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Laser Eye Treatments

Laser eye treatments are used in refractive surgery to reshape the cornea, correcting doubled or blurry vision. Unlike glasses or contact lenses that temporarily correct vision, laser eye treatments are surgeries that permanently correct a person's vision. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common laser eye treatment, laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), was approved by the FDA in 1998 and is currently used by 700,000 patients each year.

  1. Definition

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, laser eye treatments are used in corrective eye surgery to strengthen eyesight, allowing patients to see without the aid of glasses or contact lenses. The lasers correct eyesight by shaping the cornea into an even, round shape around the eyeball, allowing light to reflect in the eye without any obstructions. People with near or farsightedness have abnormally shaped corneas that prevent light from accurately reflecting in the eye, causing blurry or double vision.

    Significance

    • According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, laser eye treatments are used to correct common vision problems such as farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. It does not correct other eye problems such as presbyopia, however, an age-related condition that makes it difficult to focus on close objects.

    Types

    • The most common laser eye treatment is LASIK, which works by cutting away a flap from the eye, exposing the cornea and allowing the lasers to reshape the cornea. Other laser eye treatments include laser-assisted epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), which shapes the cornea without creating a flap on the eye.

    Effects

    • More than 90 percent of patients gain 20/20 or 20/40 vision after LASIK surgery. A dull burning sensation, dry eyes, blurry vision and itching around the eye are common effects, which typically disappear after the eye heals. Complete healing of the eye occurs within two to three months, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Complications

    • Complications caused by laser eye treatments include an infection or inflammation of the eye. This occurs if particles are trapped in the cornea during surgery. The corneal flap may not heal, which requires additional surgery to ensure the flap does not open. The cornea can also bulge out, a condition called ectasia.

      In rare instances laser eye treatments cause significant vision loss in the eye, which can lead to blindness. This is not reversible.

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