Lasik eye surgery good for students?

For fourth-year finance student Sommer Wagoner, the world was in a constant state of blurriness. However, after a 15-minute procedure Wagoner could see perfectly.

"I had been wearing glasses ever since I was in fifth grade because I was blind as a bat," Wagoner said. "I know it seems like a simple thing to most people, but you don't know how irritating it is to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to see the alarm clock."

Earlier this year Wagoner underwent LASIK laser eye surgery to correct her dismal vision. LASIK is a procedure intended to correct common eye disorders such as hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision). A similar procedure to the LASIK procedure was developed in 1948 in Bogotá, Colombia.

"It has been my experience that most people who get the procedure done do it as a quality of life issue," said Dr. James Ellis, the Vision Service Coordinator for the University of Cincinnati. "Patients can put their glasses and contacts away and not be burdened by them any longer."

The procedure is preformed with the patient conscious and mobile, and is usually given a mild sedative such as Valium as well as anesthetic eye drops. The surgeon uses a knife to cut a flap of corneal tissue, removes the tissue beneath it with the laser, and then replaces the flap. "The surgeon is essentially a sculptor reshaping the cornea," Ellis said.

The number and length of the incisions determines the degree of correction attained, and the average time for each eye is between 25-35 seconds. The entire procedure generally lasts no longer than fifteen minutes. "I was impressed with how quick the surgery lasted," Wagoner said. "And I literally was able to see more clearly as soon as the procedure was completed."

"The patient's vision should be 20/25 immediately after completion of the procedure, no matter what shape their eyes were beforehand," Ellis said. "After surgery, we want the patient to go home and nap for a couple of hours because sleeping helps the cornea heal. When the patient wakes up they will be seeing pretty darn good."

Patients should expect to feel some mild discomfort such as pressure on and around the eyes during the treatment. After the treatment, patients are given specialty goggles designed to block out any light that might irritate their eyes. "I only had to wear the goggles on the way home," Wagoner said. "After that my eyes were fine and I never had to wear them again."

All patients react differently to the surgery, but recovery time after the LASIK procedure is typically one day. Patients are not permitted to drive on the day of the treatment; however, they may drive as soon as they feel comfortable and confident to drive safely. "I was back to school and work the next day," Wagoner said "It's like my old eyes were replaced by new eyes, the way a burnt light bulb is replaced by a new one."

Although the procedure has many benefits there are, however, some risks. While it is unlikely, some patients may experience corneal abrasion, dry eyes, or night glare and halos. Night glares and halos occur when the pupils dilate and allowing rays of light to scatter before reaching the retina. This happens at night when the pupils dilate to allow light into the eye. These symptoms may sometimes increase after surgery. "The risks of the LASIK treatment are very little," Ellis said. "I have been doing this for 10 years and have preformed and observed hundreds of procedures and so far I have not seen one bad thing happen. This procedure is almost bulletproof."

There are some risks, but most patients are pleased with the results.

"It is so nice being able to see clearly," Wagoner said. "Anyone who is sick and tired of having to squint all day and all night should really get this done."