Any contact or glasses wearer knows that vision troubles are not only uncomfortable, irritating and disabling, but expensive. While contacts are comfortable and glasses are fashionable, having a visual impairment is anything but glamorous, especially when complications occur. Contacts can become dry or itchy; they can fall out or tear—causing much discomfort on the cornea. Glasses can break, become scratched, out of style or even lost. Luckily, new form of vision enhancement was developed after years of battling vision correctors—LASIK surgery.

LASIK stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.” And while associating a laser with your eyeball may make you nervous, it is a painless procedure and usually does not take longer than 10 minutes! Patients are awake during the procedure but receive numbing eye drops to avoid feeling any discomfort, and may receive a mild oral sedative.

The procedure works is as follows: the surgeon will use an instrument called a microkeratome to create a thin, circular flap across the cornea. A laser can also be used to create the flap. The surgeon folds the hinged flap out of the way, and with an excimer laser, begins removing corneal tissue to reshape the cornea. When the cornea is reshaped the right way, light is better focused onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The surgeon lays the flap over the place where the corneal tissue was removed (Allaboutvision.com).

The procedure’s length depends on the severity of the eye prescription–the higher the prescription, the longer the procedure. Both eyes can be treated in the same day.

LASIK outcomes may vary. 20/20 vision can be achieved. Sometimes it is only 20/40, which is still perfect vision according to driving laws. Post-surgery complications can occur such as infection, regression or presbyopia. Regression is when you can see perfectly post-surgery, but then notice a gradual worsening of vision over time. An enhancement surgery can be performed to “touch up” the regressing eye. Presbyopia can occur with age as near vision becomes difficult. Reading glasses may be necessary for those above age 40 after the procedure (Allaboutvision.com).

Should you or a loved one be the victim of a medical malpractice LASIK procedure, please consider legal representation to help you achieve peace of mind during this most unfortunate time. The attorneys at Ronaldson & Kuchler are experienced in medical malpractice cases concerning LASIK eye surgery and will help not only your sight but sense of hope.