| Laser eye treatment is a well-established form of | | | | to keep the eye moist and comfortable. Dry eye |
| treatment today and as we continue to see | | | | does not only create discomfort, but visual quality |
| advances in technology and there is further and | | | | may be lessened due to intermittent blurring. This |
| wider acceptance of this form of treatment, so ever | | | | condition could well be permanent. Intensive eye drop |
| more people are turning to laser eye surgery as an | | | | treatment or further surgery might be needed. |
| alternative to contact lenses or glasses. | | | | Problems with a Perfect Procedure: Even when |
| But what are the risks of laser eye treatment? | | | | everything goes smoothly, there are effects that |
| Although the chances of encountering a serious | | | | could cause some dissatisfaction. Older patients |
| vision-threatening complication, or severe eye injury, | | | | should be aware that they cannot have both good |
| as a result of laser eye treatment are very small | | | | near vision and good distance vision in the same eye |
| indeed, treatment is not risk-free and in this brief | | | | without the use of corrective lenses. Several myopic |
| article we will look at some of the more frequently | | | | patients rely on their condition (by taking off their |
| seen problems. | | | | glasses, or by wearing a weaker prescription) when |
| Excessive Corneal Haze: As part of the normal healing | | | | they need to read. These patients might well need to |
| process, corneal haze can occur after laser eye | | | | use reading glasses after the myopia has been |
| surgery. Usually, it has very little, if any, effect on the | | | | surgically corrected. |
| final obtainable vision and can only be seen by an | | | | Flap Damage or Loss: Occasionally, the flap of tissue |
| experienced eye doctor with the use of a | | | | which is supposed to remain hinged to the central |
| microscope. Despite this, instances of excessive | | | | cornea becomes detached. If this occurs it can be |
| vision which interferes with vision do arise which can | | | | replaced after the laser treatment, however, there is |
| commonly be cured with additional laser eye | | | | a risk that the flap may be damaged or lost. |
| treatment. | | | | Distorted Flap: A distorted corneal shape can be |
| Decrease in Best-Corrected Vision: Following laser eye | | | | produced by irregular healing of the corneal flap, |
| surgery, a few patients find that with corrective | | | | resulting in a decrease of best-corrected vision. |
| lenses the best vision obtainable is in fact worse than | | | | Halo Effect: Noticed in dim light, the halo effect is an |
| it was before laser eye treatment was performed. | | | | optical effect. As the pupil enlarges, a second faded |
| This can happen because of irregular tissue removal | | | | image is produced by the untreated peripheral cornea. |
| or from the development of corneal haze. | | | | A few patients find that the halo effect interferes |
| Regression: In the months following laser eye | | | | with night driving. |
| treatment some patients find that the effects of the | | | | You've probably concluded at this point that laser |
| procedure are gradually lost. This can be similar to an | | | | eye treatment is simply too risky, but we need to |
| undercorrection, and further laser eye treatment is | | | | keep a sense of perspective here. |
| often the answer. | | | | In spite of the fact that the risks mentioned here are |
| Infection and delayed healing: There is a lower than 1 | | | | extremely real risks and do appear from time to |
| in 1,000 change of the cornea becoming infected | | | | time, the chances of coming across any of these |
| after laser eye treatment. Generally, this means | | | | problems is extremely small. Many thousands of |
| added discomfort and a delay in healing, but showing | | | | procedures are carried out around the world every |
| no longer-term effects over a period of four years. | | | | day and, in the vast majority of cases, patients are |
| Undercorrection/Overcorrection: It is not possible to | | | | very happy with the results. |
| predict perfectly how the eye will respond to laser | | | | The purpose of this article is not to scare you off, |
| eye treatment. As a consequence, you may still need | | | | but simply to help you in making a reasoned decision |
| to use corrective lenses following surgery to obtain | | | | balancing both the pro's and the con's before you |
| clear vision. Sometimes, a further procedure can be | | | | embark on laser eye treatment. |
| undertaken to improve the result. | | | | For more information on laser eye treatment and the |
| Severe dry eye syndrome: As a result of surgery, | | | | questions that people considering surgery frequently |
| your eye may not be able to produce enough tears | | | | ask visit Lasik Laser Eye Surgery today. |