Considering LASEK?
November 7th, 2009Any one who has worn glasses or contacts since they were in third grade can tell you that the invention of LASEK was fantastic. Back in my day, contacts were extremely expensive and not an option for someone so young. So I got to go through elemetary and junior high school with glasses and braces. I’ll never forget the day I got contacts and my braces were removed. All of the sudden, I felt so free. I also played sports, so the first time I played without glasses and the safety strap around my head, I thought I was going to burst with joy. At least if I took a shot to the face, it didn’t hurt nearly as much.
In New York City, there are main type of surgery that people are usually asking for is LASEK surgery. This is a type of LASIK surgery, but a little different. With the LASIK surgery the eye surgeon will make an incision in the cornea with a laser and leave a small section intact, creating a small hinge. Once the cornea is pealed back, the eye surgeon will then use laser pulses to make any corrections the eye needs to lessen the dependency on eye glasses and contacts.
Since the eye surgeon is not flipping the cornea to create a flap, less of the cornea needs to be used, so people with higher prescriptions and thinner corneas can be safely treated. Doctors have also found that using this new LASEK procedure can greatly reduce the dryness of eyes after the surgery. Doctors are also finding that this new procedure has a better recovery rate and also has less complications from it. With LASIK, since a flap is being created, many times the flap never fully heals and can leave gaps in the cornea. When those gaps do not completely heal, the patient can often have dry eyes, fuzzy night vision, and also may need another procedure to correct it.
Other answers to your questions can be found by reading as much material as you can find on the subject at your local library. Many medical periodicals have a good number of articles regarding LASIK and LASEK surgery. Ultimately, the decision to have LASIK or LASEK or to simply continue the hassle of corrective lenses will be up to you.
