Articles
LASIK surgery: Is it right for you?
What does LASIK eye surgery involve?
Are your eyes healthy?
Are you healthy?
Is your vision stable?
Can you afford it?
Do you understand possible side effects and complications?
Can you go without your contact lenses for several weeks before surgery?
What are your expectations for LASIK?
How do you choose an eye surgeon?
Content
What is the goal of LASIK surgery
What are the types of refractive laser surgery?
Intraocular lenses
Is my vision treatable and stable?
Are my eyes healthy?
Am I healthy?
Can I afford it?
Do I understand possible side effects and complications?
LASIK versus reading glasses
Can I follow presurgery and postsurgery guidelines?
What are my expectations?
How do I choose an eye surgeon?
The final decision
Are your eyes healthy?
Are you healthy?
Is your vision stable?
Can you afford it?
Do you understand possible side effects and complications?
Can you go without your contact lenses for several weeks before surgery?
What are your expectations for LASIK?
How do you choose an eye surgeon?
Content
What is the goal of LASIK surgery
What are the types of refractive laser surgery?
Intraocular lenses
Is my vision treatable and stable?
Are my eyes healthy?
Am I healthy?
Can I afford it?
Do I understand possible side effects and complications?
LASIK versus reading glasses
Can I follow presurgery and postsurgery guidelines?
What are my expectations?
How do I choose an eye surgeon?
The final decision
Intraocular lenses
A less common alternative to refractive laser surgery is the use of artificial lenses placed inside the eyes. These are called intraocular lenses.
Intraocular lenses can treat different types of refractive errors depending on the specific procedure and lens used. They may correct more-severe refractive errors than laser surgeries of the cornea can correct. The recovery of vision after intraocular lens placement is generally shorter than with laser surgeries.
There are three general methods:
- The artificial lens is placed in front of the iris to correct the refractive error.
- The lens is placed behind the iris. This type of lens, called an implantable collamer lens, is a combination of plastic and biological material that allows it to work more like a natural lens.
- An artificial lens also may be used to replace the natural lens. This is called a refractive lens exchange or clear lens extraction. This is essentially the same procedure as that used to treat a cloudy lens, a condition called a cataract.
