Treating farsightedness with a method as radical as laser eye surgery may not seem practical at first. After all, many people have dealt with their hyperopia, or farsightedness. Without having to spend a lot of money they have sacrificed and learned to live with their condition. However, thanks to the introduction of LASIK procedures, the woes of the farsighted can now be laid to rest.
Farsightedness, or hyperopia to the medical community, is a vision problem that prevents a person from seeing objects at close distances while having no problem perceiving objects that are far away. In normal eyes, light naturally flows into the cornea and is projected directly onto the eye’s retina. In hyperopia, light is focused behind the retina. This can be attributed to several factors, such as shorter eyes or flat corneas.
Is it really practical to treat hyperopia with laser eye surgery? While the decision is up to you, this article will briefly present the advantages of having surgery (either LASIK or CK) as treatment so that you can weigh your options.
CK is an abbreviation for Conductive Keratoplasty, a procedure approved by the FDA where a very thin probe (the human hair is actually thicker than the probe used) releases RF, or radiofrequency, energy. These RF waves move in a circular pattern on the outer layers of the cornea so that it can reduce the size of selected corneal tissues. Because of the reduction, the procedure creates a band that constricts some parts of the cornea so as to give it a curvier shape.
In LASIK, or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, the LASIK surgeon cuts a small flap on the cornea so that an excimer laser can enter and remove selected parts of the cornea. This is a very precise procedure wherein only very tiny pieces of tissue are removed, thus leading to an altered shape. Both CK and LASIK are excellent treatments for farsightedness, but which is better?
LASIK has the advantage of being an older technique and thus, more practiced, as compared to CK. The FDA approved the latter just recently in 2002. In addition, the time it takes to complete a LASIK operation is very short, only 15-45 seconds per eye, and the patient can often detect some improvement within 24 hours.
However, CK is undoubtedly the more novel and innovative method of approaching farsightedness. Modern technology has enabled it to become more stable. Plus, it is non-invasive, thus greatly reducing the anxiety that some patients may feel at the prospect of something cutting or being inserted into their eye. It only follows that lesser complications may probably arise. It takes 15 minutes to complete the operation, and improvement can usually be seen within a week following the procedure.
If you do choose laser eye surgery as treatment, consider carefully what procedure you would like to take. Ask for advice from experts and friends, and do in-depth and exhaustive research on each option. Take into consideration your lifestyle as well and the time you’re willing to spare for the operation. Your ophthalmologist can provide guidance on the best method on treating hyperopia.
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