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REFRACTIVE EYE SURGERY
What is Refractive Eye Surgery?
Refractive surgery refers to a family of surgical procedures designed to produce better eye focus with less dependence upon glasses or contact lenses for near-sighted, far-sighted, and astigmatic individuals. This field is one of the most exciting and intensively studied within modern ophthalmology, offering patients the realistic prospect of safe, effective and significant visual improvement.
Historically, ophthalmologists have long performed refractive surgery. Procedures which have an influence on either of the eye's natural focusing elements--the cornea or the internal crystalline lens, will have an impact on how well the eye can focus. Cataract surgery and corneal transplantation are therefore also members of the family of refractive surgical procedures performed routinely by ophthalmologists every day.
There are two types of refractive procedures: incisional and laser. The major incisional procedures are known as radial and astigmatic keratotomy. The most common laser procedures are photo-refractive keratectomy (PRK) and Laser Assisted In-Situ Kertomielusis (LASIK).
What is Photo-refractive Keratectomy (PRK) and LASIK surgery?
The patient is placed beneath the laser delivery system and a brief training session given in which the individual learns to fixate upon a light during the PRK procedure and the laser is briefly activated to acquaint the patient with the sound and sensation of the treatment. The eye is anesthetized with topical drops which render the procedure completely painless.
Once good alignment and training have been accomplished the operating surgeon will mark and central 7.00 mm zone upon the corneal surface and will manually remove the superficial corneal cells (epithelium) with a blunt polishing instrument. The laser is programmed and delivers the precise number of pulses required to achieve the amount of corneal flattening desired in 30 to 60 seconds. In many instances both eyes are treated consecutively in one sitting. After the photoablation is completed, the surgeon will place a bandage soft contact lens upon the eye and instill topical antibiotic and anti- inflammatory drops. The patient leaves the treatment center without a patch.
The newest and perhaps the most exciting procedure in the field of refractive surgery is LASIK. The word LASIK is an acronym for the words Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomielusis. This is the latest and most effective version of a procedure which was innovated by Dr. Juaquin Barraquer dating back to the 1970s.
In the LASIK procedure the excimer laser has been substituted to remove the refractive lenticle, or layer of corneal tissue required to flatten the cornea. This eliminated the need to use the microtome a second time--adding a new level of precision.
LASIK represents a new concept in laser vision correction. It allows the refractive surgeon to remove corneal tissue without disrupting the surface of the eye. Because of this, on the day following surgery, the eye is comfortable, the cornea clear and the visual result immediately appreciated by the patient. This is a considerable improvement over standard PRK myopia surgery in which patients can often experience discomfort and there can be a significant delay in visual recovery.
Additionally, the period of post-operative drop treatment can be reduced to 10-14 days in LASIK compared to several months with PRK surgery because the healing pattern is so different. Of note is the fact that there have been virtually no reports of visually significant corneal haze after LASIK surgery.
Patients must consult with an ophthalmologist who can provide the appropriate level of care necessary.