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Question: I've watched the cost for lasik surgery drop
dramatically. How do I begin to evaluate my options?
Answer: Many of us are wondering whether we are good
candidates for this miraculous surgery, and if we are, how
we can decide who should do it. A very recent publication,
“Basik Lasik: Tips on Lasik Eye Surgery” from the Federal
Trade Commission provides a good overview to help you make a
decision.
Although in most cases Lasik surgery has been successful,
there are. You will probably have to pay for the surgery
yourself because most insurance policies do not cover this
procedure, and lasik surgery is still too new to know if
there are long-term effects beyond five years after surgery.
There are four basic conditions that interfere with good
sight. These conditions are caused when eyes become
misshapen and can no longer send adequate light rays to the
brain, which makes images blurry. Nearsightedness, called
myopia, is a condition in which only nearby objects are
clear. Hyperopia describes farsightedness, when only far
away objects are clear. With astigmatism, both far and near
images are blurred. Aging eye, or presbyopia, generally
starts to affect people in their 40s and 50s and can be
corrected with bifocals or reading classes.
Despite medical advances, lasik cannot correct an eye
effected by presbyopia to see at both distance and near.
However, some patients opt to adjust to monovision. This
means correcting one eye for distance vision and the other
eye for near vision. Your doctor can outline the pros and
cons of monovision for you; if you can adjust to monovision,
it might eliminate or reduce your need for reading glasses.
In some cases, you will only need surgery on one eye.
A good candidate for lasik surgery must have healthy eyes
and a stable prescription. People with diabetes, rheumatoid
arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, herpes infections in an eye or
cataracts may not be a good candidate for the surgery.
You will need to evaluate the possible risks of lasik
surgery which include loss of best corrected visual acuity,
which means you will not see as well after surgery even with
glasses or contacts as you did with glasses or contacts
before surgery. Or, objects may appear fuzzy or gray after
surgery. Some people also must wear glasses at times because
they experience problems while driving at night.
I'll discuss other aspects of lasik surgery in next week's
column.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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