Supplemental Lidocaine Gel may Lessen Pain related to LASIK Surgery

Supplementing topical anesthetic with lidocaine gel during LASIK surgery may reduce pain, according to a recent study.

The study measured the pain scores of 51 LASIK patients during the surgery and in the 45 minutes following surgery. Significantly lower pain scores were reported in the group who received lidocaine gel in addition to topical anesthetic, compared to the pain scores reported by the group treated with topical anesthetic only.

Lower pain for the lidocaine-treated group was reported during:

• Corneal flap creation with a microkeratome blade.
• Ablation of the cornea with the laser.
• 30 minutes, and again at 45 minutes after the LASIK surgery.

The lidocaine-treated group did not require as much additional topical anesthesia as the other group.

In general, pain and discomfort associated with LASIK surgery varies by patient. Some people experience no pain, only mild discomfort. Other people are more sensitive to the pressure of the microkeratome blade or the laser pulses and report this pressure as being painful.

Pain and discomfort experienced during the procedure may also depend on the LASIK technology used. You may want to consider choosing a LASIK surgeon who uses state-of-the-art lasers and up-to-date equipment.

If you are concerned about pain during LASIK, you should discuss this concern with an experienced LASIK surgeon. Your surgeon can inform you of what you can expect during the surgery and the healing period.

To learn more about LASIK, please contact an experienced LASIK surgeon in your area.

New Lasers May Allow High Myopia Patients to be Treated by LASIK

For many people with very high myopia, LASIK is simply not an option. While there are other laser vision correction surgeries or lens replacements that may be possible, the success rate of LASIK is more appealing. So, their disappointment is palpable and understandable. However, a new generation excimer laser and aberration-free ablation profiles may allow these people to undergo LASIK successfully. As LASIK technology improves, more severely myopic patients may be treated.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, 51 eyes of 32 patients who had the spherical equivalent of myopia or astigmatism of at least 8.5 D underwent LASIK using the sixth-generation Amaris excimer laser. The flaps were created using the IntraLase femtosecond laser, and ORK-CAM software was used to design the optimized aspheric aberration-free ablation profiles. The preoperative spherical mean equivalent of the patients was -8.66 D. Of the 51 eyes operated on, four needed re-treatment.

Visual acuity stabilized in nearly all patients (98%) after three months. Emmetropia, or sharpness of focus when the eye is relaxed, was near 0.5 D in over 84% of the eyes, and over 90% of eyes postoperative was within 1 D of emmetropia.

Although further studies need to be done, this is promising for those whose nearsightedness and astigmatism is so bad they've been told LASIK will never be an option.

If you would like to find out more about your LASIK options, please contact an experienced LASIK surgeon in your area today.

New Vision for the New Year: LASIK Results

If you are considering whether it is finally time for a LASIK procedure, you may be wondering about the results possible. In general, LASIK improves vision and reduces dependency on corrective eyewear (glasses and contact lenses).

Of all LASIK patients, about 56 percent will experience 20/20 vision after the procedure. More than 90 percent of all LASIK patients will experience 20/40 vision or better; however, these results can change under certain circumstances. The quality of your LASIK results will also depend on your specific vision disorder.

Most studies show people with low to moderate nearsightedness (myopia) achieve better LASIK results more often than people with high levels of nearsightedness. Many of these people have 20/40 vision without glasses or contacts, and find that they do not need corrective eyewear. Some studies show similar results between high and low levels of farsightedness.

In general, you should plan to use corrective eyewear after LASIK for some activities. People who are prepared for less-than-perfect results from LASIK are less likely to be dissatisfied after the procedure. You may be more satisfied with LASIK results if you think of the goal of the procedure as improving your uncorrected vision, not necessarily achieving 20/20 vision.

To find out more about what you can expect from LASIK, please contact an experienced LASIK surgeon in your area.

What if I Move or Blink during my LASIK Surgery?

Common among LASIK patients – and among people considering LASIK – is a concern that their eyes will be horrifically mangled if they accidentally blink or move during surgery. Although this concern is understandable, blinking and moving is not problematic in modern LASIK procedures.

Your eye and body position are secured by:

• A speculum holding your eyelids open.
• A contoured, cushioned headrest.
• A blinking target light for you to focus your gaze on.
• Numbing eye drops to prevent your eye's response to stimuli.

Even if you look away from the blinking light, causing your eyes to move, today's LASIK technology is designed to account for possibilities like eye movement. Modern lasers have high-speed tracking, which adjusts the laser pulses to the position of your eyes. Some lasers shut off if a certain degree of eye movement occurs.

Many surgeons report that it is not uncommon for a patient to move during LASIK surgery. Your eye surgeon has complete control over the laser and can turn it off at any time. The procedure is easily resumed once you are back in position.

To find out more about LASIK eye surgery, please contact an experienced and knowledgeable LASIK surgeon in your area.