Eye Surgery – Types / Risks

There are many different eye problems that somebody might be diagnosed with. Each one displays a unique set of symptoms and has its own potential complications.

Many eye diseases occur due to the slow degeneration of the eyes and they aren’t fully preventable. Other eye conditions can be avoided with healthy lifestyle choices and a great diet.

If you have been diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease or general eye condition, there are lots of different treatment options that are now available. All of the treatment methods have their own benefits and risks, and you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons before agreeing to a treatment plan.

Here are some of the most commonly used eye health problems and surgeries, including what they are and what risks are involved in each one.

Laser Eye Surgery

Lasik Surgery (laser in-situ keratomileusis, also known as laser eye surgery) is a type of refractive surgery that involves reshaping the cornea of the eyes. The end goal is to restore or adjust the focal point of the person’s vision, enabling them to see more clearly.

Laser eye surgery uses a beam of light (a laser) to gently vaporize a small area of the cornea so that it can be reshaped. It’s often used to tray near-sightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

The risks of laser eye surgery include dry eyes, glare, halos, and double vision or loss of vision.

Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is performed when somebody has drooping eyelids, under-eye bags, or excessive skin on the upper or lower eyelids.

This surgical procedure involves making one or more tiny incisions around the eyelids to remove small amounts of skin, muscle, and fat. The removal of these tissues can improve the appearance of the eyes as well as overall vision.

Risks of blepharoplasty include scarring, infection, bleeding, dry eyes, and temporary loss of vision.

Corneal Transplant

When the cornea of your eye is damaged or diseased, you may need to get a corneal transplant. This procedure requires healthy donor tissue that is used to replace your cornea.

You can get a full transplant (penetrating keratoplasty) or a partial transplant (lamellar keratoplasty). As with anything, there are risks to either full or partial corneal transplants, such as:

• Cataracts
• Bleeding
• Infection inside or on the surface of the eye
• Onset of glaucoma
• Inflammation
• Detachment of the new cornea

Cataracts Surgery

Cataracts are a condition that causes an area of the lens to become cloudy. The lens is normally clear but it can become frosted and cloudy, leading to poor vision.

When somebody has been diagnosed with cataracts, they have the option of surgery to replace the cloudy lens with an artificial alternative. Without treatment, cataracts tend to get worse over time and this can seriously affect the quality of life.

The risks of cataracts surgery include blurred vision, partial loss of vision, or detached retina. These risks carry a 1 in 50 chance. There is a 1 in 1000 risk of complete loss of vision.