When you have vision problems, LASIK surgery or cataract surgery may be able to help. However, these types of surgeries are used for entirely different vision problems. Learning more about these two treatment options can help you make a decision for your vision. Keep the following information on these eye surgeries in mind.
What Is LASIK Surgery?
LASIK surgery can help correct your vision if you have certain problems, such as nearsightedness. This type of surgery involves changing the way your cornea curves, which helps better focus light on the retina. When you have LASIK surgery, it’s usually done on both eyes at the same time instead of having each eye treated during different procedures.
Eye surgeons first use a femtosecond laser to make a flap in the cornea. Then, they use an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. This type of eye surgery provides you with improved vision afterward.
What Is Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is performed in order to remove cloudy lenses in the eyes and replace them with artificial ones. Natural lenses can become cloudy with age and develop into cataracts. These cataracts often develop slowly, but they can interfere with your vision when they become larger and denser. Traditional cataract surgery involves using a blade to remove the natural lens.
Laser cataract surgery involves using a femtosecond laser to perform many of the steps, making this a less invasive type of cataract surgery. Cataract surgery leads to improved vision because it replaces cloudy lenses with clear, artificial ones. During this type of advanced cataract surgery, other refractive errors such as astigmatism and presbyopia can be fixed to minimize the need for glasses after surgery.
Which Surgery Do You Need?
The type of surgery you need will depend on what is causing your vision problems. You will need to see a cataract surgeon or ophthalmologist if you have common cataract symptoms like blurry vision, sensitivity to light, or fading colors. Your eye doctor might recommend cataract surgery if you have more advanced cataracts that are impairing your vision.
If you need to have cataracts removed, you can choose either laser surgery or traditional surgery. You should weigh the pros and cons of each with a cataract specialist before making this decision.
If your vision problems are due to other eye conditions, such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, or farsightedness, LASIK surgery can help correct these. You might consider this type of surgery if you normally wear glasses to correct your vision. However, you’ll need to be considered a good candidate for this type of surgery. To evaluate your candidacy, you will need to have a thorough eye exam done by your eye doctor.
Knowing which surgery you should get to improve your vision can be hard to figure out on your own. When you’re looking for cataract or LASIK surgery, we can help. Schedule an appointment with the team at Florida Eye Specialists to find out which treatment option is right for you.