Anyone that wears glasses can tell you that they can be a burdensome necessity. Although glasses work appropriately for correcting your vision, they can be very limiting.
When you need glasses to see, damaging or losing your visual aids is a constant concern. If your vision requires a strong prescription, you might not be able to function without them.
Many people also dislike the way they look with glasses. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to get rid of your glasses, there is a solution.
LASIK has helped millions of people achieve incredible vision by correcting their refractive errors. You may be one of the many who are eligible for the procedure.
Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and why you should consider the procedure!
What Are Refractive Errors?
Typically, those who require glasses to see have a refractive error. LASIK tackles this specific source of blurry vision.
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are all refractive errors. A refractive error occurs when light is not able to be refracted to land directly on the retina at the back of your eye.
Refractive errors can occur if your eye is too long or too short or if your cornea has an irregular shape. The cornea is a dome of clear tissue covering the front of your eye.
It acts like a lens, focusing most of the light that enters your eye. The light then passes through the actual lens inside the eye, which focuses the rest of the light.
In a normal eye, the light lands directly on the retina at the back of the eye after it goes through the refraction process. If the cornea is misshapen, the light does not focus properly.
How Does LASIK Work?
LASIK corrects how light is refracted by changing the shape of your cornea. Using lasers, your LASIK surgeon makes a flap in the thin top layer of the cornea very carefully.
Once the flap is lifted, the middle layer of the cornea is exposed. The middle layer is important because it is thicker.
Next, using a different laser and map-creating software, your LASIK surgeon changes the shape of your cornea.
Once your LASIK surgeon has reshaped your cornea, they will reposition the flap over the treated area of the cornea. This flap will reattach and heal naturally over the recovery period.
After LASIK, your newly shaped cornea is now able to refract light correctly. Using lasers makes the entire procedure faster and more accurate.
Thanks to modern technology, recovering from LASIK is now also easy and fast.
Will My Results Be Permanent?
Many people are reluctant to invest in LASIK because they think they’ll be back to glasses eventually. While LASIK can’t prevent other vision problems from occurring, it is a permanent solution to refractive errors.
It is possible that you may need one or two enhancements following the original surgery, depending on your unique vision. It is crucial to remember that while LASIK can significantly reduce your dependence on other visual aids like glasses and contact lenses, it may not eliminate the need for them in every case.
Realistic expectations of what LASIK can achieve is just one of many LASIK candidate requirements.
How Will My Doctor Know If I’m A Candidate?
LASIK can be a great solution for many people, but it can’t help everyone. In order for the surgery to be safe and effective, you need to fit a LASIK candidate profile.
Here are some of the guidelines your LASIK surgeon will follow:
Age
The FDA has approved LASIK for those who are at least eighteen. Many surgeons will even have patients wait until they are a bit older.
Often, LASIK surgeons do this to ensure your eyes are fully developed prior to proceeding with the procedure. If you get LASIK while your eyes are still developing, your procedure results may not be ideal.
Stable Prescription
Many LASIK surgeons will require that your vision is stable for at least a year.
Pregnancy and other hormonal changes may also cause unexpected shifts in your vision. Your LASIK surgeon will likely want to wait until your prescription has been stable for at least a year before proceeding with LASIK.
Corneal Thickness
In order for your LASIK surgeon to create the flap necessary for the procedure, your corneas need to be thick enough. LASIK is not safe for people with naturally thin corneas or corneas that have become thin over time.
During your LASIK consultation, your eye doctor will measure the thickness of your cornea to ensure that they are thick enough for the procedure.
Certain Health and Eye Conditions
Autoimmune conditions can cause recovery to be much more complex and risky. Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome are a few examples of diseases that will stop you from getting LASIK.
Similarly, pre-existing eye conditions can make it dangerous to operate on your eyes. Keratoconus, for example, weakens the structure of the cornea.
Even something simple like chronic dry eye can cause recovery to be more challenging. The good news is that many of the issues can be treated or resolved.
Age and pregnancy, for example, may take time and patience. Certain diseases can be actively treated or managed, like dry eye and diabetes.
For the issues that are out of your control, there are alternatives.
Choose LASIK, Experience Visual Freedom
Through LASIK, you will be able to experience visual freedom. LASIK and other refractive surgeries can help you reclaim your eyesight.
The sooner you invest in LASIK, the longer you will be able to enjoy the lifestyle!
Are you interested in learning if you may be a candidate for the LASIK procedure? Schedule an appointment at Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center in Santa Clara, CA, today!
