LASIK gives closer look

In recent years, talk about corrective eye surgery has become
more and more prevalent, yet many are still wary about the surgery,
which employs lasers to shave away parts of the eye.

Questions about how corrective eye surgery works, the risks, and
who is a candidate all came up at the Jules Stein Eye Institute on
Thursday at a LASIK informational seminar.

Often, many people considering the procedure are baffled by the
dozens of surgical options available ““ the most common being
LASIK ““ and are confused as to whether they are viable
candidates.

Though the most popular, LASIK is just one of several corrective
vision surgeries available at the eye institute and other centers
nationwide.

Approximately 90 percent of people with less-than-perfect vision
are candidates for LASIK, since the surgery treats nearsightedness,
farsightedness and astigmatism.

In addition, “You should be at least 18 years old, have
sufficient corneal thickness, not suffer from vision-related
diseases, such as ocular herpes, … and you should be capable of
understanding the procedure,” said John Ciccone, a spokesman
from the Eye Surgery Education Council.

An understanding of the procedure requires an understanding of
how the eye works, said Dr. Rex Hamilton, director of the UCLA
Laser Refractive Center.

“The eye is like a camera. It takes in light through the
cornea … and shines it on the retina. … The perfect eye has
nice, sharp focus on the retina,” Hamilton said.

When someone has bad vision, it’s usually due to an eye
that is too long, short or oddly shaped. Hamilton said, and to
correct the problem, a laser is used to reshape the cornea ““
the main part of the eye which bends light to the retina.

“The laser used for LASIK was originally used to etch
laser chips, but it was later modified … and approved by the
FDA,” Hamilton said, providing evidence for the precision of
the procedure.

Lasting about 20 minutes for both eyes, the surgery works by
pulling back the flap ““ the outermost part of the cornea
““ reshaping the cornea with a laser, and then replacing the
flap, Ciccone said.

The process is virtually pain-free, since “no needles are
used, only numbing drops,” Hamilton said. Patients who have
LASIK surgery usually feel some discomfort a couple hours after the
surgery, but usually sleep it off, he added.

While many people advertise LASIK as a quick surgery where
one’s eyesight is made perfect in minutes, the reality is
less glamorous, physicians say.

For the majority of patients, their eyesight will slightly
fluctuate from day to day for about four to six weeks. In this
four-to-six-week period, patients may also experience dry eyes,
glare and halos around bright objects during the night, Hamilton
said.

Most of the serious risks associated with LASIK surgery deal
with the flap, whether it’s scarring, infection or irregular
healing.

“Sometimes the flap wrinkles slightly, or the flap may
have a buttonhole cut. … This is all relatively rare,”
Ciccone said.

The higher the correction that is needed, the more likely
patients will see side effects, Hamilton said. Some patients may
even need further LASIK enhancements.

“It’s like playing golf. The further the golfer is
from the hole, the harder it is to get to the hole the first time
around,” Hamilton added.

While most people in need for eye surgery are candidates for
LASIK, some have thin or irregular corneas. For such potential
patients, corrective procedures using Wavefront technology are
used, among others.

Wavefront technology takes into account the oddly shaped corneas
of patients by observing the beam of light that is bounced off the
retina, Hamilton said. Physicians at the Eye Institute will then
position the laser so that the corneal aberrations are corrected,
he added.

The advice both Hamilton and Ciccone dole out is that patients
who decide to have surgery should go to places where physicians can
handle anything that comes up.

Meldie Yadao, a member of the audience, said she was seriously
interested in the corrective eye surgery, but wanted more
information about the risks.

“I’ve got to meet with a doctor. I just need more
assurance,” Yadao said.

“LASIK is an option for managing your vision. What (you
want) to do first is understand what your vision is and how it is
likely (to) change over time,” Ciccone said.

“Take you time, be informed, don’t rush into
anything,” he added.

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