Astigmatism+&+Laser+Eye+Surgery

Astigmatism and Laser Eye Surgery ,By Lindsay Armstrong

__What is Astigmatism__
toc Astigmatism is a common **refractive error** of the eye. When the eye has perfect vision, light rays entering the eye focus on one single point (the **retina**). The axes of the cornea or the eye's lens may be steeper than a normal eye. When someone has astigmatism, their cornea is not perfectly round like a baseball, so the light rays do not focus on a single point, causing blurred vision. People with astigmatism can wear contacts or glasses, but people who dont want the hassle of continually replacing contacts and glasses turn to laser eye surgery to fix their astigmatism. Astigmatism is commonly found in conjunction with **nearsightedness**, or **farsightedness**.

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__Symptoms of Astigmatism__
If you have headaches, eye strain, blurriness, or need to squint to see fine details, you may need to get an eye exam to see if you have astigmatism. Astigmatism can be detected with a standard eye examination.

__Why Laser Eye Surgery?__
Although contacts and glasses are good, and can help people with astigmatism to see better, there is alternative to correcting astigmatism, so that a patient does not need glasses or contacts again. Laser eye surgery changes the shape of the **cornea** from a football shape, to a normal baseball shape, so that there is no more astigmatism, and all of the light rays focus on one point. Laser eye surgery has helped to improve quality of life for humans because people no longer need to spend money on replacing contacts and glasses, but can pay on time to correct their vision, or improve it substantially. Laser eye vision is also controlled by a computer, and safe, and many developments and findings have been made because laser eye surgery has been conducted for over 15 years.

__Types of Laser Eye Surgery__
PRK (photorefractive keratectomy): An older and now uncommon type of laser eye surgery with the slowest healing time. Only one eye can be done at a time. In this prodedure, a flap of the cornea is removed but never replaced, and the cornea repairs itself. Although there is slower healing time, there is less risk of complications with this procedure.

Lasik: (Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis): The most popular form of laser eye surgery. The surgeon removes some corneal tissue (which is later replaced), then cuts a hinged flap, then uses a laser to reshape the cornea. Can cost between 1200-2600 dollars per eye.

Lasek (Epi-Lasek): Laser epithelial keratomileusis: Similar to the lasik procedure, and often considered a mix between lasik and PRK. Lasek differs from lasik in that a thinner piece of corneal tissue (which is later replaced) is removed. People with thin corneas undergo lasek instead of lasik because it is safer for their eye(s). Although it is less invasive, there is more pain and more healing time.

LTK: (Laser thermokeratoplasty): New procedure involving using the heat of the laser beam to reshape the cornea without removing tissue. It is less invasive than any other laser-eye procedure, but the benefits do not last as long as lasik, lasek and PRK.

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__Risks of Laser Eye Surgery__
Most people who undergo laser eye surgery experience very minor or no complications at all. The most common complications are under or over-correction, and it is possible to fix those complications. About 1-5 % of people have a much slower healing time than everyone else, but after that their vision is better than ever before. In rare cases, about 1 in every 10,000 people can experience blurred or distorted vision after the surgery, have their eyes become infected, or experience corneal scarring. All are very rare.

__People who should not undergo Laser Eye Surgery__
-People under 18 should not have laser eye surgery because the **refractive state of the eye** may not stabilize until they are in their mid 20's -People who are pregnant, menopausal, have **glaucoma**, corneal/retinal problems, uveitis, diabetes, vascular disease, autoimmune disease should check with their doctor before going ahead with surgery, or should avoid it entirely. -People who have had herpes infection of the cornea should avoid laser eye corrective surgery to aviod reactivating it. -People who are later undergoing cataract surgery can avoid laser eye surgery because all errors will be fixed during that surgery. -People with lupus, arthritis can cause the cornea to become weak. -People taking strong medications such as accutane can affect surgery outcomes.

__Advice to consider about Laser Eye Surgery__
-Have realistic expectations. Laser eye surgery is safe and can make big improvements, but if you expect your vision to be perfect after, you may be disappointed and understand that laser eye surgery may not free you from glasses or contacts entirely. -Choose a good, experienced, highly trained **surgeon** who you are comfortable with, and who has attended your recent **eye examinations**. -Know that it is normal for your eyes to take months to completely heal. -Do not wear contacts in the days leading up to your surgery. -Do not wear makeup the last days leading up to surgery, and at least a week after surgery to avoid infection.

__Where is Laser Eye Surgery available?__
A few places in the Burlington Area where laser eye surgery is available: Cabrera Eye Clinic, 3155 Harvester Road, Burlington, Ontario, Canada www.cabreraeyeclinic,com Hamilton Laser Eye Institute, 779 Upper Wentworth Street, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada www.hamilton-laser.com LASIK MD Hamilton, 276 Mud Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada www.lasikmd.com

__Definitions__
 * Term || Definition ||
 * = Refractive error: ||= When light rays do not refract or focus light into the retina ||
 * = Retina: ||= Tissue at the back of the eye where light is refracted from. ||
 * = Nearsightedness (Myopia): ||= Being able to see better close-up compared to far away. ||
 * = Farsightedness (Hyperopia): ||= Being able to see better far away compared to close-up ||
 * = Cornea ||= Focuses, refracts light toward the retina. Located in the front of the eye. ||
 * = Refractive state of the eye: ||= The way our eyes bend light that enters them. ||
 * = Surgeon ||= Doctor who will perform the laser corrective surgery. ||
 * = Eye examination: ||= A test that the surgeon, or optometrist will perform to determine your eye problems, and precise prescription for glasses and contact lenses. ||
 * = Glaucoma ||= A disease when the eye has extreme pressure. ||