Every year, patients flock to ophthalmologists and laser eye surgeons in hopes of ridding themselves of their glasses or contact lenses. Though glasses and contacts are often a suitable temporary solution, many people feel that they are cumbersome. Rather than struggling with their corrective lenses, a large number of ophthalmic patients prefer to seek out more permanent solutions like laser eye surgery. Laser vision correction is able to correct minor to moderate refractive vision errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Lasik surgery technology was approved by the FDA in the 1990s, and has been giving laser vision correction patients incredible vision improvements for more than twenty years! Ophthalmologists and laser eye surgeons consider Lasik the safest and most effective laser eye procedure for the majority of patients. The majority of patients achieves 20/20 vision or better, sees results immediately after their surgery is complete, and is well enough to return to their daily routine after only a single day of convalescence! It is currently the most popular laser eye surgery performed in the United States. There have also been over 30 million Lasik procedures performed worldwide!
During a Lasik, or laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, a small flap is cut in the protective layer above the eye’s cornea. A cool beam laser is then used to reshape the cornea to nullify any refractive errors. Soon after, the cornea flap is replaced and the patient is given anti-biotic eye drops. The entire procedure lasts only about 20 minutes, but patients are always amazed with their results!
Advances in Lasik technology have made the procedure more effective than ever. The addition of Wavefront technology allows Lasik surgeons to create truly individualized treatment plans for their ophthalmic patients. This individualized treatment, sometimes referred to as Custom Lasik or Custom Wavefront Lasik, is able to produce better results than traditional laser eye surgery and is also able to eliminate many of the visual complications that are sometimes associated with the traditional Lasik procedure. Prior to the surgery, a Lasik surgeon uses Wavefront technology to create a 3D map of the patient’s eye and their visual imperfections. This map is then programmed into the computer that is used to guide the laser, targeting each of the corneal imperfections.
With all of the advances in ophthalmic technology, now is a great time to consider Lasik or any laser eye surgery. Patients interested in permanently ridding themselves of their glasses should pay careful attention to the laser eye surgeons that they contact for their procedure. Often, patients will travel to have their surgery done. Many patients seek Lasik surgeons near the nation’s capital. There are highly experienced successful surgeons available for Lasik surgery in Virginia and Lasik surgery in Maryland. Don’t waste another minute with poor vision. Contact an ophthalmologist today!