are in the yellow pages, and can easily be found with a targeted Internet search on a site like DocShop.com. The bottom line is, this is your eyesight you are dealing with and you cannot be too careful. Confirm all claims you hear or read about the LASIK surgery, or a potential surgeon, with independent sources.

When you begin to calculate your LASIK cost figures, you may find that there is a price discrepancy among certain doctors and/or LASIK surgery centers. Using various resources, including DocShop.com, you can gather enough information to determine if the additional expense of one over another is due to newer technology, better facilities, more esteemed surgeons—or is simply overpriced. These decisions require careful and complete consideration of all pertinent information, and it never hurts to involve trusted advisers among family and friends in the LASIK surgery process.

When you begin to calculate your href='http://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/lasik/'
target=_top>LASIK cost figures, you may find that there is a price
discrepancy among certain doctors and/or href='http://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/lasik/'
target=_top>LASIK surgery centers. Using various resources, including
DocShop.com, you can gather enough information to determine if the additional
expense of one over another is due to newer technology, better facilities, more
esteemed surgeons—or is simply overpriced. These decisions require careful and
complete consideration of all pertinent information, and it never hurts to
involve trusted advisers among family and friends in the href='http://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/lasik/'
target=_top>LASIK surgery process.

Many people have not opted in for Lasik Surgery because of some of the risks associated with this type of surgeries such as Halo’s, blurred vision, starbursts, and permanent warping of the cornea. Also, since Lasik surgery involves holding a blade, some just do not feel comfortable getting this surgery. However, there is a bladeless Lasik that is swooping the nation because of this bladeless approach.

It can’t be without a name and the name is IntraLasik, not only is this a breakthrough for Lasik science. In the old method, a surgeon would make an incision in the flap above the cornea. With IntraLasik, the surgeon simply types in the exact position and depth needed. This makes this procedure not only safe but extremely accurate, thus reducing side effects and all around complaints of this procedure.

The laser utilized in IntraLasik uses small pulses of laser light, the software also used helps to create the precision needed to help create the incision. During surgery, the laser will move across and back and forth right above the surface of the patient’s eye, this creates a small layer of bubbles that rest right underneath the cornea.

Surgery sound interesting to you? It should because less side effects are associate with IntraLasik and the precision is 100 percent accurate. Could you be a candidate for Intralasik? If you have a thin cornea or a high prescription, then you might be a potential candidate for this bladeless surgery.

What are some of the risks associated with Intra Lasik? There are some risks associated with IntraLasik surgery. In 2001 the Interlase laser was approved for public use. Since then this laser has been responsible for operating on over 200,000 eyes. Because the incision is made with a laser, the time of surgery is increase almost 6 fold. The traditional bladed surgery runs about 3-4 seconds per eye while the bladeless surgery runs and average of 17 seconds per eye.

Pricing for this bladeless surgery is around 1900-4900.00 dollars per eye, although pricing can vary greatly from region to region and from doctor to doctor in the same city.
The reason this process is expensive is due to the InterLase laser used. However, most cost incurred also include postoperative care.

Before having this surgery performed it is best to speak with you surgeon and go over the positive effects of both Lasik and IntraLasik, find out if you’re a candidate today!

Need Lasik Surgery? Check out the Cost of Lasik Surgeryyou may be surprised.

William Twiner