If refractive
surgery is of interest to you, Dr., Jankowski is able to
discuss
all the options with you and help you decide whether or not a refractive
surgery procedure is appropriate. As your primary eye care provider,
he is able to do the preoperative evaluation, recommend a highly
qualified surgical center, and follow you through the post-operative
period.
What is Refractive Surgery?
Clear vision
results when light rays pass through the cornea, pupil, and lens
to focus directly on the retina. If the cornea is not round or is too
steep or too flat, the light rays focus either in front of or behind the
retina. This results in "Refractive Error". Refractive surgery is the term that is used for several different procedures to
surgically treat these problems.
Since 1979. advances in technology and surgical techniques have made refractive
surgery more predictable, with most patients having their vision
corrected to 20/40 or better. It is done on an outpatient basis and
their is little or no disruption in normal activities. Although the goal
is to improve vision to the point of not being dependent on glasses or
contact lenses, the results are not guaranteed.
Types of Refractive Surgery
Radial Keratotomy (RK) is a surgical procedure designed to reduce low or moderate amounts of nearsightedness. During the RK procedure, a number of spoke-like incisions are made in a "radial" pattern around the center of the cornea. This causes the cornea to flatten, which allows light to focus more directly on the retina.
Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) uses a laser to reduce low or moderate amounts of refractive error. With computer controlled precision, in less than one minute, the laser removes microscopic amounts of corneal tissue, reshaping the cornea.
Laser Assisted in-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a laser procedure in which an instrument called a microkeratome is used to glide over the surface of the cornea to create a flap. The flap is lifted and high energy pulses from a laser are applied to reshape the internal cornea. After the cornea has been reshaped, the flap is replaced in its original position. Healing is rapid and no stitches are required.
Phakic Intraocular Lens (PIOL) involves placing of a lens implant inside the eye for the correction of either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Instead of a contact lens on the surface of the eye, this lens is like an internal contact lens.
Clear Lens Extraction (CLE) involves removing the lens on the inside of the eye as in a cataract operation. An intraocular implant is then inserted. Corneal Rings are small rings of PMMA (the plastic that rigid contact lenses were once made of) that are surgically inserted into the inner layers of the cornea. These ring reshape the cornea without the removal of corneal tissue. The corneal rings are able to correct low amounts of myopia.
Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK) is similar to LASIK, except that laser energy is not used to reshape the cornea. The reshaping of the cornea is accomplished with another pass of the microkeratome.
Is Refractive Surgery Right for Me?
Refractive surgery is an elective procedure. It is not a requirement for health or survival. It is a benefit of modern technology and medicine; a contemporary option that can enhance the quality of life. But every surgery has its risks and elective surgery has additional costs. Do the benefits out weigh the costs? The answer lies as much with your personality as it does with the results of the surgery. The following checklist will help you decide whether or not you are the type of person who will be happy with refractive surgery. You will most likely be happy with the refractive surgery experience and the results refractive surgery if most of the following statements are true for you.
- I feel handicapped by my dependence on corrective lenses to see well. True or False
- I have not been a very successful contact lens wearer. True or False
- I am an active person who craves more freedom to participate in sports or other activities. True or False
- I generally adapt to change. True or False
- Having fair natural vision without the hassle of corrective lenses is more important to me than having perfect vision with corrective lenses. True or False
- I sometimes fear being incapacitated if I should ever lose my corrective lenses and not be able to function in a crisis situation. True or False
- I would be basically happy if my natural vision was significantly enhanced, even if I did still need to wear corrective lenses full or part time. True or False
- I am a pretty easy going person, not very often affected by stress. True or False
- I like things in order, but I am not a fanatical perfectionist. True or False