What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?
Refractive eye surgery is the most trusted corrective laser eye surgery. Laser eye correction surgery is used a lot in refractive eye surgery. Eye surgeries are so common now that most of them are done for cosmetic reasons to get rid of prescription glasses and contact lenses.
Until contact lenses were introduced in 1950s, glasses were the only way to correct refractive errors in vision. Today, a number of modern approaches like corrective laser eye surgery vary from reshaping your eye’s surface in procedures such as LASIK and PRK to the insertion of artificial lenses using surgery to fix one’s eyesight. LASIK and PRK, and other similar eye surgeries use laser energy to reshape curvature of your eye’s front surface, called cornea, to change the way rays can enter your eye. The artificial lenses, surgically inserted in the eye can also refocus the light rays to better the vision.
LASIK is similar PRK, except a thin flap is done on your eye’s surface. It is then lifted, and after this that laser energy will be used underneath to increase or decrease the curvature of the eye. Your flap is also replaced and this will function like a bandage. Its main benefit over PRK is the absence of or very little discomfort experienced right after surgery, and the vision is clear within hours instead of many days. Many different types of LASIK do exist. The types are also classified according to how the flap is made. LASEK creates a very thin flap in the already thin epithelium of the eye and it is floated away from the surface with the help of alcohol so that it is possible to use laser for reshaping the eye. All-Laser LASIK surgery involves using another laser instead of a mechanical cutting tool for the creation of the flap in LASIK.
Refractive Lens Exchange is also another non-laser, eye procedure which is internal. RLE is almost like a cataract surgery. But in this case, instead of getting rid of the cloudy natural lens caused because of cataract formation, RLE removes the clear natural lens and replaces it with the artificial one that is of different shape. This is usually done to reduce or in some cases eliminate very high degree of far sightedness.
Because of the fact that our eyes can change with age, laser eye surgery required may also change with it. A few different approaches of laser surgeries like LASIK and a few others work well for those who are young and there are other methods, which are more appropriate for the older individuals.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that all vision correction procedures have the usually slight risk of side effects. There is no surgery that can guarantee you a precise result either. These complications could be mild or severe. So it is essential to discuss all the options as well as the potential risks in detail with youe eye surgeon or any eye care provider before you make any final choices.
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