Surgery for nearsightedness

Surgery for nearsightedness (med.myopia) is a medical procedure aimed at changing the shape of cornea, which istransparent external coating of the eye, so the light could be redirected tothe retina. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to pathological myopia. Theprocedure itself is an attempt to improve the vision of the people who arenearsighted, enabling them to have a clearer vision without the use of correctivelenses, or at least making them less dependent on the afore mentioned.Procedure is considered a success either when the 20/40 vision mark is reached,or higher. The main reason for this is the fact that people with such visionaren’t forbidden to drive, even without the contact lenses.

One of the most common andeffective procedures is LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) during whichthe improvement of the retroactive state of the cornea is performed by liftingup the front surface of the eye. This is done by forming a thin hingedflap under which the shape of the cornea is changed by using a laser. It has ahigh success rate and low complication rate, with moderate nearsightednesscases, but is also employed in more severe cases. Convalescence period isshorter, less painful, with more rapid visual recovery than for e.g.photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). PRK and epic-LASIK (epithelial laserin-situ keratomileusis) are two other frequently used procedures.Both share LASEK’s success/complication rate. And just as it is the case withLASEK, they find use with moderate to severe nearsightedness cases.

Yet another procedure which isfrequently used is RK (radial keratotomy), a surgical procedure designed toflatten the cornea and thereby correct myopia. The success/safety rate is veryhigh and is employed in mild to moderate cases. But with the advancement ofmedicine, its place was taken by LASIK and PRK procedures. Corneal RingImplant procedure should also be mentioned. It is used to treat mild nearsightednessby the use of corneal ring implants to change cornea’s initial shape. Onemore implant-based procedure is Intraocular Lens Implant procedure (IOL), whichhas proven to be a rather safe and effective way to treat severe myopia.

Having in mind other types ofmedical procedures used to treat nearsightedness, is should be pointed out thatthey employ the technique of implant placement in order to change the shape ofcornea, and replace or provide assistance to the eye’s natural lens.

It is never easy to decide whichof the procedures the right one for you is, but it is useful to gather as muchinformation as possible before making the final decision. Of all alreadymentioned procedures, RK has the longest usage rate, whereas differentresearches and studies suggest that PRK and LASIK are just as accurate as RK,and even less risky. If you are tired of using your eyeglasses or ofhaving to take out your contact lenses many times a day, then one of the goodsolutions for correcting the visual deficiency is certainly to undergo asurgery.