Can glaucoma be fixed with Lasik surgery?

A particular sort of surgery called laser in-situ keratomileusis, also known as Lasik surgery, employs laser cutting to precisely change the shape of the transparent dome-shaped tissue at the front of the eye (cornea) to enhance vision. LASIK surgery might be required if the light does not focus on your retina as it usually should. Professionals refer to it as a refractive error. Among the varieties are astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.

There are several benefits to having Lasik surgery, such as the fact that it is both safe and effective; there is little discomfort during the treatment; there are no bandages or stitches; doctors may adjust the vision if the patient’s vision changes as they age. After having Lasik surgery, you won’t need contacts or glasses. In addition to its benefits, Lasik surgery also has certain drawbacks. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible, to regain the clear eyesight you had when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Insurance often does not pay for Lasik surgery.

Who cannot undergo Lasik surgery?

People who are younger than 18, pregnant or nursing women, people whose medications can make it challenging to have surgery, people whose vision prescription has recently changed frequently, people whose corneas are uneven or fragile, people with glaucoma or dry eyes, people with diabetes or lupus, and people who are under the age of 18. 

What is Glaucoma?

A collection of eye diseases known as glaucoma impair the optic nerve, responsible for sending visual data from the retina to the brain. Damage is often brought on by your eye’s pressure building up over time. The intraocular pressure (IOP) in your eye can typically be reduced with medications, but if these are insufficient, you may need laser or incisional surgery to lower the pressure further.  

The Glaucoma Causes

You could acquire glaucoma from several causes. It most frequently results from a significant imbalance in the amount of intraocular fluid in the eye. Usually, the type of condition you have has something to do with inequality. This disease can be compared to the pressure in a basketball or football game. For the balls to stay in shape, a specific pressure must be maintained. Your eyes are no different, of course. To keep its globe-like form, the eyeball’s fluid-filled intraocular pressure (IOP) must be held at a specific level. For proper vision, the eye’s shape is essential. The pressure can increase to dangerous levels when anything interferes with the eye’s capacity to maintain its internal structure and regular IOP. Glaucoma will eventually result from this excessive pressure. A ball or balloon may develop a leak to release extra tension and deflate if it becomes overinflated. However, don’t worry—the eye cannot rule this out! However, when the pressure in the eye increases, the optic nerve in the eye starts to be pressed against. It continues until the nerve fibers are irreparably damaged, and vision is rendered useless. The damage to the neurons in your eye caused by glaucoma will eventually result in damage that will impair your peripheral vision. However, the brain will show the first signs of ocular injury. It stops communicating with the eye. Glaucoma essentially proceeds reverse, starting in the brain and moving back to the retina. Although persons with normal intraocular pressure can also have glaucoma, the condition is primarily brought on by excessive IOP. This is glaucoma with normal tension. It is brought on by an optic nerve that is incredibly pressure-sensitive and quickly destroyed, even when the IOP is normal.

Although the exact etiology of normal tension glaucoma is uncertain, many medical experts concur that it is related to a reduction in blood flow to the eye’s optic nerve. Additionally, the formation of blind spots may accompany this inadequate blood flow.

Glaucoma and LASIK: Can they be used to treat each other? LASIK cannot treat glaucoma since it damages the optic nerve in the eye while the procedure improves the cornea on the outside of the eye. If you are having LASIK, it’s crucial to let your eye doctor or optometrist know if you or anybody in your family has had glaucoma in the past so that extra care may be given before, during, and after the procedure. Although it is uncommon for LASIK patients to develop glaucoma, the steroid eye drops you receive after surgery to control inflammation may raise eye pressure, increasing your risk of experiencing a reversible rise in pressure while taking medicine. Although there is currently no definitive treatment for glaucoma, there are various natural ways to lower the pressure. 

Additionally, they exclude using eye operations like LASIK. With an early diagnosis of the illness, your vision may be saved. Depending on the type of glaucoma present, different medical procedures will be used to treat it. Prescription eye drops may be used as part of some treatment plans. For some people, surgery will be necessary to lower the fluid pressure in the eye manually. The person’s optic nerve will be protected from further harm. 

The majority of the time, doctors will use a laser technique to treat glaucoma. However, LASIK should only be explored after other treatments have stabilized the glaucoma disease. Any person with a high IOP right now or who is susceptible to glaucoma may not be a candidate for LASIK. But other procedures like LASEK, PRK, or P-IOL  might be able to address them. Given that all surgeries have some level of risk, we advise anyone with glaucoma to seek alternate, all-natural remedies.

Regular eye exams are crucial to detecting glaucoma symptoms early and preventing irreversible vision damage. When vision is lost, it is almost impossible to regain it.

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