Eye Surgery

While results have improved for laser eye surgery patients, experts warn that the decision to have surgery should never be made without careful consideration of the potential risks. Lasik and similar procedures are not approved for patients younger than 18, because their vision has not stabilized.

Here are some factors consumers should consider:

- Some people complain that although they see 20/20 on the eye chart after surgery, their vision is not as crisp as it was with contacts or glasses. People with large pupils and those who are very nearsighted may develop glare or halos, especially at night. Others may have trouble discerning contrast.

- Serious complications are rare - ranging from about 1 to 2 percent of patients, depending on surgeon experience - but they do occur. Some are permanent.

- If you participate in contact sports, Lasik may not be advisable because a blow to the face could dislodge the corneal flap. PRK, a more painful procedure that involves several days of healing time, may be preferable because there is no flap.

- Do not have surgery if your prescription has changed in the past year. Best results require 12 months of stability.

- If you have dry eyes or blepharitis (crusting around the eyelashes), proceed carefully. Refractive surgery tends to worsen dry eye, while blepharitis increases the risk of post-operative infection. — Do not assume you’ll never need glasses. If you’re older than 40, you almost certainly will. Laser procedures are not designed to correct presbyopia, the universal focusing difficulty experienced in middle age that requires reading glasses.

- Check out - and quiz - your surgeon. Never pick one based on a low fee or a catchy ad. Experience is crucial - especially experience managing complications. Ask the surgeon what percentage of his or her patients have problems six months after surgery. If the answer is zero, find another doctor: No surgery has that low a complication rate.

- Consult doctors who perform several procedures, not just one. Otherwise, that’s the one you’ll get, even if a different surgery might achieve a better outcome.

Sources: The Daily News. Food and Drug Administration; USAEyes.org; Washington Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

Technorati Tags: eyeing surgery, eye surgery, laser eye surgery, lasik

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While results have improved for laser eye surgery patients, experts warn that the decision to have surgery should never be made without careful consideration of the potential risks. Lasik and similar procedures are not approved for patients younger than 18, because their vision has not stabilized.

Here are some factors consumers should consider:

- Some people complain that although they see 20/20 on the eye chart after surgery, their vision is not as crisp as it was with contacts or glasses. People with large pupils and those who are very nearsighted may develop glare or halos, especially at night. Others may have trouble discerning contrast.

- Serious complications are rare - ranging from about 1 to 2 percent of patients, depending on surgeon experience - but they do occur. Some are permanent.

- If you participate in contact sports, Lasik may not be advisable because a blow to the face could dislodge the corneal flap. PRK, a more painful procedure that involves several days of healing time, may be preferable because there is no flap.

- Do not have surgery if your prescription has changed in the past year. Best results require 12 months of stability.

- If you have dry eyes or blepharitis (crusting around the eyelashes), proceed carefully. Refractive surgery tends to worsen dry eye, while blepharitis increases the risk of post-operative infection. — Do not assume you’ll never need glasses. If you’re older than 40, you almost certainly will. Laser procedures are not designed to correct presbyopia, the universal focusing difficulty experienced in middle age that requires reading glasses.

- Check out - and quiz - your surgeon. Never pick one based on a low fee or a catchy ad. Experience is crucial - especially experience managing complications. Ask the surgeon what percentage of his or her patients have problems six months after surgery. If the answer is zero, find another doctor: No surgery has that low a complication rate.

- Consult doctors who perform several procedures, not just one. Otherwise, that’s the one you’ll get, even if a different surgery might achieve a better outcome.

Sources: The Daily News. Food and Drug Administration; USAEyes.org; Washington Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

Technorati Tags: eyeing surgery, eye surgery, laser eye surgery, lasik

Trackback URI | Comments RSS