One surgical technique that can help you see better is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or LASIK. The tissue at the front of the retina is permanently reshaped, and these changes persist throughout your lifetime.
However, while aging occurs naturally, most people’s vision deteriorates with time. Because LASIK cannot reverse this, as you age, your eyesight may get blurry once more.
Your age at the time of LASIK and if you are suffering from any other developing eye diseases will determine how long these alterations last following your treatment. The team at Lasik ATL can help you with your treatment and follow-up plan.
Changes in vision following LASIK
Although LASIK alters your vision permanently, there are certain reasons why it could change after the procedure.
The American Refractive Surgery Council states that if your original condition—myopia, or nearsightedness (farsightedness), or astigmatism (hazy vision)—continues to worsen, your vision may alter over time. Your eyesight may alter as a result of this journey.
Presbyopia, a normal eye condition, is another frequent cause of vision changes that can occur years after LASIK. It happens as you get older and your lens loses flexibility, making it harder to concentrate on close things.
The age at which you get LASIK and the degree to which your eye health improves—if at all—will determine how long the procedure “lasts.” After ten years, the majority of LASIK patients are still satisfied with their eyesight.
Thirty-five percent of LASIK patients need retreatment after ten years, according to one research. Another research study tracked LASIK patients who had astigmatism or nearsightedness. They discovered that around 10% of research participants had age-related alterations in their eyesight throughout a 12-year period.
You can still be eligible for LASIK enhancement years after your first treatment if your vision gets hazy for other reasons. It is dependent on the amount of tissue that remains after the initial surgery.
LASIK: What is it?
Light is focused onto the retina at the rear of your eye when it strikes the cornea, the translucent outer portion of your eye. We refer to this as refraction.
Your eyesight becomes fuzzy when it isn’t bent properly because light isn’t concentrated on your retina. We refer to this as a refractive error.
The three primary kinds of refractive errors can be fixed using LASIK:
Lasik surgery may help with eyesight issues.
Myopia, or nearsightedness. When you gaze at objects close by, your eyesight is clear; when you stare at things far away, it becomes hazy.
The condition is known as hyperopia. When you gaze at far objects, your eyesight is keen, but when you stare at things up close, your vision becomes hazy.
Astigmatism. The reason for blurred vision is an irregularity in the frontal eye’s shape.
By reshaping your cornea with lasers or tiny blades, LASIK treats these disorders. Light is focused upon your retina when it has been properly bent.
The end effect is crisp, clear eyesight both up close and far away. Correcting your eyesight is intended to eliminate the need for contacts or glasses.
What is the price of LASIK?
Although the overall cost of LASIK can be lower, it often comes to about $4,200. In addition to the operation, this often involves preoperative assessments and postoperative follow-up examinations.
In certain cases, the cost also covers LASIK enhancement, a follow-up operation used to better improve your vision when the first tissue removal was insufficient. Most insurance companies do not cover LASIK since it is an elective operation.
Advice for selecting a LASIK physician
The following factors may be helpful when selecting a physician to do your LASIK procedure:
- To pick a physician, consult your primary care physician or friends and relatives who have undergone LASIK.
- Pick a physician with a good success rate and a lot of LASIK treatments under their belt.
- Select a physician that works in a location that works for you.
- Choose a physician who offers LASIK in your preferred method (custom, bladed, or all laser).
- Examine prices and select a physician that offers financing solutions that suit your needs.
- Before undergoing the treatment, carefully investigate facilities that claim significantly reduced or “bargain” LASIK.
- Find out precisely what is included in the fee and confirm that there won’t be any unforeseen extra expenses, such follow-up appointments.
- Most crucial, pick a physician you trust and feel at ease with.
What is the duration of LASIK?
LASIK on one eye typically takes between ten and twenty minutes, however this varies between person to person. In most cases, healing happens fast. Results are seen as soon as a day following the operation.
What may one anticipate with LASIK?
Although you will remain conscious throughout the treatment, you could be given a sedative to aid in your relaxation. You may experience some pressure or tugging on your eye, but it won’t hurt.
The following are the procedure’s fundamental steps:
- Both eyes are numbed using anesthetic eye drops.
- An eyelid holder keeps your eye open.
- Your cornea’s (https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/corneal-conditions) outer layer is cut using a laser or tiny blade to create a flap. You may experience some pressure and pain at this point.
- traditional LASIK (bladed). Your eye is treated using a device known as a microkeratome.
- It is made up of a little blade with a ring fastened to it. Your cornea is raised by the ring’s suction, and a flap is sliced by the blade.
- To keep your eye moist and aid in healing, you can be prescribed eye drops. An eye shield will also be provided to you in order to safeguard and shield your eyes.
A few days following the treatment, you will see your doctor again to ensure that there are no issues and that your eye is recovering properly.
The full healing of your eyes and stabilization of your eyesight often take two to three months. You should refrain from using contacts and eye makeup till then. Additionally, you should stay away from swimming, hot tubs, and contact sports.
