Turn on the radio or the TV, and you will get to hear about this fantastic new eye surgery that is a cure-all for those contacts or glasses you've been wearing. But taking a chance with your precious peeps does not seem like a good idea, right? Well, this is not something that you will need to worry about when it comes to laser in-situ keratomileusis surgery or LASIK surgery, as it is popularly known.
So, you might have already heard quite a few things about the surgery and maybe even read raving reviews from patients about it. But would LASIK be that effective for you? What's the process like, and what about its effectiveness for your age? Here are all the answers that you need:
How does LASIK surgery work to correct your vision?
Any knowledge about the LASIK surgery working will fall flat if you do not have a prior understanding of how the eyes work and what corrections are made.
The cornea of the eye is situated in front of the pupil and iris. The light that passes through the cornea enables you to see clearly by reaching the eye's lens. And, the work of the lens is to send the image on the retina. Thereby, the image is formed, and the signal is sent to the brain, whose final interpretation enables you to see. So if there is any issue with the cornea's shape, the light does not enter correctly and does not let you see clearly.
Now, people suffering from eyesight issues face either farsightedness or nearsightedness. In the former case, the light forms the image in front of the retina. Thus the objects that are far away are not seen clearly by the eye, while the close distance objects are clear to the eye. The exact opposite happens in the farsightedness, where the image forms in the back of the retina and the closer objects seem blurry to the eye.
In the LASIK surgery, the corneal tissue is reshaped, giving you a clear window into the world. The retina’s focal point is corrected so that the image is appropriately formed as the light falls on the retina, and there is no problem in viewing the objects kept near or far.
The benefits associated with LASIK surgery
LASIK surgery's popularity stems from the fact that it comes with many benefits for a wide range of candidates. Though the surgery works the best for anyone within the age bracket of eighteen to forty, it has also shown excellent results in older candidates. Let's understand the surgery's specific benefits to point out the reasons behind its increasing demand among people.
Long term benefits of LASIK
The patients are curious about how long the results last, and this is the most frequently asked question by the patients. So, the surgery does have long term results as it lasts for more than ten years. In some cases, about three months from the first surgery, or in 20 years, the patient's eye might develop some minor problems. However, this is seen only in a few patients, and another minor surgery can cure even that.
Benefits for middle-aged patients
The most common type of problems seen in middle-aged patients is Presbyopia, which is a problem of increasingly diminished nearby vision as age progresses. The use of bifocal glasses or reading glasses is generally the cure for this condition, but taking up the LASIK surgery before the problem worsens further can help preserve their vision for a longer duration.
Benefits for elderly patients
Old age brings the problems of cataracts and cloudiness of lens, and the ability to see both near and far decreases due to these problems. Though the issues can happen at any age, they are most predominant in the age bracket patients of 70 or 80s.
Though LASIK will not completely correct your vision at this age, it might improve it considerably. Dr Rahil Chaudhary from Eye7 Chaudhary Eye Centre says that in elderly patients, it depends on the situation of specific patients, so it does not hurt to ask your doctor and get checked once.
What makes a person the right candidate for LASIK surgery?
You might consider LASIK surgery if you are tired of wearing those contact lenses or eyeglasses, but that is not the only thing that makes you the right fit for the procedure.
Dr Rahil Chaudhary points out that LASIK works the best on individuals who have a moderate level of refractive error but no major or unusual vision issues. LASIK might not be the best fit for you if you have a severe case of nearsightedness or a high refractive error.
Besides, if you only need those glasses for a part of your time and have a pretty good vision in general, there isn't a need to go for the surgery. Also, people who are into contact sports like boxing or martial arts should stay away from LASIK.
Lastly, it's essential to set the right expectations from the surgery because even though achieving 20/25 vision is possible, most people will still need glasses as they grow older. So, even though it's a long-term solution, LASIK surgery should not be seen as a permanent fix.
