Laser’s eye surgery is a health operation treatment which includes the utilization of laser for re-shaping the top surface of the cornea.
What is Laser Eye Surgery?
Literally, Laser eye surgery is based on eye surgery which is a medical treatment of eyes diseases and injures by cutting open the injured part of the eyes. It is medically named as orogolomistiscian surgery or ocular surgery. Primarily, eye surgery was done as the trying out of some research of eye refraction. Then, it was proven that laser could be connected to cornea for doing an eye surgery treatment.
The History of Laser Eye Surgery
In early 1898, a Dutch professor of Ophtalmologist, Lans, discovered basic principles of radial keratotomy as his former idea of using radiation to conduct eye surgical operation. In addition, in 1930′s, a Japan surgeon, Sato, had completed his research of corneal incisions in which the eye surgery was done by placing incisions in the endothelial surface of the cornea as well as the epithelial surface. Unfortunately, this work mostly did not even last in reimbursement for many patients of eye surgery.
Later research of eye surgery was done in Bogota, Columbia in the year of 1950. Jose Barraquer firstly discovered microkeratome which was the technique used to cut thin flaps in the cornea and alter its shape, which he called as keratomileusis procedure. In 1970′s, as his trauma and experience of many failed eye surgeries, Dr. Fyodorov from Russia, developed the practical application of radial keratotomy. For his first patient, Dr. Fyodorov treated a boy who got corneal laceration because of his broken glasses. Dr. Fyodorov did the treatment while revealing the formula of eye refraction which could make the procedure and the result of surgery better than it used to. Surprisingly, the result was that the boy got less myopic than prior to his accident. This proved Dr. Fyodorov’s formula had been effectively working, constantly; these findings finally attracted many American Ophtalmologists in 1978.
Next, one of the American Ophtalmologist, Dr. Leo Bores brought this technology of eye surgery back to United States after he visited Dr. Fyodorov. He tried to introduce this technology to people in United States, and it was welcomed very well. In other way, Dr. Srinivasion, a researcher in IBM Laboratory, found and interaction between the Excimer Laser and biological tissue in human’s body. This observation was perfected by Dr. Stefen Trokel’s research by connecting that laser interaction to the cornea. Then, it was proven that laser could be connected to cornea for doing a medical treatment. According to some findings, the Excimer Laser has been noted in the International Track Record for its safety and effectiveness since 1987. Thus, this method of eye surgery has been determined to be a safe surgery that has been practiced in many places. Also, in November 1994, it was reported that over a million PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy) cases have been solved by using the technology of laser surgery.
However, PRK is quite effective for only certain cases, such as myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia. Then, recently it has been developed a more advanced and newer technology of eye surgery that is LASIK that stands for Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis. It is actually quite similar to LASEK, yet LASEK is done through the surface of eyes as it is an acronym for Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis. Still, LASIK performs more painless and they can have more comfortable surgery instead of the others that quite remains intact of the eye surface.
Facts and Risks of Laser Eye Surgery
Laser eye surgery grows to be widely held in many countries as it successfully solves people’s vision problem. Although laser eye surgery proves its excellent safety profile and effective work, in fact, every single medical procedure always has risks that cannot be avoided since laser eye surgery’s effect is not reversible. In other words, laser eye surgery is a kind of eternal correction of refractive errors, and the effect will be permanent as well. Thus, this surgery is not necessarily recommended to all people with vision problems. The patients of laser eye surgery should be carefully selected and they should require the whole evaluation conducted by doctors, such as about their condition; whether they are in pregnancy, suffering from high blood pressure, or other serious diseases. Clearly, the patients should be in a fit and healthy condition since bad conditions can be potential to influence the effects of the surgery. Accordingly, it is really prominent that each patient of laser eye surgery should have a firm understanding of both the positive and the negative impacts before taking the procedure.
Here are some possible risks that potentially can happen toward the patients after having laser eye surgery.
1. Loss of vision
Since this very surgery uses laser as the core media to correct refraction and laser itself is actually able to affect the tissues of eyes, then it can be very possible that some fractions in eyes will be reduced in their functions. Consequently, the patients will lose some aspects of their vision. For instance, they would be unable to see rather than getting normal in vision. These loses can be either temporary or permanent. Unfortunately, it is uncorrectable even by using lenses, glasses, or any other surgery. Even if any, it might be eyes replaced or transplanted surgery.
2. Visual problems
This is almost similar to the risk above, yet the patients here just undergo less loses. For instance, they will be a bit unable to see properly at night, or in a place with less light, or it can be in daylight, like at noon when the sun is too bright for the laser eye surgery’s patients since their eyes’ function of being reflected or adapted to any light condition is reduced. Also, their sight-distance precisely will be shorter than before the surgery as they are blurry in a fog or rainy day.
3. Dry eye syndrome
As stated previously that eyes might lose some of its functions, this syndrome happens because eyes are no longer able to produce tear on its own. Moreover, this dry eye syndrome will not only make such uncomfortable condition of eyes, but it also can cause other vision problems, such as blurring. Therefore, people with this very condition should immediately take an action considering the following effects can be worse and permanent.
4. Infections
Having infection after surgery actually quite rarely occurs since surgeons usually do some evaluation to select the patients whether they can take the surgery or not. However, if it happens, the only treatment of this case is only to have cornea replaced.
LASIK – Laser Eye Surgery Process
Due to the risks that possibly happen, LASIK eye surgery process requires a set of test in order to measure and check whether the patient is good enough to be a candidate of this surgery or not. This process begins with the consultation between the patients and the surgeon regarding what the patients expect and should require from taking LASIK eye surgery. The patients are asked to put their glasses or contact lenses off for about 5 to 21 days as the pre-operation procedure. The doctor or the surgeon also should carefully check and review about the patients’ health condition and the history of eye problem. Then, he doctor will map the surface of the eye that is cornea by using corneal topographer as he needs a blueprint of the patients’ eyes before conducting the surgery. An important step is that measuring the corneal thickness, called pachymetry, in order to help the doctor for determining whether the anatomy of corneal is appropriate for LASIK or perhaps another laser eye surgery procedure. Once these steps have been completed, the doctor will examine the health of the retina and inside structures of the eyes as a final check.
The operation process of Lasik consists of three major steps; creating a flap of corneal tissue, remodeling of the cornea underneath the flap with the laser, repositioning the flap.
- Firstly, a cornea suction ring is placed to hold the eye then the flap is created. The process of lifting and folding back the flap can sometimes be uncomfortable for the patients.
- Secondly, this is laser remodeling which is using excimer laser to remodel the corneal stroma. During this step, the patient’s vision will become very blurry once the flap is lifted. They will be able to see only white light surrounding the orange light of the laser, which can lead to mild disorientation.
- The third step is that repositioning the flap. The laser will reshape the stromal layer, and then here the flap will be carefully repositioned over the treatment area by the surgeon and checked for the presence of air bubbles, debris, and proper fit on the eye.
- After finishing the surgery, the patients will be given a kind of eye drops to freshen their eyes and also given a pair of shields which can protect their eyes from the bright light.
See the graphic illustration process!
laser eye surgery step illustration
To sum up, laser eye surgery is actually quite safe and effective to correct people’s vision problem due to the excimer laser that has been noted as the safest radiation to connect with human’s body. Yet, there are still some risks that cannot be avoided even though the surgery is perfectly done. As a proverb said, eye is a light in a dark, then we should consider wisely about how we should treat our only pair of eyes very well. Therefore, the patients of laser eye surgery should be able to understand completely about the procedure and the risks of the surgery.