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Signs LASIK Isn’t Right for You
Not everyone is a good candidate for this eye surgery, though. If you can relate to any of the following, you might have to talk to your eye doctor about some alternative options that can help with your vision issues:
Your Prescription Is Still Changing
If you had to get a new prescription for glasses or contacts within the last year, now is not the time for LASIK eye surgery. Younger patients, people with significant hormonal changes, and people taking certain medications often have fluctuating prescriptions. You will not be a good candidate for the procedure until your prescription stabilizes.
You Have an Illness that Could Affect Healing
Certain autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis might affect the way your body can heal. If you have autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency states, or diabetes, your eye doctor might not want to go ahead with the LASIK procedure. Certain medications like retinoic acid and steroids might also prevent you from healing after the surgery.
You Regularly Play Contact Sports
If you are at high risk for getting hit in the face or the eye area, the ophthalmologist might not feel comfortable about giving you the LASIK procedure. Playing sports like boxing, wrestling, and martial arts put you at a higher risk for getting hit in the face, which can cause problems after the procedure.
You Do Not Like Any Risk
Although the LASIK procedure is safe and has approval from the FDA, there are still some risks associated with the procedure. Schedule a LASIK consultation near Chicago to talk to the doctor about the procedure and its risks. This will help you decide if you feel comfortable with this kind of eye surgery.
The only way to decide whether or not you make a good candidate for LASIK is to schedule a visit with the ophthalmologist. The doctor can examine your eyes, learn your history, and help you decide if you should go forward with the surgery.
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What Is Custom Cataract Surgery?
Although there is no way to treat a cataract, custom cataract surgery is an effective way to eliminate the cloudy lens and replace it with an intraocular lens. If cataracts are making it difficult to see, your ophthalmologist might suggest this kind of eye surgery to rectify your problem. Keep reading to learn more about the procedure and how it works:
The procedure only takes about ten minutes. After a thorough eye exam that allows the ophthalmologist to get a better understanding of the size and shape of your eye, you are ready for the surgery. The eye doctor makes a small incision and removes the damaged lens. He or she then replaces it with an intraocular lens. The incision will not require a suture, which significantly decreases your healing time after the surgery.
Custom cataract surgery in Chicago helps you get rid of the cloudy lens that is negatively affecting your vision. If you think this procedure can help you restore your vision, you should schedule a consultation at an eye surgery center.
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Preparing for Cataract Surgery
Many people develop cataracts at some stage of their life. Cataracts cause lenses to get cloudy, which makes it more difficult to see. Most people with cataracts are older, but even younger patients can deal with this condition. If you and your ophthalmologist have decided that custom cataract surgery is the best option to get rid of your cataracts, use the following tips to prepare for your surgery:
Visit the Eye Doctor for Tests
About a week before your actual surgery, you will have to visit the ophthalmologist to get a series of tests that help the doctor learn more about your eyes. These tests will give an exact measurement of the size and shape of your eye and your lens to help the eye doctor perform the most precise surgery.
Pay Attention to Your Medications
During your consultation, the doctor will also collect a list of the medications that you take. If there are any prescriptions that might increase your change of bleeding during the procedure, the doctor might ask you to temporarily stop taking them. The ophthalmologist might also give you a prescription for some antibiotic eye drops that you should start using a day or two before your procedure.
Do Not Eat or Drink
Many eye doctors ask their patients to fast for twelve hours before the custom cataract surgery. Ask your doctor for specific instructions about what to do in the hours leading up to the surgery and follow them closely.
Arrange for a Ride Home
Most patients can go home right after the procedure, but they cannot see well enough to drive. Ask a friend or family member to go with you to the surgery center so you can safely get home once your procedure is complete.
With new advancements in the field, custom cataract surgery is now more effective than ever. Schedule an appointment at an eye surgery center in Chicago to learn more about the procedure and to see if it can help you improve your vision.
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Type of Work Involved in Ophthalmology
An ophthalmologist works across a few different platforms to try to prevent, diagnose, and treat eye disorders to help their patients maintain the best vision. Some eye doctors are more involved in the research aspect of the field to try to find new technology that can aid in the fight against vision loss.
The current technology in the ophthalmology field allows doctors to get a closer look at the eye and any conditions that might exist. Using technology like lasers allows an eye doctor to destroy abnormal vessels and tissues that might decrease a patient’s ability to see.
Check out this video to learn more about what ophthalmologists do and schedule an appointment with an eye doctor in Chicago. Regular eye exams help you prevent vision loss.