There can be little doubt that laser eye treatment is effective in many situations, but there are just as many where the procedure is unsuitable and even counter productive.
Some of the reasons are the age of the patient, an existing medical condition or the fact that the patient might be taking particular medicines.
This is on top of the fact that some eye conditions cannot be dealt with effectively by laser treatment.
It can hardly be surprising then, that alternative treatments are available, treatments that are every bit as effective as the laser option and can boast a permanent improvement in eye sight.
These treatments are especially available in the area of refractive lens corrective surgeries, which include eye lens replacement procedures that effectively swap the aging, faulty lens in an eye with a lens implant that can restore near perfect sight.
When we compare the pros and cons of laser treatment over the available lens exchange procedures, there are clear reasons why the non laser option can comfortably be considered a preferable option.
The Pros First, we can look at the good points that laser surgery on eyes have.
Through both the Lasik and Lasek procedures, there is a dependable method for treating such common refractive eye conditions as myopia and hyperopia, which are better known as nearsightedness and farsightedness.
The main difference between the two is the fact that Lasik uses a Femtosecond laser to create a flap to gain access to the cornea, while Lasek does not.
This is necessary when the patient has a thin cornea or is deemed unsuitable for the initial laser.
However, both procedures use the Excimer laser to actually reshape the cornea.
The precision of lasers means that the surgeries can be done very quickly and very precisely.
In fact, they can be carried out in about 20 minutes per eye, meaning that a typical hour long visit to an eye clinic is all that is needed.
The Cons But as speedy and effective as these procedures are, they still cannot be effective in the treatment of every condition.
For example, cataracts are very common amongst the older generation, with the lens clouding up to dramatically reduce the quality of eyesight.
The condition requires a conventional surgical procedure to remove the affected lens and replace it with a lens implant.
Glaucoma can be treated by laser trabeculoplasty in some cases, but more extreme cases need to be treated through more conventional surgeries.
When it comes to problems with the cornea and lens, however, it is best to replace the faulty lens if the problem is to be removed permanently.
Generally, laser treatment can be used on patients of any age over 20 or 21, but while the option is open to patients who are over the age of 50, it tends to be less suitable.
This is generally down to the age of the eye and the fact that degenerative conditions such as cataracts cannot be properly treated by lasers.
The Alternatives When one visits an eye clinic of the highest reputation and standards, the first step in the treatment process is to have a consultation and assessment with a qualified ophthalmic surgeon.
It is then that the ideal procedure can be identified.
There are several alternatives to laser eye treatment, though it obviously depends on the actual eye condition.
However, the most common examples are cataract surgery and the hugely successful refractive lens exchange procedure.
Both of these surgeries are similar, with the faulty lens broken up by ultrasound technology, before being removed and replaced by a technically advanced Intra Ocular Lens.
The lens improves the sight of the patient so such a degree that they may never need to wear glasses or contact lenses again.
Of course, when eye lens replacement surgery is carried out, it replaces the original lens with an artificial version that not only improves sight but ensures that cataracts will never be a worry for the patient again.
Cataracts affect around two thirds of people aged 60 years and older, making them a common cause of sight problems.
But the arrival of these alternative procedures means that this can be easily dealt with in just a 20 minute procedure.