Any surgery that is performed for the improvement of the refractive state of the eye is called refractive eye surgery. The common objective of all refractive eye surgeries is to eliminate the need of wearing corrective eye glasses or lenses on the part of the patient.
Some common visual disorders that can be cured with refractive eye surgery include myopia and astigmatism. Due to the high prevalence of such eye diseases, a very high number of refractive eye surgeries are regularly performed in the United States and other parts of the world.
Methods of Refractive Eye Surgery
The process of this type of surgery involves remodeling the cornea of the eye. The most common technique in use these days involves an excimer lasers for reshaping of the curvature of the cornea. Some of the common methods of refractive eye surgery include:
* Flap Procedures: A blade called microkeratome is used in these surgeries to cut a flap of corneal tissue. Lasik or Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis is the most common example of this procedure which uses an excimer laser to target the desired tissue.
* Surface Procedures: Some common surgeries performed under this method include Photrefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelium Keratomileusis (LASEK). These surgeries also involve the use of laser, however they do not require making a cut into the stroma of the eye.
* Corneal Incision Procedures: Radial Keratotomy (RK) is an example of surgery using this method. In this method a diamond knife is used for correcting the shape of the cornea. This surgery is used to common problems of eye such as myopia and astigmatism are cured. However, this method is mostly being replaced by methods which use an excimer laser.
Precautions and Risks in Refractive Eye Surgery
It’s true that refractive eye surgery is a modern and efficient method of correcting vision defects, however it is not suitable for every one. If you are a victim of common diseases such as diabetes or glaucoma then the refractive surgery would not be suitable for you. You should also avoid this type of surgery if you are a pregnant or have certain eye diseases involving retina or cornea defects.
Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley is one of the finest centers for eye surgery in the United States. The center offers a number of refractive surgical procedures for eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses.
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Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley has one of the best and most experienced surgical team performing refractive eye surgery.
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