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Minimize Contact Lens Complications with LASIK Surgery

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Being free from contact lenses is a relief to anyone with eye problems.  Using contact lenses for a long period of time can cause eye complications, but these complications can be minimized thanks to LASIK surgery.

The LASIK procedure uses laser to correct eye vision in patients with astigmatism and other vision complications.  After surgery, patients experience clearer vision. They can drive and carry out their daily tasks usually without depending on glasses.

Using contact lenses for long periods of time may cause permanent damage. LASIK can help eliminate the following complications which may arise from wearing contact lenses;

The risk of bacterial keratitis for people who regularly wear contact lenses.

  • The risk of acanthamoeba keratitis.
  • The risk of Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC), which is a condition where large bumps grow inside the eyelids.
  • Dry eye syndrome
  • Contact lenses can deprive the cornea of much-needed oxygen, which increases infection risks that can be sight-threatening.

A recent FDA study established that over 95% of people who underwent LASIK surgery were satisfied with their outcomes. The procedure carries minimum risk and frees you from recurrent eye infections.

In a nutshell, LASIK is a cost-effective solution with minimal risks of infections. Once the procedure is performed, the patient enjoys clear vision without depending on eyeglasses in most cases. It is a one-time surgery that delivers vision correction.

Most patients who’ve undergone LASIK surgery gain back their desired vision. There is less pain during the surgery, and your vision will be corrected almost immediately.

The procedure reduces dependence on contact lenses or eyeglasses, with many not needing them at all after surgery. The procedure is minimally invasive, and patients can leave the clinic on the same day of the procedure.

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How to Protect Your Eyes from the Winter Air and Its Effects

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When outdoor temperatures drop drastically during winter, the air gets colder without much humidity. With the cold winds outdoors, it can dehydrate your eyes and skin, which require ample moisture to stay healthy.
 
Exposing your eyes to cool, dry air makes them lose their moisture content due to evaporation. This leads to excessive dehydration and eventual eye irritation.

Therefore, when the temperatures start plummeting, you need to take care of your eye health. Here are tips during winter to help you enhance your eye health.

  • Minimize Usage of Digital Devices – Since you spend a lot of time indoors, you tend to use your laptop, phone, computer, or tablet more often. Spending long periods of time looking at these screens may also make your eyes tired, which can cause headaches. While using your electronic devices, make sure you take breaks from the screen regularly. Observe the 20-20 rule. Break away from the screen and look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will help minimize eye strain.
  • Use UV-Protected Glasses – Even in winter, the sun still emits UV rays, which are reflected back by the snow. This makes UV rays dangerous to your eyes. Polarized glasses can help you protect them from UV rays and glare.
  • Eat Health – Diet plays a vital role in your visual health. Hydrate yourself by trying to drink at least eight glasses of water daily to lubricate your eyes and body. Cold water fish has omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to retain eye moisture. Cold water fish includes mackerel, tuna, and halibut. These will help provide moisture for your eyes during winter.
  • Use the Humidifier – We use appliances like radiators and heaters when staying indoors during winter. What you don’t know is that these appliances take moisture out of the air, causing your eyes to be dry and irritable. To protect your eyes, stay far from heaters or use a humidifier to help regulate the room’s air flow and add moisture to the air.
  • Following these tips will help to keep your eyes healthy and safe during winter.

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Is a Goniotomy Effective in Treating Glaucoma?

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Goniotomy is a surgical procedure that uses goniolens to view the front structures of the eye and make precise openings in the trabecular meshwork to allow fluid to flow out and reduce pressure in the eye.

Goniotomy treats different forms of glaucoma. The procedure is performed on patients with open-angle glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, Aniridia (a condition that occurs in children born without a visible iris), juvenile open-angle glaucoma, and uveitic glaucoma.

This procedure can be performed on anyone, regardless of their age. You can undergo goniotomy together with cataract surgery or as a standalone operation. It helps to prevent blindness.

Kahook Goniotomy is the latest technology for treating glaucoma. The Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) is used during cataract surgery to treat glaucoma. It removes the diseased tissue that blocks fluid from draining out of the eye.

Goniotomy using the Kahook Dual Blade is a quick and painless procedure with reduced risks of infections or leaks. Recovery is also quick. The procedure has been administered to eye patients for many decades with minimal risks and enhanced quality of life.

During the operation, doctors perform targeted precisions to release intraocular pressure from the eye. The blade is designed to ensure targeted incisions with effective outcomes.

It has:

  • A long, narrow shaft that allows access to the anterior eye chamber
  • Surgical grade steel with a sharp tip to ensure painless incisions
  • Dual blades that perform simultaneous incisions to the diseased tissue
  • A foot plate that provides smooth motion while preventing damage to the tissue in the anterior canal wall
  • Uses Ramp technology to lift and stretch the eye tissue to ensure the device is positioned accurately

Glaucoma can damage your vision permanently if it is not treated on time. Procedures like Kahook Dual Blade goniotomy can effectively minimize risks and improve a patient’s post-op recovery. This is an outpatient procedure that is painless and needs no sutures.

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What are the Various Treatment Options for Glaucoma?

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Glaucoma is a disease provoked by the buildup of intraocular pressure (IOP) within the eye. The buildup damages the eye’s optic nerve, leading to vision loss.

Glaucoma is chronic and doesn’t present symptoms. By the time you notice changes in your vision, the optic nerve may have already been damaged. The risk factors of glaucoma include:

  • Having a relative with the disease
  • Being 40 years and above
  • Having a history of eye trauma
  • Race (African American or Latino/Hispanic descent)
  • Having corneas that are thinner than normal
  • Your eye pressure is very high

There are varied types of glaucoma, but the most common type is open-angle glaucoma. Other types include low or normal-tension glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, and congenital glaucoma.

Secondary glaucoma can result from medical complications, advanced cataracts, eye surgery complications, eye tumors, eye injuries, or eye inflammation (uveitis).

Pigmentary glaucoma is caused by slow fluid drainage resulting from the meshwork’s blockage due to the iris’s flake-off. The severe form of glaucoma known as neovascular glaucoma develops from diabetes.

Glaucoma has no cure, but its progression can be stopped when closely monitored. Detecting and treating the disease early can help lower the IOP and prevent vision loss.

Here are three treatment options for glaucoma:

  • iStent treatment uses stents to create access to vessel flows. This lowers the pressure in the eye. It opens clogged blood vessels by permanently opening the blockage to improve the natural outflow of the eye.
  • Kahook Dual Blade® (KDB): uses precise incisions to release intraocular pressure and treat glaucoma using a high-tech blade and may performed during cataract surgery when needed.
  • Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT): SLT is a laser treatment that helps the eye to drain fluid and minimize the IOP. It is a painless procedure with high rates of success.

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Diabetic Retinopathy: What are the Risks?

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Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication of the eyes. It’s caused by elevated blood sugar levels, which damage the blood vessels connected to the light-sensitive tissues of the retina.
 
The retina forms the light-sensitive layer found at the back of your eye. It is responsible for turning light into electrical signals, which in turn reach the brain and form the images you often see.
 
Without constant blood supply from the blood vessels, you’ll experience complications in your sight. High blood sugar level damages blood vessels in different stages, including:
 

  • Background retinopathy -Where tiny bulges form in your blood vessels and cause bleeding. This may not affect your eyesight.
  • Pre-proliferative retinopathy – Severe and causes significant bleeding of the blood vessels into your eye.
  • Proliferative retinopathy – When new blood vessels and scar tissue become very weak and bleed, developing on your retina and causing vision loss.

 
Diabetic retinopathy, if not diagnosed and treated early, can lead to blindness. However, it can take years for the disease to threaten your sight.
 
You’re at a higher risk of diabetic retinopathy if you:
 

  • Have suffered from diabetes for many years. If you’ve had type 1 or 2 diabetes for more than ten years, you’ll likely to develop diabetic retinopathy.
  • Have persistent high sugar levels. Elevated glycated hemoglobin levels can increase your risk of developing this disease.
  • Are a smoker. Smoking causes blood vessel disorders.
  • Have high blood pressure. This condition causes hypertensive retinopathy. Combined with raised blood sugar levels, high blood pressure increases your diabetic retinopathy risk.
  • Have gestational diabetes. If you are pregnant with gestational diabetes, your risk for diabetic retinopathy is high.
  • Other conditions include high cholesterol levels.

 
To reduce the risk for diabetic retinopathy, you have to:
 

  • Control your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels
  • Go for diabetic eye screening
  • Have your diabetic retinopathy treated early
  • Take your diabetes medication
  • Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, keep your weight in check by exercising
  • Quit smoking

 Screening is crucial because diabetic retinopathy doesn’t show symptoms in its early stages. It’s better to detect this condition early and prevent vision loss.

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What is the Recommended Age for LASIK Eye Surgery?

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People can experience impaired eyesight at any age, but when is it right to undergo LASIK eye surgery?
 
The American Academy of Ophthalmology observed that over 90% of people who have LASIK vision correction surgery could see without contact lenses or glasses.
 
However, you are required to meet a few qualifications before being considered for LASIK. These include being in good health and having a record of a stable prescription for your eyes for a year. Specialists also prefer that you be free of eye diseases when considering LASIK.
 
But the big question remains: What are the age qualifications for this operation?
 
According to the FDA, LASIK surgery can be performed on patients who are 18 years and above. At 18 years, your eyes are deemed ocularly mature. That’s why it’s necessary to evaluate your eyes before conducting LASIK.
 
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends having LASIK at 21 years and above. This is when your major eye changes are complete. Most LASIK eye specialists prefer performing surgery on patients in their mid-twenties up to their forties. By this age, their prescription is already stabilized.
 
Presbyopia starts developing in the forties, making it difficult to see objects up close. Even if you undergo refractive surgery, you may still need glasses. A monovision treatment may be needed before considering LASIK.
 
Considerations for this age include being in good health, being a non-smoker, and having no history of glaucoma, diabetes, or corneal disorders.
 
During your fifties, you may already show signs of advanced presbyopia. With monovision, the vision in your dominant eye is corrected for distance vision, while your other eye is intentionally left somewhat nearsighted to allow you to see close objects. Both eyes still work together, allowing you to see clearly at any distance.
 
There’s no age limit for LASIK, though. But older patients need to double-check if their eye problems are caused by cataracts or other diseases. If you have cataracts, you’ll have to undergo surgical treatment first.
 
Overall, your stability, measurements, and medical and ocular history determine your eligibility for LASIK surgery. Discuss your health condition, risks, and benefits with your eye doctor to determine the best procedure for your eyes.

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Does Refractive Surgery Improve Vision?

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Refractive vision problems include astigmatism, farsightedness, or nearsightedness. Treatment for these conditions is refractive surgery.

Refractive surgery includes a variety of surgical treatments that help to improve the eye’s refractive state to reduce dependence on contact lenses or glasses. The procedures help to correct vision by allowing the proper direction of light to the retina.

Refractive surgery options include:

  • Refractive lens exchange: A surgical procedure that can be used alongside LASIK surgery to replace the eye’s natural lens with intraocular (artificial lens).
  • Photorefractive keratomy: A surgery that removes the epithelium (outer layer of the cornea).
  • Laser in-situ keratomileus (LASIK): A type of surgery where the surgeon creates a thin flap in the cornea to correct a refractive problem.

The main objective of the refractive procedure is to minimize contact lenses or glasses dependence. Before undergoing the procedure, you should consult an ophthalmologist and consider the benefits and risks.

Candidates for refractive surgery include people with healthy eyes who want to eliminate the need for contact lenses or glasses and those with refractive errors that need correcting.

You cannot undergo refractive surgery if:

  • Your corneas are cone-shaped (keratoconus)
  • You have a severe dry eye
  • You’ve had your contact lens prescription changed in the past year
  • You have a recurrent infection of herpes simplex that involves the cornea
  • You have a condition like connective tissue disease, which impairs wound healing
  • You’re currently taking drugs like amiodarone or isotretinoin
  • You’re under 18 years

Your eye doctor will determine your refractive error by examining your cornea. They’ll check you using topography, pachymetry, and tomography.

Refractive surgery improves vision significantly. Reshaping the cornea through refractive surgery has had a success rate of over 90%. Photorefractive keratomy, for instance, has shown 95% success with people achieving 20/20 vision without the support of corrective lenses. Refractive lens exchange has yielded over 88% success with a visual acuity of 20/40.

Refractive surgery offers convenience, especially to people with contact lens intolerance. In most cases, it eliminates the need to wear contact lenses or glasses.

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Does LASIK Fix Your Eyes Permanently?

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LASIK surgery uses laser to reshape the corneal tissue and improve vision. The procedure permanently corrects vision. However, age and vision changes (astigmatism or presbyopia) may determine how long the LASIK surgery will last.

LASIK surgery is a permanent option for fixing vision. The procedure is very safe and quick. The recovery time is short, and you can have your vision back one day after surgery. Most can do away with contact lenses or glasses after surgery.

The ideal candidate for LASIK surgery is one who has had an eyeglass prescription for two years and above. They should also have a healthy cornea and eye. The surgery has minimal discomfort and is not painful.

Medical reviews state that laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses can correct vision for a long time. It treats myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism, and hyperopia (farsightedness).

The procedure is permanent, except in rare cases when correction regresses to its initial condition. When this happens, the patient can undergo a corrective procedure.

As you age, the eye’s crystalline lens gets stiffer, causing a condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia makes it difficult for one to see nearsighted objects. Your vision may also change due to medical conditions like developing cataracts. This impacts the clarity of your vision, which may require additional surgery to enhance the vision.

When the eye ages naturally, it changes your vision even if you have LASIK surgery. The eye lens accommodation will begin to decline, prompting you to use reading glasses even after the LASIK procedure. For such cases, a patient can undergo a modified type of LASIK surgery known as monovision or blended vision. This treatment tricks the eyes into retaining their far and near vision. The procedure may be performed on one dominant eye.

Your eye doctor may recommend LASIK enhancement or correction surgery 10 years after your last LASIK procedure. The LASIK surgery enhancement procedure involves making small changes to reshape your cornea. This happens when your initial LASIK results begin to fade.

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Should Patients Simultaneously Undergo Cataract Surgery on Both Eyes?

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Cataracts often affect both eyes if they are age-related. Studies indicate that more people will be diagnosed with cataracts in one or both eyes by age 80.
 
Usually, surgery is performed to replace your clouded endogenic lens with artificial intraocular lens. For both eyes, bilateral surgery can be carried out simultaneously on the same day or a few weeks between surgeries.
 
In a recent Cochrane review, they discovered that performing cataract surgery on both eyes the same day or a few days apart produced the same results. However, same-day bilateral surgery could have some consequences.
 
The benefits and drawbacks of this approach include:
 
Benefits

  • Minimal clinic visits
  • Lower procedural costs
  • Faster vision recovery for both eyes

Drawbacks

  • There’s the risk of simultaneous postoperative complications in both eyes.
  • It’s impossible to utilize the same visual acuity on both operations.

If you have cataracts in both eyes, surgery is usually performed on one eye, and then a few weeks later, it’s performed on the second eye. This allows the first eye to recover and your vision to become normal before surgery is performed on the next eye.
 
Even though there may be some benefits, many cataract surgeons are reluctant to perform cataract surgery on both eyes simultaneously. The risk of eye infection and other serious complications from cataract surgery is very low. Nevertheless, if both eyes were to become infected or experience complications at the same time, the results could be visually overwhelming for a period and could possibly affect your vision permanently.
 
A benefit of performing cataract surgery on each eye with time in between allows you and your doctor to evaluate the visual outcome of the first surgery, which might effect choices made for the second surgery.
 
During your pre-operative eye exam, ask your eye doctor or cataract surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of all your cataract surgery options to determine the best choices for your particular needs.

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Foods to Eat or Avoid After Undergoing Eye Surgery

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Lasik surgery is performed to enhance your eyesight. To help with fast recovery and avoid surgery complications, you should follow the rules and instructions given to you after your surgery. But another thing to be mindful of is your diet after eye surgery.
 
Let’s look at the foods you can eat and avoid after LASIK surgery to help with your recovery.
 
Foods to Eat
 
Proteins: Foods rich in protein can benefit your eyes and the whole body. They rejuvenate body cells, blood vessels, and veins to improve recovery. The best protein foods to eat after your eye surgery include organic chicken, eggs, salmon, dairy products, seeds, and nuts.
 
Vitamins: Vitamin foods (vitamin C specifically) are great for eye health. They help to slow down eye aging, reduce any risks of developing eye cataracts, and speed up recovery. The best vitamin C fruits to consume are citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, carrots, red bell peppers, milk, tomatoes, and berries.
 
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrate foods supply energy to the body and promote healing. Excellent foods to eat after surgery are whole wheat foods, quinoa, oats, buckwheat, and bananas.
 
Healthy Fats: Healthy fats are essential to healing as they aid the body in absorbing vitamins and other nutrients. Foods like sweet potatoes, whole eggs, avocado, nuts, and seeds are enriched with healthy fats.
 
Foods You Should Avoid
 
Sugar-Rich Foods: The first thing you should do after your eye surgery is to reduce your sugar consumption. High sugar foods can elevate your blood pressure. These include high-sugar fruits, honey, packed juices, candies, cakes, pastries, etc.
 
Deep Fried Foods: Fried foods accumulate a lot of unhealthy oils. When fried, the nutrients are killed, leaving only empty shells that are useless and unhealthy for the body.
 
High Sodium and Processed Foods: Salty foods also trigger high blood pressure and other health issues that can complicate your eye recovery. As much as possible, steer clear of pickles, canned foods, ultra-processed foods, and preserved foods like chips, burgers, pizza, etc.
 
Always eat nutritious food to ensure quick and complication-free eye recovery.

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