Looking for the difference between LASIK and Cataract surgery? Talk with your doctor to determine the solution for you.
What is LASIK Surgery?
Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis or LASIK refers to a surgical procedure that treats nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism through the reshaping of the cornea by a laser.
Overall, a typical LASIK procedure includes the application of numbing drops, the forming of a corneal flap, the reshaping of the cornea and the replacement of the cornea flap. LASIK procedures take 15 minutes or less.
A patient must be in good general health and must not have a history of eye disease to qualify for a LASIK procedure. A doctor will determine a patient’s ideal course of action based on health history and current state of health. Though most LASIK patients report improved vision following the surgery, there may be a need for glasses or contact lenses in situations such as night driving and reading.
Why choose Davis Eye Center for LASIK surgery? Patients from all over the Northeast Ohio community look to Davis Eye Center because Dr. Davis uses the latest in surgical technology. Specifically, the team takes great pride in offering the CONTOURA Vision technology. This newest advance in treatment options can map up to 22,000 unique elevation points on a patient’s eye to create a custom layout. More than 90% of LASIK surgery patients report reaching 20/20 vision or better with this exclusive technology.
To ensure both precise and rapid laser positioning, our surgeon, Dr. Charles Davis uses the WaveLight Refractive Suite. This exclusive technology provides a topographic map of a patient’s eye to customize laser movement patterns. The WaveLight Refractive Suite creates a corneal flap in about six seconds and gives the surgeon access to the patient’s medical record over the course of a procedure.
What is Cataract Surgery?
A cataract is the clouding of an eye’s lens. Clouding typically happens gradually. Patients with cataracts can experience blurry vision, increased glare, especially with night driving, and difficulty reading, among other symptoms. Cataract surgery refers to the process by which a physician removes a patient’s clouded lens and replaces it with an artificial one.
The cataract surgery process typically includes the application of eye drops to dilate a patient’s pupil, the application of local anesthetic to numb the eye, the administration of a sedative in some cases.
Once the physician has prepared the eye, he or she may use an ultrasound probe to break up the lens and then suction the pieces out. Less commonly, a physician may make an incision into the eye to remove the unhealthy lens in one piece. Like LASIK surgery, a physician will work with a patient to determine the best treatment plan based on medical history and current health.
Why choose Davis Eye Center for cataract surgery? In addition to premier LASIK technology, the Davis Eye Center offers cutting edge technology for cataract surgery. The cataract surgery process is enhanced with the state-of-the-art LenSx femtosecond laser. This technology aids in making incisions more precise and correcting astigmatism for glasses independence post operatively.
LASIK and Cataract Surgery | The Similarities and the Differences
Each treatment serves a different part of the eye. LASIK reshapes the cornea, the outermost layer of a patient’s eye, while cataract surgery replaces the lens which sits just behind the iris. In addition, physicians typically provide LASIK surgery for younger patients while older people are more likely to deal with cataracts.
Both procedures, however, can allow a patient’s vision to reach 20/20 or better through advanced lasers. Some patients do receive these procedures in combination, but this is increasingly less common as the integrity of artificial lenses has advanced.
About Davis Eye Center
Davis Eye Center is a leading resource for general eye care, cataract treatment and LASIK surgery. Serving patients from all over the Northeast Ohio community. Count on the Davis Eye Center team for eye exams, ocular allergy care, routine eye exams and so much more. If you are ready to take the next step towards better vision and better health, then reach out to the physicians from Davis Eye Center today to learn more.