There are a large number of conditions of the eye that can cause a person serious problems if not dealt with. In the past there was not always a lot a person could do if they had poor sight. Glasses were often given to people as their eye sight worsened but this did nothing to rectify the problem. Laser eye surgery is now available and with decreasing prices over the years, anyone and everyone can benefit from this type of surgery. Laser eye surgery is also known as laser vision correction - the vision of the eyes is corrected using lasers.

The surgery itself is extremely quick and in most cases totally painless. There may be a period of time following the surgery where the patient has to keep patches over their eyes to prevent the glare of the sun from affecting them, but otherwise there is little recovery period. For a day or two the patient is required to rest their eyes following surgery. This means avoiding television, bright sunlight or reading. Sometimes people are back at work just a day or two later.

The two most common types of surgery are Lasik surgery and Lasek surgery. Lasik is often used for conditions that aren't very serious. Examples of non-serious conditions are Pterygium where a small amount of tissue grows over the surface of the cornea, or Blepharospasm which is the involuntary twitching of the eye. Neither of these conditions threaten a person's eyesight, however they can both be rectified with laser surgery. Lasek surgery is more often used for the more serious eye problems and on people who have corneas too thin for Lasik surgery. Both surgeries involve the reshaping of the cornea to correct any problems with sight.

Before the surgery starts an anesthetic is given to the patient in the form of an eye drop. Although the patient is awake throughout the procedure they cannot feel any pain. An anti-biotic is also given to ensure the eye or eyes don't become infected post-surgery. Regular checks are made following the surgery by the eye doctor to check on healing and ensure the surgery was successful too. There is nothing a patient has to do before surgery. It may be a requirement that food and drink are avoided for a number of hours before the surgery but this will depend on what is being done and where it is being carried out.

There are a range of problems and afflictions that can cause blindness. Without laser vision correction the unavoidable result will be losing your sight altogether however laser surgery now means it can't go that far. Cataracts are often present in the eyes of the elderly. These occur when the lens of the eye becomes hard and slightly cloudy. With laser surgery the damaged lens can be replaced with a new, artificial one and instantly the sight is back to normal. Glaucoma is another common condition that can be treated successfully with laser surgery. Other serious conditions that can be rectified are wet and dry age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. There are plenty of less serious but equally frustrating conditions that can be fixed including myopia which is short sightedness and dry eye syndrome which is when the tear duct of the eye doesn't work correctly.

Laser vision correction has helped millions of people all over the world recover their sight. There are many conditions and afflictions that can result in the loss of sight or blurry vision, and before laser surgery the only real option was to wear glasses. Your eye doctor can talk you through the process of the surgery. Although you will need to visit an eye hospital the surgery is very quick and painless.