Story by Kristen Mozayeni | ezinearticles.com
LASIK can be a dangerous operation.
Myth. LASIK vision correction is extremely safe when performed by a reputable specialist. In fact, many offices around the country experiences a higher success rate than the national average, having performed literally tens of thousands of vision correction surgeries.
LASIK is for anyone.
Myth. LASIK eye surgery can be a very rewarding procedure, but is not an optimal solution for everyone. A thorough examination by an Ophthalmologist (M.D.) who specializes in LASIK can determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK. Eye care specialists conduct an extensive LASIK consultation lasting approximately 2 hours during which all aspects of your eyes and your vision are examined. Numerous offices use state-of-the-art technology, including the Pentacam, which maps out a patient’s cornea. Like your finger print, your cornea is unique to you. From thickness to structural integrity, understanding corneal features is one of the most important factors in identifying good LASIK surgery candidates.
Middle-aged and elderly folks can have LASIK.
Fact. According to the FDA, LASIK candidates must be 18 to have vision correction surgery. There is really no age that makes someone too old to have LASIK. There are of course eye issues that come with age that may make an older person a non-candidate. For example, if someone has cataracts, the cataract must first be handled prior to considering LASIK. Stability also remains a key determining factor for LASIK. If an older person wishes to have their distance and reading vision corrected, both need to be stable before going forward with vision correction surgery.
LASIK candidates can only receive one kind of vision correction surgery.
Myth. Many people hear LASIK and immediately believe there is only one procedure. LASIK has been adopted and commonly used for all vision correction surgery; however, there are several options. Due to the unique structure of every patient’s eyes, a candidate that is not well-suited for all-laser LASIK may be perfectly suited for all-laser PRK (also known as no flap LASIK).
LASIK discounts sound too good to be true.
Fact (most likely). Your eye health can highly affect your overall well-being. Sacrificing surgeon experience, technology, or patient care for a lower medical bill is a dangerous move when it comes to LASIK surgery. While short term financial savings are tempting, your eye may endure long term physical effects from a subpar procedure. Find a reputable ophthalmologist who specializes in LASIK and is willing to openly discuss price with you. Honest, straightforward pricing eliminates assumption and maximizes healthy patient to doctor communication.
People with astigmatism can’t have LASIK.
Myth. With the improvements in technology over the past several years, having astigmatism does not typically cause a problem when considering LASIK. Numerous LASIK office have invested in state of the art technology and con routinely correct astigmatism with LASIK eye surgery.
During a LASIK procedure, a patient must keep their eyes still and open on their own.
Myth. When researching LASIK surgery, many people ask the questions, “Do I have to keep my eye perfectly still?” and “How am I supposed to keep my eye open?” At Providence Eye, we use cutting-edge technologies that track patients’ eyes with multiple infra-red cameras at a rate of 400 frames per second. When it comes to keeping someone’s eyes open during LASIK, your eye care doctor will place numbing drops in your eyes, eliminating the urge to blink. A small device is the placed around the eye to keep it open throughout the procedure.
Recovery after LASIK only takes 24-48 hours.
Fact. Patients who have LASIK need someone to drive them home. It is recommended that you take a long nap lasting around 4 hours, after which significant improvement will be noticed. Additional vision improvement should occur by the next morning. The exact length of “recovery time” is patient dependent and during your consultation, your LASIK surgeon should be able to set a reasonable expectation. Typically, patients are able to return to their normal daily activities the next day with some restrictions around swimming, contact sports and activities of that nature.
Story by Kristen Mozayeni | ezinearticles.com