LASIK: Unveiling Misconceptions

LASIKIn the last century, advances in medicine have occurred so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. When it comes to the treatment of eye diseases and vision problems, we have a virtual smorgasbord of procedures and non-surgical options from which to choose. Laser technology has further improved the outcome of corrective surgeries. LASIK is a prime example of this.

Did you know that LASIK is one of the most-studied eye surgeries there is? Did you know that research has concluded, time and time again, that this technique is highly successful? It seems as though the vast amount of information that is available today leads to more confusion than clarity, not only about LASIK but about eye conditions and what to do about them.

It is important to have accurate data related to your eyes and how to manage eye health and vision. Here, we will unveil some of the misconceptions that keep some people from scheduling their LASIK consultation.

LASIK is reserved for mild prescriptive problems only.

Throughout the twenty-plus years that LASIK has been performed, there have been numerous cases in which the prescription for corrective-eyewear was quite strong. We live in a day when technologies and techniques exist to resolve even some of the most severe vision problems. Don’t count yourself out! Call Silverstein Eye Center to see if LASIK or one of our other procedures can help you see more clearly.

Astigmatism does not improve with LASIK.

Some patients tell us they have heard that they cannot get LASIK if they have astigmatism. The whole idea of the LASIK procedure is to modify the shape of the cornea so light can travel through the eye to the appropriate place on the retina. Seeing that astigmatism is directly related to the shape of the cornea, it’s hard to see how astigmatism would exclude any person from this procedure. By rounding out the pointed ends of the cornea, LASIK redirects light in one point, rather than scattered fragments, to the retina.

LASIK is not for people with farsightedness.

Farsightedness, like astigmatism, interrupts the flow of light through the eye. The effect is similar, but the mechanism is not. Farsightedness may occur due to a short distance from the front to the back of the eye. Light is not scattered by a misshapen cornea; it overshoots its mark because of shortness. The shape and size of the eye cannot be changed, but LASIK can alter the shape of the cornea, so the right point of contact is reached when light enters the front of the eye.

Silverstein Eye Center is proud to serve families in and around Chester, NJ. Call 908-879-7297 to get straight facts about LASIK.

 

Posted in: LASIK

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