At the Hollywood Eye Institute, we consider the eyes to be your personal lenses to the world. The best way to protect your personal lenses is through regular eye exams. Even after proper eye care and regular checkups, your eyes can still be susceptible to various conditions such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. In this blog post, the benefits of LASIK eye surgery will be presented.
What is LASIK eye surgery?
LASIK is an acronym that stands for Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis. The refractive eye surgery reshapes the inner layer of the cornea using a laser. The surgery is used to correct nearsighted, farsighted vision or people who have astigmatism; it is the most effective and commonly performed type of laser vision correction. The procedure provides quick healing and a rapid recovery time. Excellent vision is experienced only a few hours after the procedure.
The Benefits of LASIK include:
- Very little pain due to the numbing drops used
- Vision is corrected nearly immediately or by the day after
- No bandages or stitches are required after
- Adjustments can be made years after to further vision correction if  vision changes while you age
- After having the procedure, most patients have a dramatic reduction in eyeglass or contact lens dependence and many patients no longer need them at all.
Why LASIK?
Common eye conditions present various degrees of difficulty to vision. A yearly comprehensive eye exam is recommended in order to detect any conditions. Once diagnosed, LASIK serves as a pain free and cost effective solution to those problems. Below are a few examples of common eye conditions that LASIK eye surgery treats.
Myopia
When light entering the eye is focused incorrectly making far-away objects appear blurry. Family history of nearsightedness makes it more likely to develop it. Myopia is usually first noticed in school-aged/teenagers and gets worse throughout the growth years. Normally, nearsightedness stops progressing as a person stops growing in his or her early twenties.
Hyperopia (farsightedness)
When the visual image is focused behind the retina making it difficult to see near objects. Similarly to Myopia, family history makes it more likely to develop farsightedness. The condition may be caused by weak focusing power or the eyeball being too small. Often, hyperopia is present from birth and outgrown due to the flexibility of the young lens.
Astigmatism
When either the cornea (clear tissue that covers the front of the eye) is abnormally curved or the lens is misshapen, causing blurry vision and making it difficult to see fine details, either close up or from a distance. The cause of Astigmatism is unknown, but the refractive error is very common.
Have you had your annual eye exam yet? If not, schedule an exam at our Hollywood office. Our LASIK eye surgery may be covered under your insurance. To learn more, contact Dr. Shareen Greenbaum’s office at 954-447-0606 or click here.
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Sources: Medilineplus, Allaboutvision