How Does Lasik Surgery Affect Glaucoma?
Many people who have the desire for Lasik surgery are worried about getting it, because they also have glaucoma. They become concerned that they will damage their eyes through Lasik or that the procedure will make their glaucoma worse. While it is understandable that a person is worried about his or her eyesight and wants to protect it, many concerns about Lasik can be alleviated by talking to an eye doctor and having one’s questions answered. By doing this, a patient can make the best and most informed decision, leading to the best outcome, whatever the decision is.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes a gradual loss of vision. It is generally caused by high intraocular pressure (the pressure inside the eye). However, it is important to remember that the thickness of a person’s cornea and other factors can affect eye pressure. What is high to one person might not be high to another person, so checking it over time and watching carefully for any damage or risk factors is important. High intraocular pressure that is uncontrolled and not ‘normal’ for a person — someone with thicker corneas, for example, will generally have higher eye pressure — can cause a deterioration of the optic nerve. A person will notice that their peripheral vision becomes less and less, and eventually, if not treated, the person will be looking ‘through a tunnel’ before losing vision completely.
There is Good News
There is some good news on two fronts. First, glaucoma is treatable. Once vision is lost, it cannot be recovered. However, the vision that has not yet been lost can be saved through prescription medications that stop or drastically slow the progression of the disease. Second, there is no evidence that Lasik surgery either causes glaucoma or makes it worse. The Lasik procedure deals with the cornea of the eye, as opposed to dealing with the inside of the eye. Since the intraocular pressure is inside the eye, it is not affected by it. The only ‘concern’ is that the pressure in the eye after Lasik may read lower than it actually is, so an eye doctor should be made aware of this. Beyond that, however, there are no other concerns when it comes to Lasik and glaucoma.
The Lasik Procedure
The procedure that takes place during Lasik is a relatively simple one. The patient is given a sedative if needed, and anesthetic drops are placed in the eyes to numb them. The eye is held open with a gentle restraint and a flap is cut in the corner. Sometimes this is done with a blade, but more and more people are offering bladeless Lasik, meaning that the laser is used to cut the flap. After the flap is cut and folded back, the laser is used to reshape the inner layers of the cornea. When the laser is done, the corneal flap is put back into place and begins to heal almost immediately. Medicated eye drops are given to the patient to put in his or her eye, and specific after-care instructions are also given, so that the chance of any kind of complication will be reduced. The entire Lasik procedure takes about 15 minutes, and is considered to be extremely safe.
For more and more people, Lasik is becoming the option that they choose to correct their vision. It is much safer than it used to be, and there are fewer complications as well.
Recent studies indicate that laser eye surgery has now surpassed contact lenses for safety, which means more people will likely be getting the surgery. For example, for someone who has glaucoma, there is no need to worry about Lasik making it worse or causing any kind of problem.
Help answer the question about lasik
My dads cousin Just had LASIK and has Complications!?
I just got news that my dads cousin recently got lasik. The eye structure is okay and there are no physical problems except that he was “over-corrected” by 1.5 diopeters
He said it was a mistake during the original prescription check AND something about the way the eye healed
What exacly does this mean and is he going to be okay??
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The fact is that Lasik is becoming more affordable. If Lasik surgeon states that laser eye surgery is safe for an individual despite his or her glaucoma, he or she should feel comfortable making the choice.
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8 Responses to “How Does Lasik Surgery Affect Glaucoma?”
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Yes, complications do occur, in a percentage of cases, from the minor to the very serious.
About 96% of people, even if they do have some side effects would still recommend the procedure to a friend.
(Most common side effects:
Rx not as near zero as hoped for.
Dry eyes, temporarily or permanently.
Haloes and glare at night, temporarily or permanently.)
The essential thing about contact lens wear is that the Rx can be changed if the eyes do, and that if there are any problems the lenses can be changed or discontinued.
To my mind that flexibility is worth a little inconvenience, but that is a personal decision.
Opting for laser treatment, certain risks have to be taken on board as possible lasting effects. Hence the consent from that is to be talked through and agreed to. (sample below, along with the FDA Lasik site.)
Over and under-correction are recognised possible side effects or undesireable consequences of Lasik.
That should have been explained in talking through the consent form: see sample below.
If it wasn't, he has grounds for complaint.
Planning the amount of corneal removal is based on an *average* corneal reaction to the laser, but healing responses vary so, even with correct technique, an Rx reduced to zero is only aimed for, not assured.
If there is no other reaction or problem, top-up treatment may well be a possibility.(with the same small risks as the original op), but it would be quite usual to wait three months to make sure the prescription has done all the changing that it's going to.
(Re-lifting the flap for the adjustment is quite easy for much longer than that.)
I think both would suck equally, but check out http://safelasikguide.com for ideas on how to be careful with eye surgery in general.
Yes. sure there will be as technology are getting better as the years goes by.
Hi–It doesn't seem right to me that you should need driving glasses and
also different tv glasses.
I would go back for a re-check with the Doc—-
one pair of glasses should work OK for both TV and driving,
i think you need a slight power adjustment.
It's nothing new. News is merely rehashing old complications with LASIK. Basically, FDA is reviewing the number of complications that come with LASIK. Can be mild as 30% experience dry eyes. 5% can experience night time halo effect (see double or triple vision of shinny objects like headlights or the moon). 1% can experience loss of vision.
Most important consideration is that eye doctors should evaluate who's a proper candidate or not. Among those who had complications are the ones that doctors ignored disqualifying factors with the patient's eyes and operated anyways. FDA is reviewing those cases as well.
A permanent contact lens is what I know of.
Lasik eye surgery is very safe nowadays. My cousin got her dental implants and Lasik surgery in India by a company called Indian Health Guru Consultants. The Price for dental and Lasik surgery is very less in India. She paid 25% of the price she was quoted in America.
Indian Health Guru Consultants is very famous in India They arrange Dental surgery, jaw surgery, Lasik eye surgery, Dental Implants etc for foreign patients in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines- about their patient stories.
They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as dental and eye surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.
http://www.indianhealthguru.com
Hope this helps.