Lasik - laser eye surgery
I have often wondered about having corrective eye surgery. I imagine it is something I will do when I am loaded (re: not working below the dole line)... U dudn't really know much about it until I read Nic's blog...
Here is a blow by blow description of what they do. It is weird and freaky:
THE SURGERY:
The surgery should take less than 30 minutes. You will lie on your back in a reclining chair in an exam room containing the laser system. The laser system includes a large machine with a microscope attached to it and a computer screen.
A numbing drop will be placed in your eye, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open. A ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring. Your doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in your cornea.
The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed. You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge, and dry the exposed tissue.
The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from the cornea. This light is to help you keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on. NOTE: If you cannot stare at a fixed object for at least 60 seconds, you may not be a good candidate for this surgery.
When your eye is in the correct position, your doctor will start the laser. At this point in the surgery, you may become aware of new sounds and smells. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some people have reported a smell similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser energy delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the corneal tissue, the flap is put back into position.
A shield should be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.
Here is a blow by blow description of what they do. It is weird and freaky:
THE SURGERY:
The surgery should take less than 30 minutes. You will lie on your back in a reclining chair in an exam room containing the laser system. The laser system includes a large machine with a microscope attached to it and a computer screen.
A numbing drop will be placed in your eye, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open. A ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring. Your doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in your cornea.
The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed. You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge, and dry the exposed tissue.
The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from the cornea. This light is to help you keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on. NOTE: If you cannot stare at a fixed object for at least 60 seconds, you may not be a good candidate for this surgery.
When your eye is in the correct position, your doctor will start the laser. At this point in the surgery, you may become aware of new sounds and smells. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some people have reported a smell similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser energy delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the corneal tissue, the flap is put back into position.
A shield should be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.
posted by Westy at 2:05 PM
11 Comments:
yeah I read that in full on the site too and really opened my err.. eyes up :)
at around $5000 for both eyes I'd be looking at graduating and earning a crust first before of course. but certainly not afraid of the risks, I'm definitely keen to do it.
Westy... that description really makes my skin crawls. 'Perhaps you are not a good candidate if you can't stare at a bright light for 60 seconds'? Boy-oh...
I will definately be comtemplating this procedure sometime in the next 10 years as I have continuously degenerating eyesight and a developing stigmatism. I'm up to -7 in my right eye and -6 in my right.
XOXO Jess.
I think I'll just stick to my glasses...for now...
Siz
I'm with Nic... when I am thirty and cashed up... when I have learnt to appreciate my sight (or, more likely: when I have none left)... this puppy is all mine.
I'm definitely getting it. Maybe this way I'll also stop going cross-eyed when I drink
In egypt is costs 3500 Egyptian Pounds - less than 700 to 800 Dollars.
I would still not do it - unless i am fully sedated, it's too creepy
Luli raises a good point: would you have surgery in a different country if it cost a whole bunch less? For me, I'm not too sure, surgery is not something I want to be skimping out on. My dentist, in an effort to convince me to have my wisdom teeth out sooner than later said: 'you never want major surgery done in a foreign language... no matter what the cost'... thoughts?
hahaha. I'm sure that there are differences in the quality of dentists and surgeons here in Australia too... although you'd expect perhaps a high base standard. Maybe that is the worry when overseas - that you can't assume quality work. I suppose I'd have my reservations as well from that point of view. However I have heard of a lot of British skipping over to the Czech Republic to get boob jobs etc because they're confident of the quality of work and the currency conversion makes it half as costly as at home.
I'd do it - you'd just want to make sure the place is reputable.
but would you judge a foreigner if they said they would prefer to have treatment done at home, where 'they could ensure the quality'... particularly if they came from a country you were dubious of?
On the one hand I'm pretty ambivalous about what other people want to do... but yes I would judge them - I have the attitude of wanting to be open minded, but I know that regardless I would judge them in my mind anyway. My knowledge of the world is very limited so I'd be very flexible with that position though.
mishie had it done in Malaysia... I want to get it done too but damn... that sounds scary
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