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Dry Eyes and LASIK Eye Surgery
When you think LASIK eye surgery, dry eyes might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Typically included in the list of benefits of LASIK eye surgery are improved vision, permanent results, and the ability to dispense with expensive glasses and contacts. In fact, the list of pros for LASIK eye surgery is so long that it’s easy to not take into consideration LASIK’s few drawbacks, such as the increased likelihood of having dry eyes.
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Understanding the Difference Between PRK and LASIK: Why PRK May be Your Better Option
Recently, some of our patients have asked, “What is the difference between PRK and LASIK?” It’s a great question, and one you should also be asking if you’re considering corrective eye surgery. While both PRK and LASIK eye surgeries correct your vision by reshaping the cornea, the procedures differ in recovery time, methods used, and patient eligibility.
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Why LASIK Eye Surgery is Not for Everyone
Commercials for LASIK eye surgery promise that LASIK is “quick and painless,” and that you’ll “never wear glasses again.” Caught up in the dream of forever eradicating our need for eyewear, we may not pay too much attention when the ad goes on to say “talk to your doctor to find out if LASIK is right for you.” Although LASIK is very common, there are a few medical reasons why LASIK eye surgery is not for everyone. Here are some common reasons.
Age and LASIK Eye Surgery Candidacy
If you are under the age of 18, most doctors would not consider you a good candidate for Lasik, because individuals under 18 can still experience significant changes to their prescription which could undo the effects of LASIK eye surgery.
On the other hand, there is no specific age at which you are too old to receive LASIK; depending on your ocular health, you can have your vision corrected through LASIK at any age over 18. That said, if your eyes suffer from complications such as macular degeneration and cataracts, LASIK eye surgery could harm your eyes and worsen their condition. Patients with these conditions are, therefore, often disqualified as LASIK candidates.
Pupil Size and LASIK Candidacy
Pupils are the part of your eye that absorb light and make it possible for you to see. Having large pupils might not seem like a huge deal, but it is a very important factor in determining your LASIK candidacy. People with large pupils are more likely to experience negative side-effects from LASIK eye surgery, including halos, starbursts, and glares. While these side effects may not be debilitating, having large pupils could still disqualify you as a LASIK candidate, especially if you suffer from other ocular health issues.
Corneal Structure and LASIK Candidacy
Like your pupils, your corneas are extremely important to your sight. The same way pupils can be large or small, corneas can be thick or thin. Unfortunately, people with thin corneas are at greater risk of complications from LASIK eye surgery which can disqualify them as candidates for the procedure. Corneal scarring can also disqualify you from receiving LASIK eye surgery.
Diabetes and LASIK Candidacy
Because diabetes can cause retinopathy, a condition that enlarges the pupils, people with diabetes may not be considered a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. However, if your diabetes is well-managed and your eyes are in good health, your diabetes may not disqualify you as a LASIK candidate. It is extremely important that you consult your doctor if you have diabetes and are considering LASIK.
Unsure of Your LASIK Candidacy? Schedule a Consultation to Learn More!
If you are interested in LASIK eye surgery but are worried that certain complications could stand in your way, the doctors at Eye Center of Texas are here to help. During your consultation, we will discuss your eyes, your health, and take every step necessary to accurately determine your candidacy. It’s true, LASIK isn’t right for everybody, and if that’s the case for you, we will explore alternative treatments that will help you gain the vision you’ve always dreamt of.
Schedule your consultation today at any of our Houston offices to get started on your path to clearer vision.
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Does Laser Eye Surgery Hurt?
When people think of lasers, they’re more likely envision destructive ray guns or a light show at a rock concert than eye surgery. It’s no surprise then that many people believe laser eye surgery is a risky and scary procedure. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth; LASIK surgery is not only very safe, it entails very little discomfort as well. But still the mystery remains, what really does happen during LASIK?
Pre-Surgery Preparation
Prior to the surgery, the first thing that the doctor will do is put numbing drops into your eye. These drops are an anesthetic, which begin the process of relaxing your eye. The muscles within your eye will then loosen up, causing you to blink a lot more infrequently than normal. With your eye relaxed, the doctor will apply a clamp to hold your eyelid open for total stability during the operation. There’s no risk of you blinking and messing up the surgery, and you won’t feel any pain or discomfort since your eyes have been numbed.
During the Surgery
When the anesthetic is fully activated and your eye is totally numb and relaxed, a corneal flap is made and the laser begins to reshape your cornea. The laser part of the surgery lasts for less than a minute. It’s possible to feel a little bit of pressure on your eye while the laser is working, but any discomfort you may feel doesn’t last long. There won’t be any burning either, since the laser is actually cold!
Post-Surgery Recovery
LASIK surgery isn’t a painful procedure. The peak amount of discomfort that happens post-surgery lasts for about three to five hours, when it’s best to keep your eye closed allowing your eyes to heal. The corneal flap that is made during the surgery heals quickly by resting the day of your surgery coupled with medicated eye drops for the week following surgery.
Dispel the Myth of Painful Laser Eye Surgery
With all the facts in consideration, we can confidently say that LASIK does not hurt. At most, LASIK causes mild discomfort for a few hours. The biggest hurdles for patients considering LASIK is not the surgery itself, but the misconceptions and fears surrounding the procedure. Thankfully, the remedy for this is simple:
Talk to your doctor at Eye Center of Texas about LASIK and learn exactly what happens during the surgery. Doing so will not only remove any of your uncertainties around the procedure, but will also help you gain confidence that the future of your vision is in the hands of professionals.
Are you ready to improve your vision? Contact Eye Center of Texas today to learn more about laser eye surgery. Or, call with any questions at 713-395-1515.
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How Long Does Laser Eye Surgery Last?
If you are considering laser eye surgery, you probably have several questions about the procedure. How long does it last? What are the side effects? Will you have to go through the surgery again in the future?
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LASIK or PRK?
At the Eye Center of Texas, we want to make sure our LASIK and PRK patients can see clearly and have the healthiest eyes possible. This means carefully screening our patients and doing whatever we can to prevent complications.
While wavefront LASIK allows excellent custom laser eye surgery results, there are some cases in which LASIK is a poor option for vision enhancement. With that in mind, let’s consider why corneal thickness is so important.
What Is LASIK Surgery?
LASIK is a refractive surgery procedure that involves the use of lasers to reshape the cornea, which is the topmost central transparent layer of the eye. By reshaping the cornea, the passage of light through the eye is improved. Light will focus on a single point on the retina, which is the light sensitive tissue located at the backs of the eye.
LASIK is ideal for treating the following refractive errors:
- Nearsightedness (myopia)
- Farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Astigmatism
How LASIK Is Performed?
During LASIK surgery, a flap is created in the topmost portion of the cornea, which is known as the epithelium. Once the epithelial flap is lifted, a laser can then reshape the rest of the cornea to improve vision quality. The flap is set down after the laser contouring is completed.
Why Corneal Thickness Matters:
Good candidates for LASIK have corneas that are of regular thickness. Corneal thickness matters since it’s important to have sufficient corneal tissue in place to be reshaped. Thin corneas can make it difficult to create an epithelial flap. A lack of corneal tissue can make the surgery risky. The laser will remove a minute amount of corneal tissue, but if there is not enough corneal tissue in place this can result in keratoconus (an outward bulging of the eye) as well as other serious complications.
Can People with Thin Corneas Undergo LASIK?
In general, LASIK is a bad idea for people who have thin corneas or corneas that are irregularly shaped. This is just a common sense approach to laser vision correction that helps prevent serious complications and other issues.
Alternatives to LASIK for People with Thin Corneas:
If you do have thin corneas, there are other laser vision correction options that work on similar principles. This includes PRK. Rather than create a corneal flap, these surgery will involve removal of the epithelium or the shifting of the epithelium to allow for corneal reshaping.
In terms of results, these LASIK alternatives can each enhance vision in a significant way, with results that are comparable to LASIK. Healing times and overall healing experience may be different from LASIK, but patients should noticed improved vision without the need for corrective prescription lenses.
Discussing Your Treatment Options
During the consultation process, we can assess the thickness of your corneas and determine the ideal treatment option for you and your needs. We will work closely with you each step of the way to ensure you undergo optimal treatment for your vision needs. This includes a full discussion of the risks and benefits of laser eye surgery and why one option may be better for you than another.
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Post-Operative Care after LASIK Surgery
Everyone’s eyes are unique. Some people have perfect vision. Others have nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or a combination creating less than ideal vision.
Using the surgical procedure, LASIK, a surgeon can correct the corneal tissue to improve eyesight. The end result is freedom from glasses or contacts.
Postoperative Care after LASIK
Postoperative from LASIK surgery is an essential component for optimal results. Always follow the doctor’s guidelines. The procedure allows you to return to normal activities quickly. But you will still need to be careful.
Get Plenty of Rest
One of the best aspects to help aid in the recovery after LASIK surgery is rest. You will experience some sensitivity and minor discomfort. Allowing time to rest and relax will help in speedy the recovery process.
Even when sleeping, use the eye shield or eye goggles as instructed to protect your eyes. Your doctor should always follow up the day after LASIK surgery to view the results.
Don’t Touch
When your eyes are feeling a sense of discomfort, the first response is to rub them. You must avoid rubbing your eyes. The small amount of pressure from rubbing your eyes can result in damage to the sensitive areas.
Keep Water Away from Your Eyes
Avoid taking a shower or bath until the day after surgery. When you decide to wash your hair, use extreme caution to avoid getting soap in your eyes. Stay away from the hot tub, sauna, and swimming pools for at least 2 weeks.
Personal Hygiene
Along with keeping tap water away from your eyes, remember to carefully apply hairspray, face cream, lotions, or after shave. Do not wear any type of makeup for at least a week. You might want to consider replacing your old makeup product to eliminate exposure to bacteria.
Use Sunglasses
Shielding your eyes with sunglasses will help in avoiding discomfort from the bright sun. The bright rays might create scarring, so using sunglasses as protection is vital. Wear the sunglasses for at least a week after LASIK surgery.
Returning to Work
Generally, you will be able to return to work after a couple of days. You will just need to be extremely careful not to put too much strain on your eyes.
Returning to driving is permitted as long as you feel comfortable with your eyesight. But ask your doctor’s permission first and remember to use your sunglasses.
Normal Activities
Getting back to normal activities might take a week. You will want to avoid any type of eye irritations. As you begin to resume your normal routine after a week, you will want to wear goggles to protect your eyes when you sleep.
- Avoid exercising and strenuous activity.
- Stay out of the garden and dusty environments.
- Avoid any type of contact sports for at least a month.
One of the best aspects about choosing LASIK surgery is the ease of the procedure. At any time, if you feel extreme discomfort or pain, contacting your healthcare provider is a must. Complications from corrective eye surgery are rare.
Patients will generally notice an improvement in their vision the next day. Following your doctor’s instructions will allow you to return to normal activities in a quick manner.
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LASIK Surgery: What You Need to Know
What is LASIK Surgery?
Aside from glasses and contact lenses, LASIK surgery is another option that people can choose to treat vision problems. During the surgery, an ophthalmologist uses an excimer laser to reshape the patient’s cornea.
The treatment is quick and efficient, and patients who have had surgery are usually able to return to work within the next day or two.
Who Can Get LASIK Surgery?
Many common vision-related problems can be solved using LASIK eye surgery. Patients are should be 18 years or older, lead active lifestyles, and are unwilling or unable to wear glasses.
In addition, some medical requirements have to be met on the patient’s side, such as their corneas being fairly thick with strong tear production capacity.
Physicians often offer free consultations, which last for about an hour and a half, during which it is determined whether or not the patient is eligible for surgery.
What does the Actual Process Entail?
LASIK is a form of refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea, so that the light which enters it is able to be properly focused on the retina, resulting in clear vision.
At the beginning of the procedure, a mechanical, high-precision tool is used to create a small flap on the surface of the cornea. After the flap is pulled carefully back, a microscopic amount of tissue is lasered away in order to give the cornea a new shape, which is better able to focus light on the retina.
The process of surgery is pain-free and usually completed within 15 minutes for both eyes. The results of the surgery become evident fairly quickly.
Although patients usually experience blurred and hazy vision immediately after surgery, typically improvement in the patient’s vision becomes evident within 24 hours.
What Are the Advantages That the Procedure Offers?
1. The procedure has been proven to be effective for most common vision problems.
2. Patient experiences very little pain or discomfort during the procedure.
3. Results are evident very quickly, usually within a day or two of the operation.
4. Most patients no longer require eyewear after undergoing surgery.
5. Post-operation care is simple and easily manageable. Patients can get back to their regular lives immediately afterwards, with only minimal restrictions imposed temporarily, such as avoiding strenuous exercise.
What Happens after Surgery?
Treatment does not end with the surgery. The postoperative eye care routine is essential for ensuring that your eyes recover fully after the surgery.
You will need to administer eye drops for your corneas to heal. You will also need to avoid certain activities, such as sports, for some time after surgery, depending on the directions your physician gives you.
What Precautions Do I Need to Take?
- Ensure that your ophthalmologist is board-certified, and has prior experience in performing the surgery.
- Verify that you are eligible for LASIK, and your eyes can handle the strain of undergoing surgery.
- Consult with your physician beforehand about the procedure, since you will be awake for the surgery, and you don’t want to be surprised in the middle of it and disrupt the process.
- Ensure that you take a full round of eye drop medication after the surgery, to help your eyes heal well.
- Don’t blindly jump on the LASIK bandwagon. Ask your physician if there are alternatives that would suit your needs in a better manner.
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Getting to Know the Facts About LASIK Eye Surgery
When you have been dealing with imperfect vision or vision loss for a long period of time, you start to find the idea of wearing contacts or glasses frustrating. In the past, there might have been no other solution to your struggles other than to continue wearing corrective lenses.
Now, surgical options such as LASIK surgery have changed the eye care and vision care game. Before you jump right into a surgical procedure, though, get all of the facts about LASIK surgery and what you can expect. Then, you will be sure that you are making the right decision for you and your eye health.
What Exactly Is LASIK Surgery?
Many people have heard of LASIK surgery, though very few actually know what the term actually means or how the procedure works. LASIK stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. In essence, this indicates that it is a form of laser surgery on the cornea of the eye. LASIK is a procedure that involves cutting into the cornea and creating a flap. This flap is folded back and then corneal tissue is removed. The idea behind removing a portion of the cornea is that removing corneal tissue will allow the remaining tissue of the cornea to better reflect light and therefore improve a person’s vision.
Who Is a Good Fit for LASIK?
Not every person with eye troubles will be a good candidate for LASIK surgery. This is because LASIK surgery is meant to correct vision problems in people with otherwise healthy eyes.
As such, a person who has damaged tissue (such as scarring) in their cornea, or other eye diseases or conditions, would not be ideal candidates for LASIK eye surgery.
This is because the procedure could cause problems with those other conditions, or a person might not be able to enjoy the full vision benefits of the surgical procedure because of those conditions.
Will You Still Need to Wear Corrective Lenses?
Many people want to get LASIK surgery in order to avoid wearing their corrective lenses completely. While this is a possible result of the LASIK surgery procedure, it is not a guaranteed outcome.
LASIK surgery will improve a person’s vision (when the procedure is successful), and they will likely enjoy far better vision even without their glasses or contacts. They could, however, still find that they need those corrective lenses occasionally for certain activities. Another possibility is that they will still need corrective lenses as frequently as before, but with a lesser degree of correction.
Now that you know more about the LASIK eye surgery procedure, you can decide for yourself if this surgery is right for you. Once you make the decision, you can contact your eye surgeon and get the process started.
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LASIK Surgery Explained
LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a type of laser eye surgery used to improve an individual’s vision. It works by permanently changing the shape of the cornea, the clear covering on the front of the eye.
Impaired vision in an individual occurs when light rays aren’t focused clearly on the retina—owing to an imperfectly-shaped eyeball, cornea, or lens—resulting in blurry images and the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. LASIK corrects this impairment by using an ultraviolet laser to reshape the cornea for improved focusing.
What to Expect During LASIK Surgery
During the LASIK procedure, an ultra-fast femtosecond laser is used to create a thin flap in the cornea. This flap provides access for the laser to target the corneal tissue underneath, removing precisely enough tissue to achieve the desired results. Once the surgery is completed, the flap falls back over the eye and naturally grows back in its original position.
The procedure, which is performed on an outpatient basis, takes no longer than about 15 minutes for each eye. The surgery does come with risks, however, some of which include corneal infection, dry eyes, and light sensitivity. Nevertheless, the surgery has proved very popular since its introduction and surveys of LASIK find rates of patient satisfaction between 92 and 98 percent.
Anyone considering LASIK surgery will undergo an eye examination before the procedure to ensure that their eyes are healthy. Additional tests are carried out to measure the curve and thickness of the cornea, the size and position of the pupils, and the shape of the eyes. A patient needs to give consent to the procedure, fully acknowledging the risks and possible complications involved.
The patient is awake during the entire procedure. The only necessary anesthetic is a solution to numb the surface of the eye.
The surgeon uses a an ultra-fast femtosecond laser to create a flap, facilitating access to the underlying corneal tissue, which is then reshaped with a laser. The corneal tissue is not cut away completely, but left attached by a small “hinge” of tissue.
Once the surgery has been completed, the flap of corneal tissue falls back into place, protecting the eye until it has fully healed. Surgical stitches aren’t necessary to secure the flap.
What to Expect After the Procedure
Patients may feel a little discomfort immediately following the procedure. It’s important, however, that a patient refrains from rubbing his or her eyes to avoid dislodging the corneal flap. While a patient might experience blurriness immediately after the procedure, vision should start to improve the following day.
Who is Eligible for LASIK Surgery?
According to the US Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines, suitable candidates for LASIK surgery include healthy individuals who are at least 18 years of age and those with a stable eyesight prescription.
Patients with health conditions such as diabetes, lupus, and glaucoma may not be suitable for this type of eye surgery and should discuss the matter with their physician.
The pros and cons of LASIK eye surgery should always be weighed by anyone considering the procedure. Expectations should be questioned and patients should have a clear understanding of what is involved, not only in the procedure itself, but also in the likely results.
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Our Locations
Houston/Bellaire
6565 W. Loop S., Suite 650Bellaire, TX 77401
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
713-357-7276
LASIK/Near Vision:
Office: 713-395-1515
Fax: 713-357-7278
Pasadena
4415 Crenshaw RoadPasadena, TX 77504
Medical Office:
281-977-8800
Medical Fax:
281-977-8877
Sugar Land
15200 S.W. Freeway, Suite 130Sugar Land, TX 77478
Medical Office:
281-277-1010
Medical Fax:
281-277-4504
Clear Lake
455 E. Medical Center Blvd., Suite 110Webster, TX 77598
Medical Office:
281-332-1397
Medical Fax:
281-282-9152
Katy
Greenhouse Medical Plaza2051 Greenhouse Road, Suite 110
Houston, TX 77084
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
281-214-2971
The Woodlands/Conroe
100 Medical Center Blvd., Suite 118Conroe, TX 77304
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
936-647-1620