Is Lasik Eye Surgery Meant for You?

LASIK surgery is a permanent solution to reduce the dependence of spectacles to enhance the sight. It has got its own advantages and disadvantages associated with it. It corrects many eye related problems such as farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), astigmatism, and the impaired ability to focus due to the aging process (presbyopia) etc To learn more about this unique surgery simply read through the article.

This article covers

What is LASIK Eye Surgery and how does it Work?
Some guidelines on what to ask abut the fees?
Complications Involved in Lasik Eye Surgery

Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, better known as LASIK eye surgery, is a permanent surgical solution to correct impaired vision in order to reduce or eliminate dependence on glasses or contact lenses. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and benefits associated with it and it may not be for everyone. In order to help you make an informed decision, it is important to know what the benefits are, the cost of LASIK eye surgery, and the latest statistics and up to date information on this popular vision repair procedure. Knowing the facts and figures will further aid you in deciding if LASIK eye surgery might be right for you.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery and how does it Work?

LASIK eye surgery is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for the correction of farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), astigmatism, and the impaired ability to focus due to the aging process (presbyopia). The procedure was first Statistics and Costs<

More than one hundred and sixty million Americans suffer from nearsightedness, farsightedness, or preformed in Greece by an ophthalmologist in 1989 and was introduced to American surgeons' in 1990.

LASIK is an in-office, outpatient procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea with the use of an excimer laser. A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap which is pulled back before the laser is applied to the cornea, reshaping it to correct the vision problem. The flap is then replaced so the epithelium is left intact and the eye is protected. The entire procedure is done while the patient is awake and only takes a matter of minutes to perform. It is common for patients to return to their normal daily routine within 24 hours of having the procedure. Because very little of the epithelium is disturbed, patients often report a high level of comfort during LASIK surgery recovery. Visual acuity is usually restored within days of having the procedure done, in contrast to the weeks of recovery required by earlier procedures.

Facts and Stats -LASIK Surgery astigmatism. Each year more than one million patients undergo the LASIK procedure in the United States. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the complication rate of LASIK surgery is between 1 and 5 percent.

The Eye Surgery Education Council (ESEC) reports that, less than 1 percent of patients who have received LASIK have experienced serious vision-threatening problems. Less-serious complications are reported at 3 to 5 percent. These complications usually are resolved through laser re-treatments or enhancements of the eye.

Because statistics and results vary among surgeons, be sure to talk to your surgeon about his or her typical results for patients. For more LASIK surgery information and statistics, contact the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Vision Council of America, or call (703) 548-4560.

LASIK eye surgery prices vary and depend on a multitude of factors. These include, but are not limited to, whether or not it is custom LASIK eye surgery and what technology is being used to perform the procedure. The only universal standard for LASIK and other refractive eye surgery prices is that prices are quoted per eye. There may also be a significant difference in the "advertised" cost and the "actual" cost of the procedure. This is often the case because every person is not eligible for the lowest price due to differences in correction required. Also follow-up or corrective surgery tends to increase the cost over advertised rates.

A leading refractive industry newsletter reported that the average LASIK price at the end of 2004 was a little over $1,800; and in the second quarter of 2005 it was reported as $1,965. It has also been reported that, on average, only three percent of LASIK procedures are performed for less than $1,000 per eye.

Refractive surgery fees cover a variety of costs besides the procedure itself. These should include the pre-op evaluation meeting, comprehensive eye examination (including technician time and equipment costs), follow-up office visits, tests, and any standard medications.

Here are some guidelines on what to ask:

What is included?
What is not included?
If follow up or enhancement surgery is required, what can I expect to pay?
If I require temporary contact lenses or glasses after the procedure, how much can I expect to pay, on average?
How much will my follow-up office visits cost and how often will they occur?

Most insurance plans do not cover refractive surgery because it is considered a cosmetic procedure. When choosing a surgeon, be wary of choosing based solely on the fee. Ask the surgeon if he or she works with, or is associated with, an academic medical center or school. Make sure that he or she is willing to disclose concrete statistics on the number of procedures they have done and the patient outcomes and/or complications. Choose the best surgeon you can find and then, if you need it, get the most affordable financing you can. Most LASIK surgery centers offer financing or payment plans, and there are several financing companies that specialize in financing selective medical procedures.

Continue to: Complications Involved in Lasik Eye Surgery

Combat the signs of aging with the eyelid plastic surgery
Laser Eye Surgery to improve vision
Some of the choicest eye correction procedures in vogue Ideas for amblyopia

Bookmark this Page Email this to your friend Add this page to del.icio.us

Whitepapers

Eye care providers
Ophthalmology

Suggest an Article

Haven´t found the article you are looking for, please suggest your article. We value all your suggestions and comments

Home

Disclaimer

Copyrights

Is Lasik surgery right for you? Find out

What is LASIK Eye Surgery and how does it Work?

Related Articles