Are you someone who is nearsighted or farsighted, have you ever felt the frustration or inconveniency in having to wear glasses or contact lenses? Try LASIK or Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis! LASIK is a surgical procedure that can reduce a person?s dependency on glasses or contact lenses by permanently changing the shape of the cornea (the delicate clear covering on the front of the eye).

??????????? In order for a person to be able to view images clearly, their eye?s cornea and lens must be able to refract light rays properly so that images are focused on the retina. If these light rays aren?t clearly focused on the retina, they will see blurry images. This blurriness is called a ?refractive error? and is caused by an imperfect eyeball, cornea or lens. LASIK helps solve this problem by using an Excimer laser which is an ultraviolet laser to precisely remove corneal tissue to correct the shape for better focusing.

??????????? LASIK eye surgery is often performed on people who have nearsightedness or myopia, but is sometimes used to correct farsightedness and astigmatism. By using the Excimer Laser, the technology is able to correct nearsightedness up to 12.00D with -4.00D of astigmatism, and farsightedness from +1.00 to +6.00 with 1.00D of astigmatism. (Diopter, symbol D, is the measurement of the refractive error. A negative D value indicates nearsightedness and a positive D value indicates farsightedness.)

Before having a LASIK eye surgery, a complete eye examination is done to make sure your eyes are healthy. Doctors will then make sure that there are no irregularities that would prevent having a LASIK by measuring the curve of the cornea, the size and position of the pupils and the shape of the eyes. They will also make sure that there will be enough tissue left after the cornea is cut and reshaped by measuring the thickness of the cornea. The surgical procedure takes place within the consciousness of the patient, using only a mild sedative and anesthetic eye drops. The surgical procedure will take only 10 to 15 minutes for each eye and may be done on both eyes during the same session.

But before you think of going for a LASIK eye surgery, there are several things you must consider before undergoing the procedure. First of all you must be at least 18 years old since the vision of people younger than the age of 18 still continues to change. You should also not be pregnant or nursing and not taking certain prescription drugs that may interfere with the laser vision correction results. People with diabetes, rheumatoid, arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, or cataracts are not recommended to undergo the procedure as well. Mind that you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits based on your own personal value system and fully understand all the potential issues and complications.

LASIK is a good solution for people with nearsightedness and farsightedness. Surveys have also determined that most patients are satisfied with the results. You too may be satisfied from the procedure, but this only depends on your expectations and your research on the subject.

Canine glaucoma occurs in approximately 8% of dogs in the United States. It is the leading cause of blindness in middle aged dogs. Glaucoma in dogs, as in humans, is an abnormal buildup of fluid inside of the eye. The buildup occurs when the fluid does not drain properly through a filter between the cornea and sclera of the eye. The increased amount of fluid within the eye destroys the retina and optic nerve which will quickly cause blindness.

Symptoms of glaucoma may not be obvious or a cause for concern to the dog’s family. Many of the symptoms mimic other common conditions. The symptoms of canine glaucoma in the early stages may include squinting, rubbing of the affected eye, redness, and lethargy.

There is a variety of causes of canine glaucoma. Several breeds are born with inherited eye conditions that lead to glaucoma. Other breeds may be genetically predisposed. Glaucoma may also be caused by the filter between the cornea and sclera becoming clogged by inflammatory cells or intraocular tumors.

The key to successful treatment of glaucoma is early diagnosis. A dog presenting with the symptoms of glaucoma should have the intraocular pressure of the eye checked. For proper diagnosis the intraocular pressure must be checked with a tonometer by your veterinarian or a veterinary opthamologist. If the pressure is found to be above normal limits, treatment must begin immediately to increase the chances of saving the dog’s vision in the affected eye.
Treatment for glaucoma begins with a variety of eye drops and oral medications. The initial goal is to reduce the pressure in the eye with the hope of preserving vision. Reducing the pressure will also reduce the amount of pain the dog is feeling. Glaucoma not only causes blindness but causes an extreme amount of pain if left untreated. If the pressure cannot be reduced and kept within normal limits, surgery may be necessary.

There are several different surgical procedures that are currently used. The procedure used is determined by the amount of damage done to the dog’s eye and whether or not there is still a chance of saving vision. The owner’s preference is also taken into consideration. If there is a chance of saving some of the dog’s vision, non-evasive laser or cyclocryosurgery may be used. At the other end of the spectrum the dog’s eye may be removed or enuculated and sewn shut. This procedure is used if there is no chance of saving vision. All options are presented to the dog’s family along with the risks and benefits of each.