Saturday, June 4, 2016

Important Facts About Lasik San Antonio Residents Should Know

By Anna Edwards


Laser in-situ keratomileusis (abbreviated as Lasik) is a laser based operation of the eye used to problem of visual acuity. Examples include conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia and astigmatism. The role of surgery is to change the curvature of the cornea so as to alter the angles at which indent rays enter and leave it. There are some important things on Lasik San Antonio eye clients need to know.

A preoperative evaluation is required of any person who wishes to have this operation. An eye specialist will take a clinical history and conduct a physical examination with the aim of determining whether one is a possible candidate or not. Issues that the doctor may be interested in include the intraocular pressure, the corneal thickness and the pupillary dilation among others. If underlying abnormalities are identified the operation may be rescheduled or cancelled.

There are a number of other things that have to be done as part of preparation depending on your medical history. If one wears permeable contact lenses for instance, they will be required to stop wearing them three weeks before they are examined by the ophthalmologist. Other types of lenses are usually stopped three days prior to the examination. You should not be on blood thinners or any other drugs likely to increase the risk of bleeding.

This type of operation can be performed in an outpatient department with ease and without complications. This is mainly because local anesthesia in the form of eye drops or a few injections is the main form of anesthesia that is required except in very rare circumstances. You will be requested to fix your gaze on a certain point so as to properly position the cornea.

The laser beam is directed to the cornea and used to cut out two flaps from the top most layer. This exposes the underlying layer of tissue also known as the stroma. The shaping process targets this layer. After the reshaping, the flaps are closed. The strength of laser is controlled by a computer software so as to avoid injuring the entire length of the cornea.

There are a number of side effects that you should anticipate. There is a bit of discomfort in the first two or so days. Other commonly encountered side effects include visualization of halos, double vision, difficulties in driving at night and increased eye dryness. These problems usually resolve gradually over time. In case of persistent eye dryness, artificial tears can be used or a procedure known as punctal occlusion performed.

Most patients notice that their dependence on contact lenses and glasses is significantly reduced after the Lasik operation. A good number of them do not even need them later on. In general, there will be a huge improvement after a day or two and the vision will get better with time. No stitches or dressings are needed here but antibiotics are a strong recommendation.

With advancing age, the initial benefits of Lasik may be lost gradually and the problems may recur. Fortunately, this affects a very small number of persons undergoing this surgery. It is worth noting that the procedure is not effective for all the cases of visual abnormalities and some cases may have to make do with other intervention such as glasses and contact lenses.




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