Laser Eye Surgery: To Opt or Not to Opt...
Copyright 2005 Octocat Ltd
If you're suffering from diminished eyesight in any
capacity, there's a whole parcel of feelings that go along
with the possibilities of eventual loss of sight versus the
risks of undergoing the treatments that are necessary to
correct the problem.
When considering the delicate nature of the eye, many
people make the decision to put off corrective treatment
until the situation becomes dire - or is no longer able to
be treated effectively.
Laser eye surgery - now quite common as a form of treatment
for eye disorders - is one of the first options that many
folks look toward when they've made the decision to pursue
treatment and reclaim their ability to see clearly.
Weigh your options
While there are pros and cons involved in such a treatment
plan, it's worthy of a thorough investigation before making
such a weighty decision. There are a number of things that
should be looked into, and you should feel comfortable with
the information that you uncover before attempting to take
such a leap.
Here then, are a few safety and risk factors that are
involved in laser eye surgery that you may find helpful in
your quest for information.
Which type of treatment is right for you?
There are two main types of laser eye surgery procedures
that are currently available: Lasik and CustomCornea.
The difference between the two is that CustomCornea
utilizes newer technologies to accomplish what Lasik
surgery can provide and, in either case, there are safety
risks that may be involved. These may include serious
complications which may result in decreased or lost vision,
and there are those who would not be considered as
candidates for such a treatment.
Included among those are:
individuals who are pregnant or nursing
under the age of 21
suffering from Herpes Simplex
currently taking medication that may interfere with the
body's ability to heal
suffering from severe allergies or diseases
or have a corneal infection or scarring.
Also listed among those who are not considered for laser
eye surgery are those who have had previous eye surgery,
those who have inflammation of the eye or eyelids
accompanied by crusting of the eyelashes, suffer from
unstable refractive problems, currently take medication
that causes them to suffer ocular side effects, those with
Keratonconus, glaucoma or high blood pressure in the eye
region, corneal injury, and those who are taking
sumatriptan for migraine relief.
Some of the risks
Among the more specific risks that are associated with
laser eye surgery are:
lost vision
reduced low-light vision
under-treatment
over-treatment
increased need for reading glasses and severe dry-eye
syndrome.
It's best to discuss these risks with your physician before
committing yourself to having this procedure performed,
since there will be no way to reclaim diminished or lost
sight when it comes about as the result of laser eye
surgery.
One other consideration that you'll have to pay careful
attention to is the reputation and success rate of the
doctor who will be performing the surgery. He or she should
be licensed in the area of laser eye surgery and care, and
be able to offer an impressive success rate.
If possible, check with other people who may have undergone
this procedure with that particular doctor before making
that final decision, in order to get their impression of
both the treatment and the doctor, as well as an accounting
of their experiences after opting to have laser eye surgery.
About the Author:
Mike Spencer reviews reviews leading, and sometimes
controversial, approaches to improving and protecting our
health. Here he looks at the pros and cons of LASIK eye
surgery and whether it can offer any real benefits to
improved vision.
http://www.laser-eye-surgery-reviews.com
For more related articlessee here:
http://www.laser-eye-surgery-reviews.com/articles/index.html
