LASIK Eye Surgery

In the morning, have you ever had to grab your glasses to see the blaring alarm clock? Do you consider yourself "blind as a bat"? If you nodded your head to either of these questions, you've probably heard about the LASIK eye surgery that can, in some cases, fix all of those problems. LASIK is a relatively new procedure for select candidates who know both the benefits and risks of the operation. LASIK stands for Laser- Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. This is an operation in which the shape of the cornea is permanently changed by a laser to correct vision problems. Some of the disorders that can be corrected are: astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia. An astigmatism is "a distortion of an image on the retina caused by irregularities in the cornea
Once you get home after the LASIK eye surgery is done, you should take a three hour nap, with the eye shields in place, to initiate the healing process. Your eyes may burn, itch, or simply be irritated; however, it is very important that you do not rub them. If you do, you risk moving the corneal flap out of position. For the first two days following the surgery, you should wear sunglasses inside and outside. For the first week, you should: wear the eye shields to bed, do not wear eye make-up, do not go swimming, and generally just protect your eyes from contact and sunlight. Also, there are usually two different medicated eye-drops that are prescribed. One is an antibiotic that is used to prevent infection. The second is a steroid that is used to control inflammation. Both of these should be administered every 4 to 6 hours for the first week. The healing period lasts three to six months. During this time, you should use preservative free tears at least 4 to 6 times per day, or whenever your eyes feel itchy or dry. If you have had both eyes operated on, you may notice some fluctuation in vision over this time. This is caused by inflammation and will continue as the eyes
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