How Long Does LASIK Last?
Chicago, Illinois
LASIK surgery is an important step in vision correction that should be considered thoughtfully and with the advice of an experienced and qualified ophthalmologist experienced in performing Laser Vision Correction. The experienced team at Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center can outline the steps necessary for you to make an informed decision regarding whether this is the right course for correcting your vision.
A LASIK vision correction is permanent in that your corneal shape will remain in its corrected curvature. However, as we reach mid-life, near vision starts to become blurry and reading glasses become necessary. This is the condition called presbyopia – it is not a problem with the cornea, but with the lens. Your LASIK surgeon can explain this more fully at the time of your evaluation.
All candidates who qualify for LASIK, benefit from dramatic improvement in their acuity and quality of vision. The exact degree of improvement varies according to your individual vision problems.
How Does LASIK Work?
Laser vision correction works by changing the shape of the cornea, the clear membrane which covers the front of the eye.
A myopic eye has corneal curvature that is too steep and light comes to focus in front of the retina (like the film in the camera).
A hyperopic eye has corneal curvature that is too flat and light wants to focus behind the retina.
An astigmatic eye has an oval-shaped cornea instead of a spherical one where the eye is shaped more like a football than a basketball and there are two points of focus of the light.
The LASIK laser follows your individual treatment plan to cause corneal tissue to be evaporated in a non-thermal manner. A steep cornea is flattened by removing a little tissue from its center. A flat cornea is steepened by removing tissue from around its periphery. An oval cornea is tilted at a specific angle so the laser is targeted to remove that excess tissue causing the oval shape.
Anesthetic eye drops are used to numb the eyes and your are helped to relax with the use of Valium. You may feel pressure when the corneal flap is created. Immediately following surgery, you might experience a “sandy” feeling, sensitivity to light, or watering of the eyes which typically lasts only a few hours. Dryness of the eyes is expected afterward and you will have moisturizing eye drops to be used as needed.
Your vision improvement is immediate and dramatic. The side effects will gradually fade over three to four months and you will have a series of follow-up visits so Dr. Golden can make sure no problems arise.
If you are tired of the frustration, ongoing expense and inconvenience of glasses or contact lenses, especially if you are athletic, you can change your life by having LASIK eye surgery.
Your experienced and capable team at Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center stands ready to evaluate your vision concerns with a free LASIK consultation. If you live in the Chicago metropolitan area or nearby and want to find your visual freedom, please contact Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center today to find out if you are a candidate for this life-changing procedure.
