As I thought about researching an elective procedure, I thought to myself, where would I start researching a procedure for myself. Like most people, my thought was the internet! Just google or bing it! That is a great place to start. I am not committing myself to take time off from work to go to a doctor’s appointment. Notice, the key words…that the internet is a great place to “START” your research. The internet and social media offer information instantly to us all. However, the internet does not replace finding a truly skilled corneal surgeon to perform your LASIK or PRK procedure.
So, in lieu of trying to help patients with the question of “Where do I start my research”
Start here: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0062-basics-lasik-eye-surgery#understanding. Below is a sample of information from this website:
Understanding Your Eyes
To see clearly, the cornea and the lens must bend, or refract, light rays so they focus on the retina — a layer of light-sensing cells that line the back of the eye. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that are sent to the brain, where they are recognized as images. If the light rays don’t focus on the retina, the image you see is blurry. This is called a refractive error. Glasses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery try to reduce these errors by making light rays focus on the retina.
Refractive errors are caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea, or lens — or in the case of presbyopia, a lens that can’t change shape enough to focus on close objects — and are of these basic types:
- myopia is another word for nearsightedness, where only nearby objects are clear or distinct
- hyperopia is another word for farsightedness, where only objects far away are clear or distinct
- astigmatism is when images are blurred, regardless of whether they are near or far
- presbyopia, or “aging eye,” is a condition that typically develops between ages 40 and 50 and makes it more difficult to see very close. It can be corrected with bifocals or reading glasses, but usually can’t be corrected by LASIK or some other refractive surgery.
You are not expected to be the expert, we are. So as an advocate for you and your…we hope this helps! Feel free to call us at any of our center locations to ask any question that you may have regarding laser vision correction.
