Laser vision correction has received some negative publicity recently related to FDA hearings regarding the complaints of patients who’ve had less than optimal results. What can be learned from these hearings? First, it must be emphasized that laser vision correction is an elective surgical procedure. There is no such thing as surgery that is entirely risk free. Laser vision correction has an excellent safety profile and millions of procedures have been performed to date.
The most common form of laser vision correction that is performed is called “Lasik”. This is performed by using a device to make a flap in the outer layer of the cornea, peeling the flap back, and then using an Excimer laser to reshape the underlying corneal tissue. The flap is then placed back in position. Afterwards, patients typically have only three or four hours of irritation in their eyes, and are usually able to function well without glasses or contacts the following day. If a problem occurs, it is usually related to the corneal flap. The femtosecond laser (Intralase) has been developed as an alternative to the microkeratotome to create the flap, but both are cutting devices.
The alternative to Lasik is photorefractive keratectomy or PRK. With PRK the surface layer or epithelium is removed and the exposed corneal tissue is reshaped with the excimer laser. The corneal epithelium then regrows. The advantage of PRK is that there is no risk of flap complications and it can be used in patients with thinner corneas. The downside is that it takes significantly longer to heal. It may take four to seven days to be able to drive and up to three months to get your best vision. Studies show that there is no significant difference between the visual results of Lasik and PRK.
The excimer laser itself has seen tremendous improvements in accuracy and safety over the past few years. Tracking lasers follow your eye movements to aid in centering the treatment on your cornea. Wavefront technology allows each eye to be analyzed to determine its unique levels of distortion. This information is transferred to the laser’s computer to allow it to deliver a custom treatment for that particular eye.
Whether or not you’re a good candidate for surgery depends on your eyeglass prescription, the health of your eyes, the size of your pupils, and the shape and thickness of your corneas. A detailed discussion is needed find out if your goals are realistic. When choosing a surgeon, pick a good communicator who shows judgment and experience over one whose claim to fame is massive numbers of surgery performed.
For more information please call 661-259-3937.