This is an information resource designed to help you understand the nature of a medical condition and the surgical procedure most commonly used to treat it.
LASIK Laser Eye Surgery • Patient Education http://ift.tt/2uTJLgr Patient Education Company Your doctor has recommended that you undergo Laser-In-Situ Keratomileusis - or LASIK Laser surgery - to correct a vision problem. What is lasik eye surgery? The human eye is constructed like a camera … with a clear lens in the front and light-sensitive tissue at the rear. This tissue makes up the retina which acts like photographic film. Patient Education In an eye that has perfect vision, light rays passing through the pupil are focused by the lens to fall precisely at the center of the retina. There are many common problems that can affect the eye and prevent light rays from focusing properly on the retina. Three of these problems, myopia - or nearsightedness; hyperopia - or farsightedness; and astigmatism can often be corrected or reduced with the use of LASIK laser surgery. Patient Education Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when the…
Your doctor has recommended that you undergo Laser-In-Situ Keratomileusis - or LASIK Laser surgery - to correct a vision problem.
What is lasik eye surgery?
The human eye is constructed like a camera ... with a clear lens in the front and light-sensitive tissue at the rear. This tissue makes up the retina which acts like photographic film.
In an eye that has perfect vision, light rays passing through the pupil are focused by the lens to fall precisely at the center of the retina. There are many common problems that can affect the eye and prevent light rays from focusing properly on the retina.
Three of these problems, myopia - or nearsightedness; hyperopia - or farsightedness; and astigmatism can often be corrected or reduced with the use of LASIK laser surgery.
Patient Education
Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too long or the curve of the cornea is too extreme. In this case, light rays are focused on a point in front of the retina - instead of on the retina itself.
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too short. In this case, light rays are focused on a point behind the retina.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is unevenly curved,
causing light rays to fall off center or not to focus properly at all.
In either case, LASIK laser surgery can be used to flatten all or part of the cornea ... allowing your doctor to cause the focal point of light entering the eye to fall more closely to the center of the surface of the retina.
LASIK laser surgery is a relatively simple and nonintrusive procedure that is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. LASIK laser surgery generally does not have any effect on a patient's overall health and there are no risks in choosing not to have the surgery.
Your Procedure - Patient Education Company
On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth and an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to the operating table and you'll be given an anesthetic in the form of eye drops, and a suction ring will be placed on the eye to prevent movement and to maintain pressure within the eye.
When the operative field is numb, the doctor will use an automated microsurgical instrument called a microkeratome.
This tiny instrument will carefully create a thin corneal flap which remains hinged to the eye.
Underneath this flap the inner layer of the cornea, called the stroma, is exposed.
Next, your doctor will use a computer to control pulses of cool laser light. These pulses will delicately remove microscopically thin layers of cells from the stroma
By removing tissue in this manner, your doctor will tailor the new shape of your cornea according to the exact nature of your vision problem. The entire procedure usually takes about 5 minutes and is painless.
The corneal flap is then closed and the surface is rinsed.
Following surgery, you'll be given protective contact lenses to wear for a few days while the corneal flap heals.
Before we talk about treatment, let's start with a discussion about the human body and about your medical condition.
Your doctor has recommended that you undergo a breast biopsy procedure - or lumpectomy. But what does that actually mean?
Biopsy is a general term which simply means "the removal of tissue for microscopic examination."
Your doctor intends to remove tissue from the breast - not because you're necessarily ill - but because breast biopsy is a very accurate method for analyzing breast tissue.
Because it provides such accurate diagnostic information, breast biopsy is an important diagnostic tool in the fight against breast cancer.
In your case, you have lump or thickening in your breast.
It was felt by you or your doctor during a routine breast exam or discovered following a mammogram. Let's take a moment to look at the reasons why lumps form in breast tissue.
The breast is made of layers of skin, fat and breast tissue - all of which overlay the pectoralis muscle. Breast tissue itself is made up of a network of tiny-milk carrying ducts and there are three ways in which a lump can form among them.
Most women experience periodic changes to their breasts. Cysts are some of the most common kinds of tissues that can grow large enough to be felt and to cause tenderness. Cysts often grow and then shrink without any medical intervention.
A second kind of lump is caused by changes in breast tissue triggered by the growth of a cyst. Even after the cyst itself has gone away, it can leave fibrous tissue behind. This scar tissue can often be large enough to be felt.
The third kind of growth is a tumor. Tumors can be either benign or cancerous and it is concern about this type of growth that has lead your doctor to recommend breast biopsy.
Sometimes you will have breast changes that can not be felt by physical examination alone; but may be seen on a mammogram.
In order to learn more about the nature of the lump in your breast your doctor would like to surgically remove it.
Most likely, you're feeling some anxiety about this procedure, which is perfectly understandable. You should realize that it's natural to feel apprehensive about any kind of biopsy. In some cases, a woman will choose not to have a biopsy simply out of fear.
But ignoring a lump in your breast won't make it go away.
If you're feeling anxious, try to remember that the purpose of a biopsy is simply to find out what is going on in your body - so that if you do have a problem, it can be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.
If you should decide not to allow your doctor to perform the biopsy, you'll be leaving yourself at risk for medical problems.
If the suspicious tissue in your breast is benign, most likely you'll suffer few if any complications. However, if it is cancerous, and it is allowed to grow unchecked - you might be putting your own life at risk.
The bottom line - trust that your doctor is recommending this procedure for your benefit and above all don't be afraid to ask questions raised by this video and to talk openly about your concerns.
Your Procedure:
On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown. You may receive a sedative by mouthand an intravenous line may be put in. You will then be transferred to an operating table.
Your doctor will scrub thoroughly and will apply an antiseptic solution to the skin around the area where the incision will be made.
Then, the doctor will place a sterile drape or towels around the operative site and will inject a local anesthetic. This will sting a bit, but your breast will quickly begin to feel numb. Usually, the surgeon will inject more than one spot - in order to make sure that the entire area is thoroughly numb.
After allowing a few minutes for the anesthetic to take effect, the surgeon will make a small incision.
Once the incision has been made, your doctor will begin looking for the lump that is to be removed. You will feel some pressure or even slight tugging or pulling - but you should not feel any sharp pain. If you do begin to feel pain, you should tell the doctor and you will be given more anesthetic.
Once the lump is removed, the doctor will close the skin over the incision as neatly and as cosmetically as they are able.
Finally, a sterile dressing is applied.
Your specimen will be sent immediately to a lab for microscopic analysis. Your doctor will tell you when to expect result from those tests.
