Optometrist: Different Eye Surgeries You May Need

When it comes to eye problems, most people tend to assume that it is simply a matter of taking an eye test and possibly getting prescription spectacles or contact lenses. Although this is the most common reason why people may need to pay a visit to an optometrist, this is not the only service that they offer. There is an assortment of reasons why you may require eye surgery. Below are some of the different eye surgeries that you may end up undergoing.

Corrective surgery

As the name suggests, this type of surgery functions to correct any eye problems that you may have developed over time. Although corrective eye surgery is relatively new technology, it has steadily grown in popularity, especially for people who would lie to stop depending on their glasses or contacts for clear vision. This is because this surgery can remedy conditions such as myopia, astigmatism as well as hyperopia. The several different types of corrective surgery that you could choose include:

• LASIK: This stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and it entails the use of a precision laser to extract tissue in your cornea. This is followed by the reshaping of the cornea, which functions to change its ability to focus on items.

• PRK: This stands for Photorefractive Keratectomy and is generally performed on people who have thin corneas, which would be difficult to work on with LASIK surgery.

Corrective surgery is typically an outpatient procedure. Nevertheless, you would need someone to collect you from the hospital as well as care for you during your healing process.

Cataract surgery

Cataracts are an optical ailment that tends to affect people of an advanced age. Leaving the cataracts in place will significantly impact the vision of the patient. This is why it is prudent to have the removed. However, if you are suffering from additional eye diseases, it may not be safe to engage in cataract surgery as it could complicate your situation. There are several ways that your optometrist could undertake the cataract surgery:

• Phacoemulsification: With this approach, the optometrist will first administer a local anaesthetic to the affected eye. Ultrasonic vibrations are then used to dissolve the eye's lens, which will have become cloudy due to the cataract.

• Extracapsular procedure: In the event that the clouding over of the lens is too extensive, then the optometrist will resort to extracapsular surgery. The patient will be under full anaesthesia during the surgery, which once completed will require sutures in the eye.