Lasik laser surgery for glass removal has been around for more than 2 decades. Lasik is one of the most commonly performed elective procedures on human body worldwide. Millions of people have achieved freedom from glasses and this in turn has dramatically improved their quality of life. They don’t have to look for glasses the first thing in the morning!
Lasik laser has undergone a lot of innovations and improvements over the years. Today most people enjoy an excellent outcome after the lasik procedure. Lasik has excellent safety record.
However just like any other surgery post-operative side effects can occur. So, it is important to consider all the risks and potential side-effects with your surgeon prior to undergoing Lasik. Most of these can be unique to an individual based on the pre-existing profile of their eyes.
So, the first and foremost thing is to get a detailed Pre-Lasik evaluation to understand the unique characteristics of your eyes- Not everyone is eligible for laser eye surgery. People who are healthy, not pregnant, and not breastfeeding may be good candidates for Lasik surgery. Besides body parameters eye parameters are also important. For that we do a battery of tests like corneal thickness, corneal topography, dry eye tests, eye muscle balance, retina and nerve checking. This detailed pre-Lasik evaluation helps us to identify those candidates where Lasik surgery should not be done as there is a greater risk of side effects and complications. Secondly the eye parameters help us customize the type of Lasik surgery best suitable for patient’s eye.
Another important parameter is the profession of an individual. Recently Sohail, a body builder, visited Centre for Lasik Surgery at Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute for Lasik evaluation. His evaluation was perfectly normal and he was suitable to undergo Lasik or FemtoLasik or the ReLeX Smile. He chose to go for FemtoLasik. On my final discussion with him I casually asked him about his future and what he said suddenly alerted me. He wanted to be a professional boxer. On hearing this I decided to change the type of procedure for him. In Lasik and FemtoLasik, a flap is created prior to performing laser on the cornea. People who are and will be in professions like army, boxing etc, where there is a risk of forceful impact on the eye, are not suitable for flap based procedures. I explained to him the option of PRK and Smile Lasik and he opted for PRK.
Know about the Lasik Surgeon and the surgery centre: One really needs to have confidence in their Lasik surgeon that he/she will do everything possible to decrease any risk of LASIK complications. In the rare chance that something is not perfect your surgeon should be able to manage any post-operative symptoms you have. It is important to remember that LASIK is a surgery and like with any surgical procedure, unexpected complications can occur. Millions of LASIK procedures have been performed worldwide with very high levels of safety and effectiveness. It is extremely unusual for anyone to go blind after LASIK. This is especially true if you follow your surgeon’s instructions and attend all follow-up visits as directed.
In addition to the surgeon’s experience, several other factors are crucial to success with Lasik surgery. The quality of the surgical tools, such as the laser, is also very important. I truly believe that having dedicated, on-site laser machines in a controlled operating room environment, where temperature and humidity are constantly monitored, contributes to better outcomes.
The number of different Lasik machines that they have to be able to customize the procedure is also an important factor to consider. Now Lasik surgery is not just one size fits all! It can be customized to the patient’s lifestyles, eye parameters and profile. With newer options like Customized Lasik, Epi Lasik, Femto Lasik, ReLEx Smile Lasik, LasikXtra the recovery period and the risk of complications are reduced and also the outcomes have improved. ReLEx Smile Lasik is like a laparoscopic key-hole Lasik surgery and it not only reduces the risk of serious complications like Lasik ectasia but also shortens the recovery period. So, it is imperative for the patient to visit and chose the Lasik centre where all the newer options are available and they can be rest assured that the most preferred option will be customized to their eye parameters.
If you find a Lasik expert who refuses to perform LASIK on you, chances are that chasing after another who will is not the best idea.
Another thing to keep in mind is realistic expectations. LASIK is not some sort of magic end-all-be-all solution that will completely resolve everyone’s eye problems. For some, it works wonderfully, but for others, it’s not perfect. Again, ask your Lasik surgeon what you can reasonably expect from the surgery. It is important to not blindly believe rumours, get a detailed pre-Lasik evaluation and have a candid discussion with your Lasik surgeon.
