Many people considering laser eye surgery, better known as Lasik surgery, often look for information online before making the decision. If you are thinking about eye surgery, you should be very careful when informing yourself, since the internet can be full of stories and myths about it, which could make anyone doubt.
But how do we know what is true and what is not? Ophthalmologist Steven Wilson, MD at the Cleveland Clinic, debunks some myths about this procedure.
Mito 1: I will still have to wear optical glasses.
“Not necessarily, the average age of patients who received laser eye surgery at our institution is 41.” says Dr. Wilson, he also says that many of his patients who are over the age of 40 have what’s called monovision, either with LASIK (laser-assisted) or PRK (photorefractive keratectomy).
“The dominant eye is fully corrected for distance and the non-dominant eye is left a little shortsighted, which helps with near vision,” he says.
Although most patients do not have a fit problem, doctors can simulate the procedure by prescribing contact lenses, mimicking the effects of the procedure. In this way, the patient can test the results of the surgery before undergoing it.
Mito 2: Lasik surgery is dangerous.
As with any surgery, there are some risks, but when performed correctly and with the proper precautions, laser eye surgery is highly safe. According to Wilson “In the 16,000 procedures I’ve performed, only one patient ended up with a mild infection, which was quickly treated with antibiotics. Instead, I personally treat several patients each week with corneal infections from contact lenses.”
To prevent infection, doctors prescribe antibiotics a couple of days after surgery.
The most common risk associated with this procedure is the so-called “Dry Eye”. However, according to Wilson “There is no evidence that laser eye surgery causes the eye to permanently dry out. If treated appropriately, most patients will not experience any more dry eye symptoms than other people.”
It is also said that there is a small risk that the vision cannot be fully corrected. Wilson claims that “The risk of this happening is less than 1%. It usually only occurs in patients who need very high corrections and know that their eyes may not be fully corrected, although they would rather have -1 or -2 diopters than -10 or -12″.
Mito 3: Farsightedness or astigmatism cannot be corrected.
“We can correct almost all refractive errors, individually or in combination, with the laser beams we use today. Although Lasik surgery finds high corrections more difficult, these can be treated with intraocular lenses (IOLs).”
What about the negative stories that are circulating on the net?
“Most of these sites were started by angry patients who had their surgeries in places that were not reputable”says Wilson.
It also says, “Some of them may have been PRK candidates, but they were treated at a center that only does Lasik surgery. Patients who are not properly selected can end up with a condition called ectasia, which can lead to contact lens wear and even a corneal transplant. In other cases, patients may have had dry eye prior to the procedure, but were not treated prior to surgery.”
If you are considering laser eye surgery:
The most important thing is to compare. The level of risk varies from one device to another depending on the manufacturer, the surgeon and his level of experience with the procedure.
Don’t base your decision simply on price and don’t settle for the first eye center, doctor, or procedure you find. It is important to note that this surgery will affect your vision for the rest of your life.
Beware of eye centers with exaggerated advertisements. If you see ads such as “20/20 vision or your money back” o “offer packages”, you must be skeptical. There are never guarantees in medicine.
It is important that you do your own research. Read the patient manual that your doctor should give you, created by the manufacturer of the device used to perform the procedure. Ask for this manual and talk to your doctor about the results, both positive and negative, compared to the results described in the manual.
“You have to keep in mind when choosing a surgeon that what is important is not the number of surgeries he has performed, but how many he has performed correctly,” says Dr. Wilson.
In the following video we will be able to see what this surgery is about and understand a little more what we are facing.
1 comment
Good topic, thank you for sharing this. Can’t wait to read more of your posts.