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Archive for the ‘Eye Surgery’ Category

A Closer Look at Potential LASIK Complications

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Although LASIK has generally proven to be a safe and highly effective treatment for vision conditions including astigmatism, hyperopia and myopia, the procedure—like any surgery—is not without risk.

Prior to your LASIK procedure, your ophthalmologist will discuss the potential side-effects with you in detail. The most commonly reported complications of LASIK surgery include:

Dry eyes
Vision overcorrection or undercorrection
Fluctuation in visual clarity
Appearance of “halos” or “starbursts” around light sources
Sensitivity to light
Double vision or “ghosting”
Corneal flap complications

Dry eyes are the most frequent aftereffect of LASIK surgery, and the condition is often temporary. Most cases of post-LASIK dry eyes dissipate within the healing period, which may be around six months.

If you suffer from dry eyes following LASIK, your ophthalmologist may recommend moisturizing eye drops to manage your discomfort.

Other complications, such as overcorrection or undercorrection, may require a revision procedure. Corneal flap problems, such as a displaced flap or folded flap, may also necessitate a follow-up procedure.

Visual side-effects, such as halos, starbursts and double vision, are rare and, like dry eyes, may be temporary. However, it is important to acknowledge that while LASIK has a high success rate and a patient satisfaction range that most research pegs between 94 and 98 percent, some complications may be permanent and irreversible.

Again, your ophthalmologist will help you determine if LASIK is the best treatment option for your specific visual condition, answer any questions about LASIK you may have and help you develop a thorough grasp of the possible complications.

To locate an experienced ophthalmologist in your area, please contact eyes.com.

Posted in Dry Eyes, Eye Surgery, LASIK | Comments Off

Stem Cell Research and Vision Disorder Treatment

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Posted in Eye Surgery, Technology | Comments Off

Is LASIK Safer Than Contacts?

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Many people are drawn to the benefits of LASIK eye surgery, but fearful of its potential complications. However, when the risks of LASIK are compared to the risks of contact lenses, LASIK actually comes out on top as the safer option.

Oxygen is essential in order for your eyes to function properly. Unfortunately, daily contact wear prevents your eyes from naturally receiving oxygen from the air around you. This can lead to problems like irritation, redness, and “ghost vessels” – blood vessels that appear in your eyes in order to re-route oxygen from other areas of your body.

Additionally, the risk of infection from wearing contact lenses is far greater than the risk of infection after LASIK surgery. Even a careful cleaning routine might not wholly prevent infection from contact lenses. In the past few years, many different contact lens solutions have been recalled for providing a higher risk of infection, or else for simply being ineffective.

If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, schedule a consultation with an experienced ophthalmologist in your area today to find out if you are a candidate.

Posted in Eye Safety, Eye Surgery, LASIK, Laser Vision Correction | Comments Off

LASIK and Corneal Scars

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

A corneal scar is an injury to your eye’s cornea. Having a corneal scar doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from LASIK eye surgery, but certain types of scars can have a negative effect on the results of surgery. You ophthalmologist should carefully examine your corneal scar to consider the following factors:

The depth of the scar – If your scar is superficial, it is possible to remove it during LASIK surgery. A deeper scar can be reduced and improved with a different laser treatment (such as PRK), but it still might not be completely eliminated.
The location of the scar – Unless your scar is close to the center of your eye, you are probably still a candidate for LASIK. However, if it is too close to your visual axis and has an effect on your vision, your ophthalmologist may recommend an alternative laser treatment.
The cause of the scar – If the scar was the result of an infection, the exact type of infection may affect your LASIK candidacy. For example, if viral keratitis caused your scar, there is a slight risk that LASIK surgery would re-activate the virus.

LASIK surgery should only be performed on patients who are ideal candidates. In some situations, corneal scars can be reduced or eliminated by Laser Vision Correction. But if your ophthalmologist believes your corneal scar would pose an undue risk, he or she can work with you to find an alternative solution.

If you would like more information about LASIK and scarred eyes, contact an experienced LASIK eye surgeon in your area today.

Posted in Eye Anatomy, Eye Safety, Eye Surgery | Comments Off

When Will Night Vision Problems Fade After LASIK?

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Temporary night vision problems are a common side effect of LASIK. The most common night vision issues that patients experience include:

Halos
Starbursts
Glare

These symptoms are the result of the intense dryness that can occur in your eyes after LASIK surgery. Your LASIK surgeon should evaluate your eyes beforehand to gauge their current moisture levels and estimate how severe the problem might be after surgery. For the vast majority of patients, dry eyes can be easily controlled through the use of artificial tears and other common therapies.

The amount of time that it takes for your night vision symptoms to fade generally depends on how your quickly your eyes heal. This can vary from patient to patient. For some, night vision problems only last a couple of weeks. Others may struggle with halos and glare for months. Your LASIK surgeon will closely follow up with you to ensure your condition is controlled and any unusual symptoms are treated appropriately. If your symptoms do not go away after six months, it may be necessary to undergo a LASIK follow-up treatment.

Thankfully, modern LASIK technology – such as CustomVue WaveFront technology – has significantly reduced the frequency and severity of dry eyes and night vision problems after LASIK. An estimated 85% of patients who undergo CustomVue WaveFront LASIK experience much less glare at night once their eyes have healed from LASIK.

For more information about LASIK and night vision, contact an experienced ophthalmologist in your area.

Posted in Dry Eyes, Eye Surgery, LASIK | Comments Off

Treatment Options for Presbyopia

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the technical name for the vision impairment that comes with age. In young eyes, the lens is flexible, able to change its shape to focus light and help you see things that are both far and near. As the eye ages, however, the lens becomes stiffer, and it is unable to bend enough to focus on close objects.

If you are over 40, you have probably noticed that words on a page have become harder to read. They seem out of focus and blurry. These effects of presbyopia are simply part of the natural aging process, and while they cannot be prevented, they can be treated.

Treatment Options

Getting prescription glasses or contacts is a simple fix for presbyopia. However, if you find glasses or contacts frustrating and inconvenient, surgical treatments are also available.

Presbyopia Laser Vision Correction, also known as LASIK monovision, corrects vision so that one eye focuses on far objects and the other focuses on near objects. Though each eye focuses differently, the brain is able to coordinate the two images so you can clearly see the book on your desk and the mountains out the window beyond you.

Presbyopia lens replacement surgery is another option. In this treatment, your eye’s natural lens is replaced with an artificial one called an intraocular lens (IOL). This lens will be able to flex where your old lens could not and will correct your near vision.

Recently, doctors are experimenting with a third surgical option called presbyopic LASIK or presbyLASIK. In contrast to LASIK monovision, this treatment enables you to have binocular vision, where both eyes can focus both near and far.

Currently, presbyLASIK is not FDA approved to treat presbyopia, but it there is evidence that it could be a viable treatment option. According to one study, 81% of the 178 participants who received presbyLASIK ended up with 20/20 or better binocular vision. However, some of the patients who were in their mid to late 40s lost their near vision again in a few years as they aged. While not the current standard of care, presbyLASIK may become another successful treatment for presbyopia as technology develops and scientists gather more information.

If you suffer from presbyopia and are wondering about treatment options, please contact an experienced ophthalmologist in your area today who can answer your questions during your free consultation.

Posted in Eye Surgery, Intraocular lenses (IOLs), LASIK, Presbyopia | Comments Off

Retinal Reattachment Restores Vision after 55 Years

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

More than five decades after his retina became detached when he was hit in the right eye with a stone, a man had his vision surgically restored in what is thought to be a medical first.

The patient was 8 when he was struck with a rock in the right eye, detaching his retina. Blind in that eye, the man went to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at age 63, complaining of pain in his right eye.

Doctors found bleeding, swelling and glaucoma. After treatment with monoclonal antibody therapy, the patient reported being able to detect light sources with his right eye. Encouraged, doctors recommended pursuing surgery to reattach the retina.

When the retina is detached from its blood supply, retinal cells can begin to die and impair vision. If a detached retina is not treated quickly, the retina can become permanently damaged and lead to blindness; when the retina is detached for an extended period, it’s typically impossible to restore sight with reattachment.

However, despite a 55-year gap between the incident that caused his vision loss and retinal reattachment surgery, the man’s sight was restored following the procedure. Doctors said restoring vision after such a lengthy period of retinal detachment was a first.

Although the patient required revision surgery a year later because scars in his eye were forcing the retina to separate again, the follow-up surgery was also successful. Doctors hope this bodes well for future research into restoring damaged retinas and retinal cells.

“This is not only a great result for our patient but has implications for restoring eyesight in other patients, especially in the context of stem cell research into retinal progenitor cells, which may be able to be transplanted into diseased retinas to restore vision,” said Dr. Olusa Olawoye in a June Journal of Medical Case Reports article.
If you would like to learn more about retinal detachment, please contact an ophthalmologist near you.

Posted in Eye Anatomy, Eye Surgery | Comments Off

How Long Does LASIK Last?

Friday, April 15th, 2011

If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, you may have heard conflicting information about how long the results of the surgery last. Is it permanent, or temporary? To understand the answer, you need to have a proper understanding of how LASIK works.

During LASIK, your cornea – the clear membrane that covers the front of your eye – is reshaped to address and correct your specific eye condition. This is permanent; your cornea will not lose its new shape after surgery, no matter how much time has passed.

However, as we get older and begin to reach middle-age, our vision starts naturally deteriorating. LASIK cannot avoid this future problem; it can simply address your specific eye disorder now. Along with our bodies, our vision will change as we grow older. This is unavoidable.

A common eye disorder that comes with age is presbyopia, where a person’s near vision starts to become increasingly blurry, often making reading glasses necessary for many patients. This is not an issue with the cornea, which has been corrected by LASIK, but rather with the eye’s lens. At the time of your LASIK screening, your ophthalmologist can explain this to you in more detail.

If you have further questions about LASIK surgery, please contact an experienced ophthalmologist near you to schedule a consultation.

Posted in Diseases and Conditions, Eye Surgery, LASIK, Laser Vision Correction, Presbyopia, Refractive Errors, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Atlanta Braves Minor League Manager has Eye Removed

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Luis Salazar, the manager for the Atlanta Braves’ Class A minor league affiliate, recently had eye surgery to remove his left eye after it was struck by a line drive during a spring training game. According to Braves general manager Frank Wren, Salazar is recovering nicely and should be able to resume his managerial duties shortly after the minor league season begins.

Eye doctors were unable to save Salazar’s left eye following the March 9^th incident. During the game that day between the Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, Brian McCann hit a foul ball which rocketed towards Salazar. He was unable to get out of the way in time, and he fell head-first into the dugout after being hit in the eye by the ball.

There was a 20 minute delay in the game while Salazar was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he was treated for multiple facial fractures. Unfortunately, doctors determined that it was necessary to remove his eye. According to doctors, Salazar should be ready to take back the reigns of his team within four to six weeks. Since the minor league season doesn’t start until April 7, Salazar will most likely only miss a few games before he gets cleared to return.

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Single Donor Cornea Can Help Two Patients

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Doctors in Germany, led by Ludwig M. Heindl, M.D. of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nurnberg, have published a study in this month’s issue of Ophthalmology demonstrating that a single donor cornea can help two different recipients.

Not all cornea transplant recipients need the full thickness of the donor cornea, of which Dr. Heindl and colleagues took advantage. They split the donor corneas into two layers—the anterior lamella and the endothelium-Descemet’s membrane.

The first layer, the anterior lamella was then transplanted onto the eyes of a patient suffering from keratoconus. This type of corneal transplant is known as a deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, or DALK.

Next, the second layer was transplanted into a different patient who had Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy. This surgery is called Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK).

This resourceful approach may have very positive implications for the future of corneal transplant surgery, allowing patients with different eye diseases and conditions to receive separate transplants from the same cornea. This should hopefully reduce the wait time for donor corneas and reduce the overall cost of cornea transplantation.

To learn more about corneal transplants or to get treatment for a cornea condition that affects your vision, please contact a local ophthalmologist today and set up a consultation.

Posted in Corneal Transplant, Diseases and Conditions, Eye Anatomy, Eye Surgery, Lamellar Keratoplasty | Comments Off