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The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

The first significant step before the Lasik surgery is to have a comprehensive eye examination, in order to be sure that you are a good candidate for the Lasik procedure. A map of your eye will be created during this exam. This map is used in order for the Lasik physician to determine how to reshape your eye to give you the clearest post-operative vision possible.

This eye exam will do several things. Your eyes will be dilated in order to see if there are any irregularities within the eye itself. The thickness of the cornea will be measured, and a precise map of the cornea will be generated. The “refractive error” (or the reason why your vision isn’t currently perfect) will be accurately analyzed in order for the Lasik procedure to get the best results possible. Finally, how your eyes generate tears will be closely looked at, as good tear production is essential for the health of every eye.

Before or after these measurements, the Lasik physician will discuss your past medical history to see any previous operations or any ongoing health problems. A few chronic conditions may make the Lasik procedure not a good option for some people, and also women currently expecting should wait for some time after delivery. The physician also will discuss the expectations the Lasik client has about the operation and subsequent changes in their lifestyle.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Though most people pass through this Lasik eye exam with flying colors, be prepared for some suggestions or serious discussion. Your eye map may indicate that a newer form of Lasik procedure might be better, such as one that generates a three dimensional waveform for each eye. Tear production issues may indicate that the Lasik procedure is not the best option for you, and the Lasik physician may recommend another solution.

If all goes well and the Lasik procedure is scheduled, the physician will review the treatment plan and what the client should do to prepare for the Lasik surgery. This plan may vary slightly between patients, but in general will look something like the schedule below. Always follow the recommendations of your Lasik physician closely.
First, contact lenses should be avoided for several weeks prior to Lasik vision correction, since contacts can slightly affect the shape of your cornea. It is important to let your eyes rest in order to get the most accurate Lasik vision improvement possible. Hard contacts should be avoided for a month, soft contacts for at least two weeks.

Stop using any lotions, makeup, or anything else that could possibly get into the eye the day or two before surgery. It is important to have your eyes as rested as possible before the Lasik operation. Also, arrange for someone else to drive you home after the Lasik procedure itself.

These are the most common steps to prepare you for an easy and successful Lasik procedure. Make sure you give the doctor all information needed for your case, and follow his directions closely. The Lasik procedure will give you a new outlook in life!

There’s a lot to understand about Lasik. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new site for adsense publishers: Free Adsense Websites

I guess I am one of the “old hands” in any Lasik online forum, in that I had my procedure more than three years ago now. I have noticed that most of the posting are from people whose Lasik vision correction was recent and did not go according to plan. I thought I might give my perspective on my Lasik adventure.

First, let me start with my current vision situation, and then work backwards to the point before Lasik where I couldn’t get around without a guide dog (no, just kidding, but it seems like such a different world from where I am now). Three years after Lasik, I have better than 20/20 vision in one eye, and 20/40 in the other eye. For those of you not familiar with Lasik, the procedure does not guarantee that everyone will end up with perfect vision.

Most competent Lasik surgeons will take time to explain what realistic expectations for the surgery are, in that vision is noticeably improved but not guaranteed to remove any dependence on glasses or contacts. My Lasik doctor was very clear on this, but I thought it would be sufficient to be able to look around my kitchen and recognize the pot that I had left on the other side of the room. My doctor said that that expectation was something he could almost guarantee, and much better than that.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Lasik? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

Three years after the Lasik procedure, I only have one permanent side effect that I did not have before my Lasik vision correction (in addition to astoundingly better vision, I guess I should add). I do see halos around bright lights at night, but they are not really bothersome, and I have started to consider them rather pretty – kind of like the artificial twinkle TV shows can put in people’s eyes. I am glad that I am one of the more than 90% of Lasik patients who had a very successful procedure and outcome.

For several weeks after the Lasik procedure I had blurry vision when trying to focus on items very close to me (anything closer than maybe six inches, though I don’t remember precisely). I have asked my husband if he remembered me talking about any other post-op problems, such as fluctuating vision or sensitivity to light. Neither he nor I remember many problems after the Lasik procedure, though I did sleep a LOT and used the eye drops exactly as requested.

Sleep is supposed to aid healing, and my Lasik physician recommended me to sleep quite soon after the operation to get a good start on the healing process. I think I took that to an extreme, but I wanted to rest my eyes as much as possible after the Lasik procedure.
I do remember my vision getting a bit blurry after a long day (for a few months after Lasik vision correction) which may have been another reason I though sleep was a great idea.

I have been a poster child for Lasik to my friends and family, and the great results have convinced several others to schedule their own Lasik procedures. As this is the story of my Lasik process, I will let others tell their own stories. I can only say from my perspective that there were few bumps in the road, and I would recommend the Lasik process to anyone interested in improving their vision. One additional comment: choose the best surgeon in your general area, you will be glad you did!

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Lasik.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
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Improving your vision with a Lasik procedure could be one of the greatest gifts you could get for yourself. However, as my mother used to say, “Your eyes are precious.” It is important to entrust the Lasik operation to a doctor that you trust and have confidence in.

Let’s begin with three factors that should NOT be the sole reason you select a doctor for the Lasik procedure. The location of the office is not particularly important, and a number of people travel long distances to have the Lasik procedure done, for a truly professional doctor will only need to be visited two or three times. Also, cost or the type of Lasik technology used should not be the sole factor. The range in surgical skill for a Lasik operation does vary, and there is the old saying “you get what you pay for.” Further, though the newer types of Lasik procedures do have their benefits; many eye doctors in a large metropolitan area often offer two or three Lasik variants.

There are several ways to determine which is the best doctor for you in your area. One of the qualities to look for in a good Lasik physician is someone who can accurately assess your situation, and advise you if Lasik is even a good choice for you and your lifestyle. A physician that takes the time to discuss your own physical condition and situation with you is a good indicator that this is a Lasik physician that you can rely on.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Look for a Lasik doctor which has a solid reputation in the area, and has a good track record. A physician that advertises in a magazine is not a sufficient recommendation to put your trust in that doctor, and needs more investigation before agreeing to have him do your Lasik procedure. Sometimes a Lasik center with a large advertising campaign and discounted prices may be indicating that the quality of the surgery is not excellent, and this could be a red flag to avoid that center.

A good Lasik doctor should be involved in the entire Lasik process. As mentioned above, he should take time to assess your particular case and discuss it with you. Not only should he do the exam, but he should also perform most or all of the preoperative exam, and also should meet with you personally to monitor the success of the procedure at the dates for checkup. There are stories from some Lasik centers of the patients never seeing the physician again after the operation until they complained strenuously of some particular problem.

Make sure the physician is honest in their assessment of the general Lasik procedure, and his track record in particular. Ask for individual examples of patients that the physician dissuaded from having the Lasik operation, and why. Ask how many Lasik procedures the doctor has done in total, and how many in the last two years. An experienced surgeon should have performed in the neighborhood of 1000 Lasik procedures, with at least 500 of those in the last two years.

Use these questions as a starting point to investigate the Lasik centers in your area, and even the highly recommended ones in nearby major metropolitan areas. It will be time well invested, and the first step to a clearer future.

About the Author
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I wanted to investigate Lasik vision correction for myself, and found that there were several options. After talking it over with a great Lasik physician, I decided on using bladeless Lasik, or Intralasik, or Intralase. I cannot say that I decided that for any great technical reasons, mine were mainly psychological.

The advantage of Intralasik over a traditional Lasik procedure is that a laser is used to make a flap in the eye. Every Lasik procedure needs to make a flap in order for the excimer laser to be able to reshape the corner. In traditional Lasik, the flap is made with a microkeratome, which is “a very small blade, not a scalpel”. Well, maybe to you. Somehow, even though both the laser and the blade made the same flap, the idea of someone taking a sharp object to….. well, you get the picture.

In addition (though there is a lot of argument and debate over this) using a laser to make the flap might (let me emphasize might to be fair to everyone) make the Lasik procedure have less chance of getting other cells underneath the flap. I don’t really understand all of the Lasik arguments with regard to this, but I think you should discuss the various Lasik options with the physician. They do vary in cost also.

Before I talk about the procedure itself, let me give a bird’s eye view of myself as a Lasik candidate. In short, spectacular! Seriously, all of the items for a good Lasik candidate could describe me: a healthy guy in my mid-thirties, with moderate nearsightedness and slight astigmatism, with good results on all eye exam tests (thick cornea, no eye scarring or infections, etc.).

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Lasik. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

I did visit two different Lasik surgeons to get their independent opinions of me as a candidate, and also their description of their services. One of the Lasik surgeons is on the staff at the medical college in a nearby major metropolitan center, so I was pretty assured that their opinions were valid.

On the day of the Lasik surgery I came in, paid my first payment for the procedure, and had my eye prescription rechecked. I was given post-procedure instructions on eye drops, no exercising (yeah!), and to go to sleep after the Lasik procedure. I was given a relaxant, and the Lasik physician and I went to the surgery suite.

The chair has padded pillows to rest and restrict head movement, and a teddy bear to hold if I wanted it. There was a clamp to hold my eyes open, and a suction ring, and then my vision in that eye went a bit dim. The first Lasik laser made the flap, and I focused on a small light while the other laser made the cornea changes. This took less than thirty seconds, or so I was told.

Mainly I was aware of clicking noises and some pressure, but no pain or real discomfort. After the eye flaps were put back in place, I rested in a recliner for about 20 minutes. I could see more clearly immediately after the Lasik operation was over, but was told not to try and test my eyes for a number of days, and rather concentrate on getting them healthy and healed.

I am surprised and immensely pleased it went so easily, well, and pain free. I would recommend this type of Lasik procedure to anyone.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
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For anyone considering a Lasik procedure to correct vision, it is crucial to find a physician that is reputable and caring. It is also very important that they are experienced and knowledgeable in the Lasik procedure, and that they have a track record of patients that are happy with the treatment they received and the results that they got.

This guide gives a number of basic questions that you should ask when deciding on which Lasik center and which doctor to select for your Lasik procedure. The comfort you have during the process, and even the results that you receive, may depend on getting good answers to these questions. It is important to realize that the answers to these questions will vary from physician to physician.

The first question to ask is “How many years have you been performing this type of Lasik surgery?” There are several variations of the Lasik procedure, and the doctor should have a track record of at least three years in doing Lasik procedures. This amount of time also allows the doctor to watch his patients and the long term success of their Lasik procedures.

Next, ask the physician for the number of Lasik procedures they have performed in the last two years. The physician should do the operation frequently enough that he is well versed in current procedures. Also, he should be successful enough that prospective Lasik patients feel comfortable in coming to the Lasik center. The physician should perform at least 500 Lasik surgeries in the last two years.

If you don’t have accurate details regarding Lasik, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.

At this point, ask what percent of his clients that underwent Lasik surgery ended up with 20/40 vision or better. Notice that not all patients will achieve 20/20 vision, and that is acceptable. However, it is important that 90 percent of the patients get at least a 20/40 correction after the first Lasik procedure. Claims of much more than 90 percent might make him seem much better, but in this case ask for evidence that that number is true. There are some exceptional physicians out there, but also a few Lasik doctors that make unfounded claims. Asking the doctor what percentage of Lasik patients achieve 20/20 should run about 50 percent. Again, if the number is greatly higher, ask for evidence.

Finally, ask about post-Lasik complications. The percentage of patients that experience complications after 6 months is complete should be 3 percent or less. If the physician claims that complications are so rare that he doesn’t keep records, you should be very suspicious and ask for evidence, if any. No doctor is perfect. Similarly, when asked the percentage of patients that require an additional operation to achieve clear vision, the number should be less than 10 percent.

To wrap up the interview, ask the physician what types of Lasik procedures he recommends and practices, and under what circumstances he denied a Lasik procedure to a patient. Not all vision challenged people are good candidates for a Lasik operation, and the doctor should at least have a few examples of people he dissuaded from the operation.

Finally, ask about the cost of the operation and if financing plans are available through the Lasik center. A physician that is willing to sit down and discuss these questions is often a physician that will address any other medical issues that come up, and is a good prospect to perform your Lasik procedure.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site for adsense publishers? Download new fresh sites in this all new site, called Adsense Ready Websites

The wonderful results of Lasik surgery have been improved by research adding new methods, such as Wavefront technology. This technology gives a Lasik physician the ability to see and accurately map even slight variations in the surface of the eye. This gives the physician the ability to more accurately tailor a Lasik operation to the individual, and result in even clearer vision.

The concept behind Wavefront technology was originally developed by astronomers, in order to indicate if a mirror or a lens had slight imperfections in it. It is very important in astronomy to get near perfect optics in order to clearly see the small light sources million of miles away in the universe. In the 1970s a sensor was created to electronically check these surfaces, and a type of this sensor is now used in the Wavefront guided Lasik procedures.

The idea to apply this technique, or to use this sensor, to the field of ophthalmology and later to the specific area of Lasik vision correction, was begun in Germany. The physician Josef Bille began using the sensor in his practice, and this started others to refine the sensor and how it is used and to apply it to Lasik technology. In 1997 the improved sensor, with greater accuracy and speed, was announced to the Lasik laser manufacturers. This allowed the companies that manufacture the Lasik equipment to develop tools using the Wavefront concept for each of their own laser systems.

If you don’t have accurate details regarding Lasik, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.

The FDA approved the first Wavefront guided Lasik vision correction system for general use. Initially, the Wavefront sensor makes a map of the eye’s imperfections, and this map is sent to the laser that is used in the Lasik vision correction portion of the operation. This allows for precise eye alteration in order for Lasik to present the best vision correction possible.

The Wavefront technology used in Lasik can be described easily at an informal level. A small, flat sheet of light (called a wavefront) is passed through the eye, reflected off of the retina, and passed back through the eye and is captured by the Wavefront machine. If the eye were perfect, the light would return as a flat sheet and be captured that way by the Lasik machine. However, any imperfections changes the way that the light returns, and this is detected by the Wavefront part of the Lasik process.

A number of these small, flat sheets of light are sent into each eye from various directions and the results returned generated a three dimensional map of the eye to be used in the Lasik vision correction process. In addition to the commonly known problems of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, there are more than 60 other patterns that are known and can possibly be corrected for.

All of this information generated by the Lasik sensor is converted by software into a set of directions to be carried out by the Lasik excimer laser. Ask your doctor about this exciting advance in Lasik vision correction, and see if this procedure is right for you!

About the Author
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The following paragraphs summarize the work of Lasik experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Lasik. Heed their advice to avoid any Lasik surprises.

One of the first publicized physicians that perform the Lasik eye corrective operation was Dr. Boothe, of Dallas Texas. He has performed the Lasik operation for a number of different clients, including members of the NFL Dallas Cowboys football team. There are countless testimonials of how satisfied his Lasik clients were with the surgery, even a number of years later.

One of the important considerations for any doctor is kindness, and Dr Boothe’s Lasik patients comment on this trait after their procedures. They all agree that Dr. Boothe made them feel very relaxed about the procedure, and took time to answer any and all questions that they might have. This is especially important with the Lasik process, as eye health is crucially important, and confidence in the doctor makes considering the Lasik option much more feasible.

Dr. Boothe became a specialist of the eye, and especially the cornea, in 1987.

He has performed more than 80,000 Lasik laser vision corrections in that time. He has also contributed to the field of expanding Lasik practice, with the new VISX three dimensional wavefront procedures. These procedures are especially useful for those people with unusual configurations of their eyes.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Lasik, keep reading.

One of the other newer Lasik procedures uses only the laser, instead of the usual Lasik operation using both scalpel and laser. He is the leader in the performance of this field, and has done more than 45,000 of these operations. This type of Lasik procedure holds new promise for the field, and should be investigated by anyone considering any type of Lasik procedure.

Looking at some of Dr. Boothe’s background will help prospective Lasik clients to look for a physician of similar quality in their area. Dr. Boothe’s center itself is located in the Dallas metropolitan area, but there are many fine doctors that practice Lasik procedures in all parts of the country. He has taught a number of other surgeons in the technique, and so one question that should be asked is where the physician received his training in the Lasik procedure, and which doctors taught the technique.

A most critical part of traditional Lasik surgery is using the microkeratome to make and lift a flap in the eye. Dr. Boothe’s love of medicine and absorption in furthering the techniques used in Lasik make him a pioneer in the field of ophthalmology. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, and emphasizes that any patient should check the board certification for any physician they are considering for performing the Lasik procedure in addition to standard medical certifications, such as the American Medical Association.

One reason that Dr. Boothe entered the field of Lasik surgery was because a good eye surgeon can dramatically improve the quality of life for his patients, as is attested by his many thousands of satisfied patients. The doctor that a patient selects for the Lasik procedure should have high standards for safety, accuracy, and precision. This should be reflected in the results and opinions of the patients that the doctor has. Lasik can be a life improving procedure, and careful selection of a physician in the same mold as Dr. Boothe can make it much more certain.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

This story is for my family and friends who wonder what it is like to go through a Lasik vision correction procedure. I’ve shared my experiences with one or two colleagues at work that have also had Lasik done, and there are enough variations to give insight to those who are trying to choose between different Lasik physicians or different Lasik centers.

First, my Lasik procedure was scheduled for 4 PM in the afternoon, which was fine with me. One of the directions for patient that has just had a Lasik procedure was to go to sleep as soon as possible, in order for the healing process to begin as quickly as possible. And usually by the end of the afternoon I am too tired after working all day to be very nervous. Well, usually anyway.

I had only been there a few minutes when I was called into a room to prepare me for the Lasik procedure, and to get instructions (again!) on how to care for my eyes once the Lasik vision correction has been done. They offered me some Ativan, which is a mild sedative just to keep me calm during the Lasik process. The lasers themselves monitor any head or eye movement and turn themselves off when it occurs, so it isn’t that the sedative is for anything other than psychological reasons. I took it anyway. All of my colleagues at work also took it, though none of us really felt any different than we did before. Apparently it is a VERY mild sedative.

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My eyes were prepared for the Lasik procedure by being dosed with eye numbing drops and some kind of medication. I cannot be sure of the other pre-operative steps, as I think I was trying very hard not to think about either Lasik or my eyes. Perhaps the sedative was a bit stronger than I imagined it was.

At this point I was escorted into another room for some time, where I sat back, listened to the piped-in music, and awaited my turn in the Lasik operating room. There were two other people waiting with me in this room, so apparently my doctor different setup for his Lasik patients than my colleagues. Both were alone in their pre-op rooms until they were escorted into the room where the Lasik procedure was actually performed.

As to the Lasik procedure itself, all of us have similar memories from this procedure. Each of us felt some pressure when the various Lasik implements were used on our eyes, though there wasn’t any real discomfort or pain. There was a blurring of vision for the eye being worked on, but the real sensation was mainly audio – the whirring and clicks of the machine. One of my colleagues also remembers a distinct smell, somewhat reminiscent of hair burning. There may have been a slight smell during my Lasik procedure, but it wasn’t significant enough for my attention to be focused on it.

After a short amount of time, my Lasik physician said he was done and that I had been a good patient. In all of our Lasik experiences, the operation itself was much easier than all of our worries about it beforehand. I hope this helps those of you considering having a Lasik procedure done.

You can’t predict when knowing something extra about Lasik will come in handy. If you learned anything new about Lasik in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Free Google Traffic System and make sure to visit my bonus site!