What Is Lasik Surgery?
More often than not, your physical health receives preferential treatment when it comes to a healthy body. However, the health of your eyes gets seldom considered. Nowadays, due to the surge in screen time, most of you will either find yourselves wearing glasses or contact lenses due to vision problems.
When you find it difficult to see and need to rely on corrective eyewear, it’s time for you to opt for refractive eye surgery like Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK). This type of surgery lowers your dependency on glasses or lenses and can improve your vision to a great extent.
In this article, you will learn more about LASIK and what it entails. It will give you an insight into the procedure, the risks involved, eligibility, and why and how it works!
What Is Lasik Eye Surgery Procedure?
Coming down to what the procedure entails, LASIK helps with vision correction. This eye surgery uses a laser to treat any vision problems caused due to refractive errors.
Much like the camera lens, the cornea helps focus light to create an image on your retina. However, sometimes the shape of your cornea and your eye aren’t in sync resulting in an out-of-focus or distorted image. These imperfections or blurred vision gets termed as refractive errors. You will find three types of refractive errors – Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness), and Astigmatism.
If you suffer from any of these refractive errors, you might need to wear glasses or contact lenses to compensate for the blurry vision. However, with the help of LASIK, you can now surgically reshape your cornea and improve your vision, thus ending or reducing your dependency on corrective eyewear.
Read more: Detailed LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure
How Safe Is Lasik Eye Surgery?
When it comes to any surgical procedure, the first question that pops in your head is, “Is this safe?” Unlike any other surgery, you will find LASIK to have some risks. But, these risks rarely lead to loss of vision or other extreme conditions. If your health is at its prime and you find yourself eligible for the surgery, you will, however, have to follow some guidelines and precautionary measures before and after to make sure it works well for you.
Similarly, if you have underlying health issues, LASIK or any other eye surgery may not suit you and could lead to complications. Therefore, you must consult a qualified and certified ophthalmologist to consider your options and work your way forward. As you know, risks come with every invasive surgical procedure, which is why you need to weigh all the pros and cons. Make sure you do everything in your might to minimize the risks associated with LASIK if you wish to get rid of your glasses and contact lenses.
Am I A Suitable Candidate For Lasik Eye Surgery?
Much like other surgeries, your candidacy depends on your overall health. If you have any underlying health problems, it may pose a risk to your eligibility. You might never get considered as a suitable candidate.
Several factors make or break your candidacy for LASIK eye surgery, and you will find them mentioned below. First, you can take a look at the aspects that make you an ideal candidate for LASIK:
- You should be 18 years or older (ideally, over 21 years old, as the vision most likely stops changing by then).
- Your eye prescription should be consistent at least for a year.
- Your refractive error should be treatable with LASIK.
- Your corneas need to be thick enough and healthy, and your overall eye health should be good.
- You should set realistic expectations about what LASIK can and cannot do for you.
While these factors make your case, the ones mentioned below might remove you from the list altogether. They include:
- an unstable refractive error
- severe dry eye
- extreme levels of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism
- thin corneas
- cornea abrasions or disease
- keratoconus (cone-shaped cornea)
- a cataract affecting vision
- advanced glaucoma
- a history of eye infections
- uncontrolled diabetes
- pregnant or nursing women
Either of these factors could keep you from getting LASIK. Therefore, you need to discuss all these aspects with your eye doctor, get your eyes checked, and weigh the options before opting for this eye surgery.
Difference Between Lasik And Relex Smile Surgery? Which Is Better?
The decision of which eye surgery suits you the best lies with your ophthalmologist. Therefore, the only understanding that you as a patient need awareness about is the benefits both LASIK and ReLEx SMILE surgery offer. Primarily, the advancements in medical technology, the procedure, and the risks involved determine the differences between any surgical procedures, including these two.
Here’s a look at the benefits both of these procedures offer, wherein the differences lie. As mentioned earlier, only your eye doctor can determine the correct one for you. So, do not self-diagnose and opt for eye surgery as your vision depends on its efficacy.
Benefits of LASIK eye surgery:
- It corrects vision, and around 96% of patients get their desired vision level.
- It causes very little pain due to the use of numbing drops during the procedure.
- You will get the desired results almost immediately or in a couple of days after the surgery.
- You do not need to use bandages or stitches post-surgery.
- If your vision changes due to age, you can get it adjusted even years after your LASIK surgery.
- The dependency on your glasses or contact lenses reduces considerably, and sometimes you might not need them at all.
Benefits of ReLEx SMILE surgery:
- Advancement in laser eye surgery with ReLEx SMILE surgery involves a femtosecond laser to make a disc-shaped cut inside the stroma.
- It is less invasive and requires the use of only one laser as opposed to LASIK.
- It can treat higher myopic refractive errors, unlike LASIK.
- You have a lower risk of dry eyes since fewer corneal nerves get severed in this procedure.
As you can see, the difference between LASIK and ReLEx SMILE surgeries lies in their benefits. You can consult with your eye doctor and determine which one works well for your eyes.
Lasik Eye Surgery: Myths Vs Facts
Since the safety aspect deems critical, in the case of surgeries, you will find yourself in a cloud of myths that make their way into your mind as facts. Therefore, consulting your eye doctor becomes paramount in such a case. Today, you will find the most common myths surrounding LASIK debunked to get a clear picture.
| Myths | Facts |
| #1. LASIK is painful. | It is relatively painless as numbing drops act as anesthesia during the procedure. You can, however, experience slight discomfort after the surgery for a few hours. |
| #2. Risks associated with LASIK are high. | After approval by the FDA, LASIK is considered one of the safest eye surgeries to correct vision problems. The equipment and instruments used during the procedure cause little to no irritation or infection. |
| #3. Benefits of LASIK are not long-lasting. | LASIK reshapes the cornea permanently to treat vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Once the surgery gets performed, the effects cannot wear off unless your vision starts to decline as you age. However, with age, you can still get it adjusted with another small procedure. |
Deciding to get LASIK is an important decision that needs due consideration. Therefore, getting a full understanding of the procedure and its benefits should take priority. Additionally, consulting a qualified eye doctor will help make your decision easier.
Choosing The Best Eye Hospital For Lasik Surgery In India
Your eyes allow you to function accurately without running into obstacles. Therefore, if you need to get your vision corrected with LASIK, choosing the right hospital or eye care institute becomes imperative.
The primary factors that can help you choose the best eye hospital for LASIK surgery in India are:
- Quality of medical equipment and technology used for surgery
- The infrastructure of the hospital or eye institute
- Qualification and experience of doctors/ophthalmologists
- Reviews and feedback for the doctors and the hospital
- Hospital accreditation
- Insurance procedure and its coverage
So, look for a hospital that has the latest medical technologies, state-of-the-art facilities and that maintains the highest level of hygiene. Moreover, if the doctor in-charge has rich experience in eye correction surgeries along with global certification and fellowship, it’s a win-win situation for you.
Choosing The Best Lasik Eye Surgeon
Other than the safety of LASIK, the doctor’s ability to perform this surgery should take precedence. If you find the ophthalmologist’s qualification to be satisfactory, along with the reviews, you can consult the said person. However, you should know that the final decision of going through with LASIK or any other eye surgery lies with you.
So, to choose the best LASIK eye surgeon, check for reviews and feedback, qualifications and certifications, experience, and association with various hospitals and clinics. It will help you determine whether he/she is best suited for advice or if you should look for someone else.
Benefits And Advantages Of Lasik Eye Surgery
If you have the chance to improve vision without the hassles of wearing glasses or contact lenses, you should opt for LASIK eye surgery. With this refractive surgery, you can achieve 20/25 vision or better. According to some studies, 8 out of 10 people that have undergone LASIK do not require corrective eyewear to function or perform daily tasks. However, the success depends on the extent of your refractive error and other such factors.
Nonetheless, some benefits and advantages of LASIK eye surgery make it a viable option for you. Especially if you have a low grade of nearsightedness. Here’s a look at some of them:
- LASIK corrects vision, and around 96% of patients get their desired vision level after this surgical procedure.
- Numbing drops used during LASIK eye surgery causes very little pain.
- You will get the desired results almost immediately or a few days after the eye surgery.
- After LASIK eye surgery, there’s no need for bandages or stitches.
- If your vision changes due to age, you can get it adjusted even years after your LASIK surgery.
- The dependency on glasses or contact lenses reduces considerably after LASIK eye surgery, and sometimes patients do need them at all.
Therefore, if you do not wish to wear glasses or contact lenses in the future, you can opt for LASIK and reap its benefits.
Precautions After Lasik Eye Surgery – After Care
While the procedure takes 30 minutes to complete, the aftercare or precautionary measures you need to abide by determining its success. You need to ensure that you understand the sensitivity involved and take every step to help with the recovery process.
LASIK Eye Surgery: Precautions & Aftercare
- Do not take a shower or wash your hair until the day after the surgery.
- Avoid showering with non-sterile water, and do not let it enter your eyes the first few days post-surgery.
- Keep soap out of your eyes while showering, and avoid hair spray and shaving lotion for a few days.
- Do not rub your eyes for at least a month after your surgery.
- In case you need to use eye drops, use prescription eye drops.
- Your eyes will likely be sensitive to light for a bit so, wear dark sunglasses.
- Sun rays could cause scarring of the eyes, so wear sunglasses on bright mornings for at least a year.
- Call your doctor immediately if you experience any unusual side effects.
- Follow-up with your ophthalmologist to ensure you do not miss out on any vital precautionary measures.
Your recovery process after-surgery depends on how well you follow these precautionary measures and steps instructed by your eye doctor. So, if you opt for LASIK, remember to ask the right questions to your surgeon and take the plunge only when you’re ready.
What Is The Cost Of Lasik Surgery In India?
The cost of any surgery depends on several factors, and it’s no different with LASIK. Therefore, to determine the total expenses, you need to consider them before you opt for LASIK. Most eye surgeons provide you with a detailed cost analysis in the pre-patient counseling session. Apart from where you get the surgery done, other aspects that get covered in the total cost are:
- Technology and infrastructure
- The type of procedure
- Location
- Aftercare
- Hospital size
- Patient care
If you consider all these factors, the average estimate of LASIK eye surgery in India ranges between 25,000 INR – 45,000 INR.
Read more: What Is The Cost Of Lasik Surgery In India?
Faqs About LASIK Eye Surgery
When you need to get eye surgery, you have plenty of questions that plague your mind and the ones for which you want answers. Most of the queries revolve around the safety of the procedure and its efficacy. Here you will find the topmost commonly asked questions and their answers so you can get well-informed before you go ahead with it.
- How Safe is LASIK Eye Surgery?
LASIK is one of the safest eye correction surgeries that one can undergo to correct their vision. It uses laser light that is controlled by a computer and under the guidance of the doctor.
- How Long Does It Take to Recover After LASIK?
Most patients start seeing a day or so after the surgery. However, for some patients, the recovery time might vary. If your vision does not clear in 4-5 days, consult your doctor immediately.
- Is LASIK Eye Surgery Painful?
No, LASIK eye surgery is not painful as the doctor administers anesthetic, numbing eye drops before commencing the surgery. You might experience mild discomfort post-surgery for a day or so, after which your eyes should recover.
- How Does the LASIK Eye Procedure Work?
LASIK eye surgery uses laser light to reshape the cornea, thus removing any vision error, helping you see clearly without the help of contact lenses or glasses.
- Is There Any Lower and Upper Age Limit to Get LASIK Done?
While there isn’t an upper age limit to undergo LASIK eye surgery, the minimum age to get LASIK done is 18 years and above as your vision stops changing.
If you have further questions about LASIK, read: FAQs About LASIK Eye Surgery
CONCLUSION
LASIK is one of the safest refractive error correction procedures and offers you a chance to improve your vision without the help of glasses or contact lenses. By administering an anesthetic, the pain remains minimal, and the side effects or risks involved with the surgery aren’t extreme. However, you need to follow the post-operative care measures, which will help with your healing process, and you will quickly return to your regular daily routine within no time.
Dada Laser Eye Institute’s expert ophthalmologists guide you through the entire process, explain the risks involved, share their knowledge, and make sure you find it comfortable to go through with the vision correction process. You can get in touch with the experts and get proper consultation by giving us a call at <992 299 5549> or visit our website to fill out a form https://ladilaservision.com/.