What is Refractive Eye Surgery?

Countless people across the globe have turned to refractive eye surgery to correct their vision and relieve them from having to use eye glasses or contact lenses. But what exactly is refractive eye surgery, and how does it work?

Refractive eye surgery is performed to improve the refractive state of the eye through a remodeling of the cornea or cataract, and can be carried out by way of various surgical methods - namely flap procedures, surface procedures, and corneal incision procedures. Successful surgery is known to cure common vision disorders such as hyperopia, astigmatism, and myopia, and can often help patients achieve 20/20 vision.

The most common methods of refractive surgery today use excimer lasers to reshape the curvature of the cornea. One such method is LASIK eye surgery, which falls within the flap procedures category. During LASIK eye surgery, the surgeon cuts a thin flap of the corneal tissue (with a thickness of 100-180 micrometres), lifts the flap, and removes targeted tissue with the excimer laser. The procedure takes just minutes, while the healing process spans anywhere from a few days to a week. Patients who have received LASIK and other flap procedure surgery have reported instant results following the procedure.

Another refractive procedure which uses the excimer laser is LASEK eye surgery. However, this procedure falls under the surface procedures category. During such surface procedures, the laser is used to remove the most anterior portion of the corneal stroma. Surface procedures such as LASEK don't cut as deep as flap procedures such as LASIK, so they can be performed on patients with thinner corneas. However, healing can take longer than flap procedure surgery, and there is more potential for complications.

A third refractive procedure entails corneal incisions, and includes surgeries such as RK (Radical keratotomy), AK (Arcuate keratotomy) and LRI (Limbal relaxing incisions). Interestingly enough, most corneal incisions are made using a diamond knife. However, while corneal incision procedures are still performed today, they have largely been replaced by other refractive eye surgery methods that use excimer lasers.

Refractive eye surgery has offered countless people the freedom associated with excellent vision. However, the procedure isn't for everyone, so it's important to get the right advice from a qualified professional. If you're considering such surgery, consult an optical surgeon as soon as possible. A surgeon can conduct all the appropriate optical tests and advise you on the procedure that's right for you.
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Victoria Cochrane writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.