How Safe is LASIK Eye Surgery?

 

Over ten million Americans have had LASIK eye surgery since its FDA approval in 1999. With 96% of patients achieving their ideal vision through LASIK, it's no surprise that the procedure has started gaining even more traction. Unfortunately, our increased screen time puts extra strain on the muscles that allow our eyes to focus, a side effect of the digital age.

There's always a slight risk of complications, including LASIK, as with all surgeries. However, the incident rate is less than 1%. The FDA's maximum complication rate for approval is 5% which positions LASIK as one of the safest elective surgeries available.

Working with a board-certified surgeon for LASIK procedures is the key to a successful surgery. They'll be able to answer questions you may have about the procedure, possible side effects, and if any pre-existing conditions could interfere.

Once the surgery is complete, you'll be given a custom aftercare routine to follow to achieve maximum benefits and promote a quick recovery. LASIK's common temporary side effects include dry eyes, double vision, glares, and halos from solid light.

These side effects will resolve in 3 to 12 months, with the severity lessening along the way. Their impact is similar to the glare on regular glasses when driving under street lights.

LASIK's long-term complications make up less than 1% of patients who weren't satisfied with the outcome. In these cases, patients typically reported an over or under correction of their vision, requiring an additional visit to correct. More corneal tissue will be removed for under corrections, or enhancements can be used to fix overcorrections.

To learn more about LASIK Eye Surgery, call Rohr Eye & Laser Center today. Board-certified Dr. Jeffrey Rohr has over twenty years experience in laser vision correction and cataract surgery.

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Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

United States Military Tests Wavefront-Guided PRK

 

With more than 30,000 to 40,000 members of the United States military choosing laser vision correction procedures to improve their vision each year, there is an emphasis on clinical research to examine the efficacy and safety of various procedures available.

A somewhat novel laser vision correction technique, called wavefront-guided PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy), was recently studied by the United States Navy.

Wavefront-guided PRK implements the newest computer-generated mapping technology to generate a digital image of the patient’s eye. Once the eye is mapped out, the laser applied to the cornea’s surface is guided by the three-dimensional model to improve the eye’s focus based on the unique visual characteristics of the patient’s eye. Even the tiniest structure issues affecting eyesight are revealed through Wavefront-Guided PRK.

The development of wavefront vision mapping allows visual disorders to be measured, which otherwise could not be identified in the past. Laser diagnostic systems are setting a new standard by providing an exact level of measurement and correction. This feat was impossible with earlier systems.

Led by the U.S. Naval Medical Center, 167 patients enrolled had vision prescriptions of up to -8D of nearsightedness and up to -4D of astigmatism. The patients underwent wavefront-guided PRK. Research findings showed:

-          Patient satisfaction was very high, with 98.8 percent reporting entirely or very satisfied with their vision

-          99.4 percent of patients tested at 20/20 or better vision six months following the procedures

-          91.9 percent of patients tested 20/16 vision six months after the procedure

-          Fewer than four percent of patients reported night vision symptoms six months post-op

-          Less than one percent experienced adverse reactions

This novel research shows a massive body of evidence supporting laser vision correction procedures proving safety and effectiveness. 

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Retinal Transplants Ready for Human Trial

 

A major cause of hereditary human blindness, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), has been resolved in rat trials by researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan. Degenerated rat retinas received transplants and removal of grafted cells, which resulted in improved connections to host retinas and better light-responsiveness.

Study leader Michiko Mandai said, "We have previously reported work using mouse embryonic- and induced pluripotent stem cell – (iPES)-derived retinas in a mouse model of retinal degeneration."

However, the deputy project leader in the Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration at RIKEN BDR said, "As far as we know, this is the first report of the timed removal of particular grafted cells being shown to improve retinal function in an animal model using tissue from human stem cells."

Since the retinal sheets were created from human stem cells, the novel feat can now be tested in human clinical trials, according to the study authors in the January 21, 2022 edition of iScience.

"Since retinal ganglion cells form optic nerves to send the signal to the brain, a higher light responsiveness could theoretically lead to improved sensitivity to light or better resolution in visual function. Genetic modification in human stem cell-derived retinas showed a substantial functional improvement [in light responsiveness], compared with wild-type graft retinas. Depending on the retinal network of the transplanted area, light responsiveness of retinal ganglion cells may be correlated with increased signaling to the brain, so could lead to an increased light sensitivity or better resolution. Additionally, we were able to observe detailed host-graft synapse formation in the absence of graft bipolar cells, which previously was difficult. A frequently asked question in retinal cell therapies concerns whether retinal ganglion cell responses are really originated from the graft photoreceptors. The presence of multiple synaptic markers at the host-graft cell contact site suggests formation of some synapses between these cells and indicates that graft photoreceptor light responses may well be transmitted to host retinal cells. We can now move forward to applying this strategy in clinical studies, which we expect to improve clinical outcomes and be generally useful in stem cell-based therapies targeting retinal degeneration. If the clinical grade ISL1-deleted stem cell-derived retinas can first pass extensive safety testing, including for tumorgenicity, we estimate that this may take 4-5 years. While we are currently targeting end-stage disease eyes with stem cell based therapy, we think this strategy could also be applied to those with remaining central vision, to help increase the pericentral visual field or delay disease progression," Mandai said.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.