Derridian asked:


Refractive Eye Surgery & LASIK Surgery – Definition & Overview

Refractive eye surgery is any eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea or cataract surgery. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to reshape curvature of the cornea. Successful refractive eye surgery can reduce or cure common vision disorders such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.

LASIK is an abbreviation for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis and laser eye surgery is designed to change the shape of the cornea to eliminate or reduce the need for glasses and contact lenses in cases of severe myopia or nearsightedness.

LASIK procedures are conducted in an ophthalmology office or clinic. Initially, numbing eye drops are used and then eyelids are held open to prevent any interference with the laser. The LASIK surgeon then creates an ultrathin flap on the front of the eye with a precise automated instrument. This flap is then lifted and the preprogrammed laser then reshapes the inner cornea to refocus the eye. The flap is repositioned and holds itself in place, healing naturally without the need for any stitches. The laser pulses last on the average between 30 and 60 seconds. LASIK procedures take about 20 minutes to be performed in both eyes. This procedure doesn’t involve much pain and recovery is considerably fast.

Some people do experience mild discomfort and watering of the eyes post LASIK surgery. The extent of discomfort is different in different patients and commonly associated with the sensation of using contact lenses for extended periods. The risks associated with LASIK include a small risk of an infection in the eye, and some patients have reported problems with night driving and ‘halo’ effects. There is no requirement to wear eye patches following LASIK surgery.

LASIK is now used to treat hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

According to surveys of members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, approximately 948,266 refractive surgery procedures were performed in the United States during 2004 and 928,737 in 2005.

Selecting an appropriate refractive eye surgery or LASIK surgery treatment plan

There are various refractive surgery treatment plans that one could choose from depending upon your requirement. SmartHealthbuyer.com is an extensive business directory aimed at providing customers in-depth information regarding various refractive surgery treatment plans being conducted by optical surgeons in over 300 cities across the United States. 

SmartHealthbuyer.com has details regarding refractive surgery treatments like custom wavefront LASIK, standard LASIK with blade or bladeless LASIK with intralase laser.

In the first option, custom-wavefront LASIK with blade, a blade is used for the purposes of creating a flap on the cornea prior to the laser treatment.  The second option does not involve using a blade but uses something called intralase-laser to create the flap. The second option will involve an additional cost.  Hence depending upon the various treatment options and the costs involved you can choose the treatment plan that works best for you.  http://www.SmartHealthbuyer.com will provide you access to all the LASIK and refractive surgery treatment plans available in over 300 cities located across the United States. You can go through all information available and understand the various options that exist.  By providing details of your city, state, and zip code, you an narrow your search down considerably and look at the details of refractive surgery treatment plans available in your area.

Arriving at the best price available for the chosen refractive or LASIK surgery

After identifying a specific refractive or LASIK surgery treatment plan, you would most certainly be interested in finding out about the costs involved. The price of LASIK surgery varies depending upon the location and technique involved.  The general perception sometimes could be very misleading especially with regard to prices.  We often assume or even conclude expensive products are of superior quality, but this is not necessarily true; please remember price is not an indicator, measure, or hallmark of quality treatment and expertise.  Rather than focus on price, focus on the ability of the practitioner, the right refractive surgery for your eyes, reviews and the training and experience your practitioner brings to the table. In general beware of the headline pricing of “Lasik from $499 per eye”. This will typically be an older non-customized blade procedure, and may not include all the extra follow-up and care that you may need. Hence it pays, literally and otherwise to do a little research and find out more about various specialists and their expertise and experience before judging them by the price they charge.  Costs could vary depending upon the follow up options you choose. The total price involved for a treatment plan that includes lifetime follow up could be different fro the one which involves a six-month follow-up treatment plan.  Hence considering all available options is very important before arriving at the best available price. Please also factor in the cost of contact lenses or glasses that you won’t need to buy in the future, before taking your decision.

http://www.smarthealthbuyer.com/Optical/ can provide you with details regarding price lists and rates charged for all the available refractive surgery treatment plans offered by various surgeons listed in SmartHealthbuyer.com database.  SmartHealthbuyer.com will not only provide you access to information and rates but also help you determine the average cost per treatment.  SmartHealthbuyer.com price comparison engine has the facility to compare available costs and calculate average costs for specific refractive surgery treatment plans.  By providing details of your city, state, and zip code you can determine the average cost for treatment in your specific area.  By comparing costs and determining the average cost for refractive surgery plans available you will be at and advantage while finalizing your decision.

Locating the best refractive or LASIK surgeon

Entrusting your eyes to a surgeon for LASIK surgery is not an easy decision and you can’t settle for anything but the best.  It is therefore advisable that you first find out as many details as you can about various practicing surgeons.  SmartHealthbuyer.com has all the details that include but are not limited to educational background, qualifications, certifications, licenses, and customer feedback for refractive surgeons located over 300 cities in the United States.  You can further narrow your search by providing details of your city, state, and zip code at SmartHealthbuyer.com.   By doing this you will be accessing information and details for various surgeons in your chosen area.  You can then go through each and every detail including reviews, recommendations, references, feedback regarding the experience and expertise for particular refractive surgeons in your area.

SmartHealthbuyer.com database will help you go through credentials and other information for specific surgeons in your area and if you are interested in further information, you can also do your own research on the internet and confirm available details.

What to look for in a LASIK surgeon?

While it is important to check the credentials, experience, educational background and certification/license information, you must know how to verify this information.  An ophthalmologist who specializes in performing refractive surgeries such as LASIK is referred to as a refractive surgeon.

Surgical procedures require immense skill, expertise and experience and this hold good for LASIK surgeons as well.  Some key factors that one needs to bear in mind while selecting a LASIK surgeon are as stated below:

a)     Does refractive surgery or laser vision correction form the main part of his or her practice.

b)     Find out if he or she will counsel you prior to and post surgery explaining all the risks and benefits involving LASIK.

c)     Confirm his or her availability before and after LASIK surgery for the purposes of follow up. 

d)     Find out how many LASIK surgeries he has performed throughout his or her career.

e)     Find out if he is a member of the American Association of Ophthalmology and is part of any affiliated center and is aware of the latest technological advances in laser.

f)      Also, there is no harm in taking a second opinion.

http://www.smarthealthbuyer.com/Optical/ will provide you information regarding the educational qualifications and background, patient feedback, reviews, recommendations, references, and experience.  All this information is extremely important in verifying the credentials, licenses, certifications of various refractive surgeons available.  By providing details of your city, state, and zip code, you can start locating refractive surgeons located in your area and based on reviews and other details available, you can finalize your decision.

http://www.SmartHealthbuyer.com is an easier, faster, and efficient tool that will assist you in assessing treatment plans, costs involved, and in locating the best physicians in your area!

Links:  http://www.smarthealthbuyer.com/Optical/



Jeffery

Bellegirl asked:


I want to get lasik surgery but I remember about 9 years ago when I was about 18 and I wanted to get the procedure done, someone I worked with told me that it was dangerous. She told me before lasik there was a different type of eye surgery. It produced the same result as the lasik but 20 years later there vision was worse than before and they were practically blind. That scared me. Is this true? Is lasik surgery safe?

Paula

Lily asked:


Someone said to me, “if lasik surgery is so effective, then how come the doctors doing it still wear glasses? Why don’t they get it done too?” So now I am wondering the same thing.

Ernest

Miodrag Trajkovic asked:


Lasik vision correction surgery is increasingly becoming a preferred method for individuals wanting to improve their vision. The Lasik procedure takes just a few minutes, is painless and has a very high success rate. There is no need for hospitalization and patients can walk out of the surgery center a few hours after the surgery. Post surgery there are just a few restrictions and that too for a limited period of time. All these do not come cheap though. Lasik vision correction surgery comes with a rather high price tag, which escalates further in case of eyes that have deteriorated to a great extent. The cost of Lasik surgery varies greatly from place to place. Since Lasik surgery is elective, you will find that most insurance companies do not cover this procedure.

You should check your insurance plans before you decide to go in for Lasik eye surgery. Even if you have vision insurance you may find that your plan may not cover Lasik eye surgery as it is considered an elective procedure. You should also check with your employer. Some employers have an agreement with certain Lasik centers to give their employees special rates and discounts.

Some insurance companies now offer a new kind of plan called ‘expanded vision insurance program plan’. This covers more than just the basic eye examinations, contact lenses and eyeglasses and could also include Lasik surgery in the plan. An expanded vision insurance program plan may not always pay the entire amount needed for the procedure, but it could offset a percentage of it and if you are lucky that could be 50%. If you do have an expanded vision health plan, go through it and see if it covers Lasik surgery.

After you’ve decided to go ahead and have Lasik surgery to correct your vision, the next step is to check out the various surgeons that perform this surgery and the cost of the surgery. Lasik surgery costs differ greatly form one place to another and Lasik ads are often deceiving even though they may not be outright lies. What most Lasik ads quote is just the basic Lasik surgery price, which would apply to individuals who need a small degree of corrective surgery. But the higher degrees of vision correction incur higher costs. The average cost of Lasik surgery is around $2000, but it could cost more. Also a more experienced surgeon would charge much more for performing the surgery than a surgeon with less experience. Do not base your choice solely on the doctor’s fees. The extra money may be well worth it if it means choosing an established and reputed doctor who has a lot of experience and access to the latest technology.

You should also explore the possibilities of having your Lasik surgery in a more Lasik-friendly country. Most insurance plans in Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia do cover Lasik surgery even though it is an elective procedure. However this is not the case in Canada and the United States, so your personal financial burden could prove to be much higher in these two countries.

If possible you should opt to pay for your Lasik surgery through the flexible spending account offered to you by your employer. If you have enough money saved in your flexible spending account it could help pay for the entire surgery or at least partially cover the cost of the surgery. You need to inform your Lasik doctor if you are paying him in this manner, as there could be some paper work involved between the surgery center and your employer. You should also check the possibility of deducting the costs of Lasik surgery from your federal income tax. Your tax accountant should be able to help you out with this.

It is a good idea to explore the various payment methods to help you defray the high cost of Lasik eye surgery. Talk to your Lasik doctor who will be glad to work out the most appropriate plan for you.



Teresa

Roof asked:


I’ve been wanting lasik eye surgery for a long while now coz I’m so sick of contacts and glasses. Is there monthly payments or payment in full? And will getting lasik get rid of astigmatism, or lazy eyes as well??

Joann

Anry asked:


I am planning to do a LASIK or Laser Eye Surgery, does it has any disadvantages doing it? and what is the difference between Laser and LASIK, which is better and why, I am hesitating whether to do it or not, also I don’t know which one should I choose LASIK or Laser.

P.S. My vision is not so bad, it is something like 1.7 – 2 degrees deviation, am just sick wearing glasses.

Thanks in advance.

Norma

Steven Walters asked:


Lasik surgery has been gaining in popularity over the past years and one of the reasons is that lasik costs have been declining making it more affordable for everyone. Lasik is also popular because it is easy, the recovery period is short and it is safe compared with other vision correction surgery.

Really when you think about all the benefits you receive from lasik surgery the total cost of lasik is quite low. Just think, after your lasik surgery you’ll never have to pay for contact lenses, saline solution or glasses ever again.

Just remember that costs can and do vary widely for lasik surgery. The price is determined by many things such as the doctor performing the lasik, the problem being corrected, the facility where the lasik is performed and the lasik technology being used. You’ll also find that the area of the country you live in will effect the lasik cost.

No doubt you’ve seen ads that promise just $500 per eye for laser vision correction surgery. Don’t be fooled by these low low prices. Usually they don’t include pre-operative and post operative appointments and may also not include testing that can make the surgery safer. A much more realistic lasik cost is between $1000 and $2000 per eye if you include everything.

With all the benefits of lasik it’s a shame that the high cost still puts it out of reach for many people. Insurance usually will not cover the cost of lasik surgery since it is considered elective surgery and even if it is covered the insurance often will only pay a small amount of the total cost of lasik.

Lasik financing is another option used to pay for the surgery and this helps many people to afford their lasik procedure. If you can find a way to make lasik surgery a possibility for yourself you’ll love the freedom you gain from your contact lenses and glasses. Many people think that this freedom justifies the cost of lasik eye surgery and makes it completely worthwhile.

Even with the high cost of lasik people are choosing to accept the price and have lasik done in increasing numbers. Lasik surgery centers have never been so busy and the competition fortunately is causing the price of lasik surgery to decrease. Adding to this is the number of baby boomers that are beginning to have vision problems due to their increasing age. This is a group that is huge in the U.S. and has the money to indulge themselves with lasik.

Many people find that the benefits of lasik surgery outweigh the cost of lasik and this trend should continue into the future as prices continue to decline. Actually, any lasik cost is very likely to be balanced by the savings you’ll get once you no longer need to buy glasses, contacts and saline solutions. Lasik is a very good investment for the future.



Kathy

Keion Moradi asked:


Lasik surgery cost ranges anywhere from $499 to $2,500. The cost of Lasik is based on your surgeon’s experience and the type of Lasik surgery performed. There are options when it comes to which Lasik procedure you can choose. Your decision should rest on an appropriate surgical procedure for your eye condition, a trusted Lasik surgeon and a price you’re comfortable paying. Understand the different types of Lasik eye surgery and decide which types of Lasik surgery is best for you.

Lasik Background

Lasik is among the most popular forms of laser eye surgery. Lasik eye surgery involves a procedure to permanently reshape the cornea and elicit vision correction. A microkeratome blade is used to create a flap in the thin outer layer of the cornea, called the epithelium. An excimer laser reshapes the cornea, and the flap is replaced. The procedure takes about 15 minutes and the recovery time is fairly fast. Most patients can return to normal activities the next day.

PRK as an Alternative to Lasik Surgery

PRK removes the epithelium with a metal surgical tool. The earliest form of laser eye surgery, PRK typically involves a longer recovery time, allowing for the epithelium to grow back. It can cause more discomfort than Lasik eye surgery. Results often take longer for PRK.

Though PRK involves a longer recovery process, it has been the preferred method for patients with thin corneas and large pupils. However, there are a number of newer variations to the original Lasik eye surgery. Many of these different types of Lasik surgery minimize the risk of original Lasik, and can be performed on patients with thin corneas and other eye conditions.

Lasek Surgery

Lasek is a refractive procedure that uses alcohol to separate the outer layer if the cornea, rather than a surgical blade. A laser reshapes the cornea and the epithelium is replaced. By eliminating the risk of a microkeratome blade, Lasek is an option for people with thin corneas.

Through its swift recovery process, Lasek may be a better alternative to PRK. However, Lasek is not without potential complication. The use of alcohol can cause eye irritation and inflammation.

Epi-Lasik

Epi-Lasik is similar to Lasik and Lasek, but employs a fine surgical blade, reducing the risk of a wide corneal flap. Instead of alcohol, a plastic cutting tool separates the epithelium from the eye. Epi-Lasek thereby eliminates possible irritation to the eye.

IntraLasik

IntraLasik, All-Laser Lasik, or Blade-Free Lasik very simply conducts the procedure through lasers, without the use of a microkeratome. IntraLasik is praised for precision through eliminating mistakes that can occur with a surgical blade.

While IntraLasik significantly lowers the risk associated with other refractive surgery, there are some possible complications to consider. The excimer laser is still subject to possible visual errors. A small percentage of patients have also reported issues with light sensitivity. The cost of IntraLasik can be substantially higher than other forms of Lasik surgery.

Wavefront Lasik

Wavefront Lasik is the most precise form of Lasik eye surgery. Much like IntraLasik, lasers replace blades during Wavefront Lasik. But where IntraLasik employs a freehand excimer laser, wavefront technology guides the excimer laser in Wavefront Lasik. The procedure also reduces the risk of night glare, a common complication associated with Lasik surgery. Though the most accurate, Wavefront Lasik is also the most costly among the different forms of Lasik.



Leo

Arvind asked:


LASIK Orange County has rendered an opportunity to people of Orange County to see better without ugly glasses or corrective lenses. And, if you miss the opportunity, you might be in the losers gang!

LASIK Orange County is provided in different LASIK eye institutes around Orange County. LASIK eye institutes specialize in providing the most recent technology, equipments along with a bunch of highly trained and experienced surgeons for LASIK Orange County. The post-treatment care of LASIK Orange County that the patient receives in LASIK eye institutes of the city is unrivaled.

LASIK Orange County allows only those people who are above 18 years and have no infection in their eyes to be eligible for the surgery. There is no intra-operative pain during LASIK Orange County. A laser device (excimer laser) is used for LASIK Orange County that gives no pain to the patient. Excimer lasers accurately get rid of the adequate amount of tissues from the surrounding tissues of cornea giving it an appropriate shape for proper vision. The surgeon recommends the patient to prevent the eyes from being rubbed, squeezed or touched till couple of days from the treatment. Postoperative medications are continued for at least 2 weeks. However the eyes start to function properly within a day of the surgery. The irritation in the eye after surgery is very mild and stays for 12 hours or less after LASIK surgery.

The cost of LASIK Orange County is very low and is more affordable than trendy glasses and lenses. LASIK surgery cost for each eye lies in the range of $1500-$2500 with most surgeons offering different payment plans that decrease the pressure to pay for the surgery at one shot. LASIK surgery offers an opportunity to save money that is spent on buying trendy lenses and glasses over a lifetime.

LASIK Orange County and LASIK Boston provide the scope of LASIK plus vision centers as well. These LASIK Plus center are equipped with the advanced and proficient technology in LASIK eye surgery.

Discomfort associated to LASIK Orange County is for a very small period. Simultaneously, the benefits remain for a long duration (at least 15 years). LASIK surgery does not give a surety of a 20/20 eye vision. However, it allows the patient to have a proper vision in absence of any glasses or corrective lenses. Such improvement encourages the patient to take a chance with the complication associated to LASIK eye surgery.



Eileen

Cruegirl asked:


Please i just want to know how long to wait after having lasik surgery done. Its been about a week and 2 weeks can anyone tell me if its ok to wear a contact lens. What are the risks and can i pull the flap off the eye still?

Teresa