by Lasik Staff on November 3, 2010
When it comes to vision correction procedures, none have perhaps had as much press as Lasik eye surgery. The fact of the matter is that Lasik eye surgery is one of the most common ways to correct your vision, and has also been one of the most effective. However, there are a number of other procedures that are used to correct vision, and many people are turning to those procedures. In light of recent news about the possible side effects of Lasik, it’s worth at least taking a look at some of the alternative procedures and seeing what’s out there.
Here are some of the ways you can get your vision corrected without having to have Lasik eye surgery:
- Surface ablation (wavefront PRK). Also known as “wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy,” this is actually a procedure that was around well before Lasik eye surgery. PRK is increasing in popularity, largely because doctors are able to use new technologies to be more precise with the surgery. The advantage to doing this method as opposed to Lasik is that it doesn’t cut a flap in your cornea the way that Lasik eye surgery does. That cut is usually thought to be the most risky step of the Lasik procedure.
- CK. Conductive keratoplasty is a way to correct either farsightedness or astigmatism via a process which beams RF waves around the edge of the cornea.
- Phakic intraocular lenses. This is the process whereby a hard plastic lens is actually implanted into the eye via a small incision. It’s useful for cases where the nearsightedness is too severe to be treated either by Lasik eye surgery or via PRK. The lenses refocus the light that enters the eye, and this procedure also allows patients to see up close as well because the natural lens remains.
- Refractive lenses. These lenses actually replace the natural lens of the eye with an artificial one. It’s similar to cataract surgery. This is ideal for people who aren’t good candidates because of extreme vision problems, and these lenses can come in multifocal versions that help both with distance vision and reading.
by Lasik Staff on October 27, 2010
One of the worries that many folks have when they’re considering vision correction procedures such as Lasik eye surgery is the risk that something will go wrong and, rather than being able to see better, they’ll wind up blind. The good news is that Lasik eye surgery is extremely safe, and the odds that you’ll go blind from getting the procedure are almost zero.
There are plenty of other things to worry about that can make you go blind. According to the National Federation of the Blind, around 50,000 people go blind each year in the United States. Around half of those are over the age of 65, and have to do with age-related causes.
Here, then, are some of the most common causes of blindness (you’ll notice that Lasik eye surgery doesn’t even make the list):
- Cataracts. This is the leading cause of blindness in the world. A cataract forms when proteins from your eye create a layer on your lens, making it cloudy. It isn’t known for sure, but it’s believed that cataracts are connected to aging. Other elements, such as exposure to UV radiation and diabetes, can contribute to the risk of cataracts.
- Glaucoma. When you go to the optometrist to get your eyes checked, you always start with that little machine that blows air into your eyes. This is a check for glaucoma. Glaucoma happens when the fluid that normally circulates in the eye doesn’t drain the right way, causing a pressure build-up. Glaucoma can be managed via medications in most cases.
- Macular Degeneration. This is when the cells in one part of the retina (known as the “macula”), experiences cell death. This is the part of the eye that sees fine details, and macular degeneration can lead to blindness. This is one of the top causes of blindness for folks over 60 years old.
- Accidents. If Lasik eye surgery causes blindness for someone, it’s because an accident occurred. However, most of the time that a person becomes blind due to an accident is from an object striking the eye or from blunt trauma hitting the optic nerves.
When it comes to vision correction procedures, none have perhaps had as much press as Lasik eye surgery. The fact of the matter is that Lasik eye surgery is one of the most common ways to correct your vision, and has also been one of the most effective. However, there are a number of other procedures that are used to correct vision, and many people are turning to those procedures. In light of recent news about the possible side effects of Lasik, it’s worth at least taking a look at some of the alternative procedures and seeing what’s out there.
