femtolasik flap healing and strength eye

[mark26]

Hello,

I see on the internet pages where they say that the flap never heals, and the eye is always in danger and weak.
And on other pages that the flap heals.

What is the truth??

Is it true that the eye is always weaker, also in the center of the flap?
That is never completely heals in total?

Can you rub your eyes?
What kind if trauma is dangerous for the flap and the eye?
When you get an elbow in your eye, will it be dangerous?
Or a fingertip not to hard?

Can the flap move?

Thanks for answering.

[LasikExpert]

I see on the internet pages where they say that the flap never heals, and the eye is always in danger and weak.
And on other pages that the flap heals.

What is the truth??

The truth is that the flap heals, and heals rather well, but is not exactly the same. Read the full truth about if the Lasik flap heals.

Is it true that the eye is always weaker, also in the center of the flap?

Five decades of surgery have taught that so long as at least 250 microns of a healthy cornea remains untouched, the cornea remains stable. More cornea is almost always better, but think about this question logically.

Brent has a cornea that is 600 microns thick. Paula has a cornea 400 microns thick. Paula does not have Lasik and Brent has surgery that disrupts 200 microns of tissue. Brent now has 400 microns of untouched cornea, the same as Paula. Is Brent's eye unstable? No.

That is never completely heals in total?

Read the article, but let's use logic again. About 17 million people have had Lasik worldwide. You undoubtedly know many who have had Lasik. Are their flaps falling off? No, they are not.

Can you rub your eyes?

Yes, after initial healing. BTW, vigorous or frequent rubbing of the eyes is never a good idea. It releases free radicals that hasten aging/deterioration.

What kind if trauma is dangerous for the flap and the eye?

I don't know that it would be appropriate to say that trauma is not dangerous, but after initial healing the eye can take just about the same amount of blunt-force trauma. All branches of the US military have approved Lasik, and NASA. Many football players have had Lasik. I think it is fair to say that there is no profession, hobby, or sport that does not include someone who has had Lasik.

When you get an elbow in your eye, will it be dangerous?

About as dangerous after Lasik as before Lasik. There are many extreme sports enthusiasts who have had Lasik, including fighters.

Or a fingertip not to hard?

It is possible to separate the Lasik flap at the location of the initial incision. After initial healing, a passing scrape is probably the most concerning. A fingertip would not likely do it, but a fingernail might. It would take a bit of force, but it can happen.

Can the flap move?

It is possible with enough of the right kind of force, such as a sweeping scraping motion directly across your cornea.

Thanks for answering.

You are welcome, but you didn't ask the important question: What else can I do to get the same result?

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is virtually the same as Lasik, but without the Lasik flap. There are several forms of PRK that are commonly referred to as "surface ablation" laser vision correction surgery. They all have a longer recovery time, but if you are overly concerned about the Lasik flap, consider PRK as an alternative.

The bottom line is that all surgery has risks and anything you do to your body will have a consequence. The question is if the potential benefit is worth the potential risk. Learn as much as you can from people who are not trying to force you in a particular direction and make your own decision based upon your own expectations and needs. You may also want to look at how previous vision correction surgery patients view their results (pun intended). See our article on Lasik Results and Expectations.

[mark26]

Thanks for answering
My left eye is -7.25 and my right eye -8.25
My was told that lasik was the only option.

But if i inderstand it correctly, in normal daily life, the flap normaly is no problem?
After it heals after 1 month or so, you can do the normal things, going to sauna, without problems with infection etc.

It is a problem with direct hit with force?

When the flap becomes a problem than, you go the every hospital with eye-surgeans?
Is it urgent than to go as quickly as possible?

Thanks again

[LasikExpert]

Thanks for answering
My left eye is -7.25 and my right eye -8.25
My was told that lasik was the only option.

The probability of corneal haze would be high enough to be virtually guaranteed with PRK and a correction that high. Read about Lasik and High Nearsighted Vision.

But if i inderstand it correctly, in normal daily life, the flap normaly is no problem?
After it heals after 1 month or so, you can do the normal things, going to sauna, without problems with infection etc.

You may need more time for healing, perhaps 90-180 days, but these are things people do after Lasik all the time.

It is a problem with direct hit with force?

Always, but the force great enough to cause flap problems is going to cause problems with or without Lasik. Eye protection is always improtant when in an environment where you may suffer such trauma, with or without Lasik.

When the flap becomes a problem than, you go the every hospital with eye-surgeans?
Is it urgent than to go as quickly as possible?

There is no doubt you would do whatever you are going to do as quickly as possible because the eye is going to hurt like you cannot imagine oi the flap is dislodged. Just about any decent ER can treat such problems.

Although you may greatly improve your vision with Lasik, there are some additional considerations. It is highly unlikely that you will have full correction on the first surgery. Unless the surgeon is extremely talented and/or lucky, you will likely need enhancement surgery. You will need a lot of tissue removed, so the 250 micron minimum untouched becomes important. The surgeon needs to account for this in the initial surgery and the reasonably expected enhancement. If you are over about age 45, you may want to consider an alternative like Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE). You certainly can be a success, but you are not an ideal candidate. Read all these articles I've linked and take your time.