|
Home > Archive > Lasik Eyes Surgery > October 2004 > Dr. Rex Hamilton (UCLA) on LASIK
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
| Author |
Dr. Rex Hamilton (UCLA) on LASIK
|
|
| Wizkid 2004-10-20, 2:08 am |
| LASIK GIVES A CLOSER LOOK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Natalie Banach
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
nbanach@media.ucla.edu
In recent years, talk about corrective eye surgery has become more and
more prevalent, yet many are still wary about the surgery, which
employs lasers to shave away parts of the eye.
Questions about how corrective eye surgery works, the risks, and who
is a candidate all came up at the Jules Stein Eye Institute on
Thursday at a LASIK informational seminar.
Often, many people considering the procedure are baffled by the dozens
of surgical options available – the most common being LASIK – and are
confused as to whether they are viable candidates.
Though the most popular, LASIK is just one of several corrective
vision surgeries available at the eye institute and other centers
nationwide.
Approximately 90 percent of people with less-than-perfect vision are
candidates for LASIK, since the surgery treats nearsightedness,
farsightedness and astigmatism.
In addition, "You should be at least 18 years old, have sufficient
corneal thickness, not suffer from vision-related diseases, such as
ocular herpes, ... and you should be capable of understanding the
procedure," said John Ciccone, a spokesman from the Eye Surgery
Education Council.
An understanding of the procedure requires an understanding of how the
eye works, said Dr. Rex Hamilton, director of the UCLA Laser
Refractive Center.
"The eye is like a camera. It takes in light through the cornea ...
and shines it on the retina. ... The perfect eye has nice, sharp focus
on the retina," Hamilton said.
When someone has bad vision, it's usually due to an eye that is too
long, short or oddly shaped. Hamilton said, and to correct the
problem, a laser is used to reshape the cornea – the main part of the
eye which bends light to the retina.
"The laser used for LASIK was originally used to etch laser chips, but
it was later modified ... and approved by the FDA," Hamilton said,
providing evidence for the precision of the procedure.
Lasting about 20 minutes for both eyes, the surgery works by pulling
back the flap – the outermost part of the cornea – reshaping the
cornea with a laser, and then replacing the flap, Ciccone said.
The process is virtually pain-free, since "no needles are used, only
numbing drops," Hamilton said. Patients who have LASIK surgery usually
feel some discomfort a couple hours after the surgery, but usually
sleep it off, he added.
While many people advertise LASIK as a quick surgery where one's
eyesight is made perfect in minutes, the reality is less glamorous,
physicians say.
For the majority of patients, their eyesight will slightly fluctuate
from day to day for about four to six weeks. In this four-to-six-week
period, patients may also experience dry eyes, glare and halos around
bright objects during the night, Hamilton said.
Most of the serious risks associated with LASIK surgery deal with the
flap, whether it's scarring, infection or irregular healing.
"Sometimes the flap wrinkles slightly, or the flap may have a
buttonhole cut. ... This is all relatively rare," Ciccone said.
The higher the correction that is needed, the more likely patients
will see side effects, Hamilton said. Some patients may even need
further LASIK enhancements.
"It's like playing golf. The further the golfer is from the hole, the
harder it is to get to the hole the first time around," Hamilton
added.
While most people in need for eye surgery are candidates for LASIK,
some have thin or irregular corneas. For such potential patients,
corrective procedures using Wavefront technology are used, among
others.
Wavefront technology takes into account the oddly shaped corneas of
patients by observing the beam of light that is bounced off the
retina, Hamilton said. Physicians at the Eye Institute will then
position the laser so that the corneal aberrations are corrected, he
added.
The advice both Hamilton and Ciccone dole out is that patients who
decide to have surgery should go to places where physicians can handle
anything that comes up.
Meldie Yadao, a member of the audience, said she was seriously
interested in the corrective eye surgery, but wanted more information
about the risks.
"I've got to meet with a doctor. I just need more assurance," Yadao
said.
"LASIK is an option for managing your vision. What (you want) to do
first is understand what your vision is and how it is likely (to)
change over time," Ciccone said.
"Take you time, be informed, don't rush into anything," he added.
| |
|
| In article <c11e3ecf.0410192138.1cccd330@posting.google.com>,
gospa68@aol.com (Wizkid) wrote:
> "LASIK is an option for managing your vision. What (you want) to do
> first is understand what your vision is and how it is likely (to)
> change over time," Ciccone said.
This is very nice wording. It is about managing your vision, not
necessarily about perfecting your vision. A great way to look at it,
IMHO.
|
| |
|
|