Eye Surgery: Answers To Common Questions About Eye Surgery

Answers To Common Questions About Eye Surgery

By Health Editor

Here you will find answers to some of the most common questions asked about eye surgery and corrective eye surgery procedures ...

Our eyes are very important and losing eyesight can be a frightening experience. The advent of laser surgery and other types of corrective eye surgery means that many individuals with vision problems no longer need to suffer the loss of sight. However, there are often many questions raised about these types of surgery. For those who would like to know more about eye surgery and corrective procedures, we've collected some common questions and answers.

What is a "wavefront-guided" laser procedure?

Wavefront guided procedures, also known as "personal LASIK" is a variation of laser surgery that customizes the shaping of the corneas based on the characteristics of the eye requiring correction. This allows for a more custom-fit laser procedure that measures the degree of correction needed based on how the patient's eyes reflect light. It can correct more complex conditions affecting the corneas, where traditional laser procedures are designed to fix common conditions such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. In certain cases, laser procedures may need additional enhancement depending on the patient and the degree of correction needed.

What type of eye doctor deals specifically with surgeries?

There are two types of eye doctors available, but only one has the medical expertise to perform eye surgeries. Optometrists are able to diagnose vision problems and various eye diseases, providing corrective lenses and eyeglasses and other therapies. Because optometrists are not medical doctors, they do not perform surgeries, but they can help patients who are in pre- and post-operative conditions. Ophthalmologists attend medical school and are required to do three to eight years of internship and residency, depending on the specific area of study. After completing their training, physicians wanting to go into ophthalmology take the necessary examinations before going into practice. Their medical expertise allows these doctors to perform eye surgeries such as LASIK, Cataract and Glaucoma.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma occurs when intraocular pressure levels end up damaging the nerves that comprise the retina which are needed to register visual information. Glaucoma can be treated with various methods, including prescription drugs and surgery. One of the first common signs of glaucoma is loss of the peripheral vision or an increase in the number of blind spots. Ophthalmologists also look for intraocular pressures or a loss of tissue within the optic nerve head in the back of the eye. If patients wait too late to seek treatment, irreversible vision loss is a consequence. It is important to see your eye doctor regularly to check for early signs of glaucoma.

What kind of surgery can be used to treat Glaucoma?

If patients suffering from glaucoma do not respond to drug therapies, they can opt to have surgery. There are two conventional ways to remedy glaucoma through surgery. Laser surgery can be used, depending on the type of glaucoma, alleviates intraocular pressure in the eye. It may have to be repeated depending on the patient and the type of glaucoma. The other type of surgery available is by incision, called trabeculectomy. This procedure serves a similar purpose as the laser surgery as it reduces pressure around the optic nerve in an effort to reduce damage caused by glaucoma. Trabeculectomy brings little risk and may not reduce the pressure needed, but the chance is small since success rates for incision-based surgeries falls between seventy and ninety percent.

What is the purpose of cosmetic eye surgery?

Cosmetic eye surgery is needed to improve the vision quality. Skin around the eye looses its elasticity as people age and patients need to have an "eye lift." This is performed by a surgical procedure called blepharoplasty. The doctor, called an ophthalmic plastic surgeon, removes excess skin through tiny incisions within the skins natural lines. The recovery period for this type of eye surgery is usually a few days because it is performed under local or general anesthesia. Patients may only experience slight bruising and swelling, which is alleviated with ice pads. Cosmetic surgeries normally don't fall under most insurance policies, but blepharoplasty can be covered if it is needed to improve a patient's vision.

Next article: What To Expect From Cataract Surgery The Second Time Around

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