Is LASIK safe?

About the time that people hit middle age, they start noticing a number of changes in their bodies and one of the changes that will often motivate people to see a doctor is when their vision is compromised. Considering that the baby-boomer generation has hit middle age and beyond, it is no wonder why Lasik laser eye surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years, as a way to counter the effects of vision deterioration.

Lasik vision surgery is a specialized procedure that provides vision correction for certain types of vision problems and conditions. Lasik is the term that is used as a "shortcut" for the full name of the operation, which is otherwise known as "Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis." Other commonly heard terms for corrective eye surgery that is accomplished through the use of lasers instead of scalpels are: PRK, LASEK, custom Lasik, and Epi-Lasik.

There are three main vision problems that are easily corrected through Lasik laser eye surgery. These are near-sightedness, farsightedness, and forms of mild to moderate astigmatisms. With Lasik vision surgery, people are able to toss their eyeglasses, and the chance of losing or breaking them, into the trash forever. It can also eliminate the need for contact lenses.

A qualified and professional Lasik eye doctor will always make sure that a patient has a full and complete understanding of the process, before it is done. This gives them an advantage of not only being a patient but of being an informed consumer who has made a decision regarding their eye health and care.

While the risks of laser eye surgery are minimal, especially when compared to older methods of corrective eye surgery, it is in the best interest of the person considering such surgery to fully understand the possible complications and potential risks, as well as the cost of Lasik surgery.

The greatest advantage of a laser eye surgery procedure is that it is minimally invasive and does not involve the cutting of the covering of the eye, or cornea, with any type of surgical instrument. Instead, a thin layer of the cornea is cut with a laser beam and then gently pulled back, giving the laser eye surgeon the ability to then "sculpt" the corneal tissue to improve the vision. The thin flap is then replaced and the procedure is over.

After the Lasik laser eye surgery, patients notice an almost instant improvement in their eyesight. They can very quickly get back to their normal, everyday routines in almost all cases. Also, with Lasik there are no stitches to be concerned about and the patient will not even have to wear bandages. With all of this, some recipients of Lasik eye surgery even claim that the whole procedure could even be characterized as a divine wonder.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_546607_17.html

But on the contrary, while your at it, this website posts some of the horrifying post-operation stories of LASIK patients. While some do had clear vision after the surgery, they do experience pain and afterwards depression (pain physically and of course the money spent for the operation is pocket-aching).

So before you decide on going through LASIK, visit Life After Lasik (www.lifeafterlasik.com).