Lasik: The Eye Laser Miracle Book

Introduction     xi
Basic Information-Everyone Should Read This
The Treatment Is Easy     3
How Does the Eye Work?     6
Common Vision Problems     8
How Does Laser Treatment Improve Vision?     13
Are You a Good Candidate?     16
The Pretreatment Consultation     18
Flap or No Flap?     22
What Does Custom Wavefront Treatment Mean?     26
The Treatment Experience: The Patient's Perspective     28
Recovery After Lasik     34
Recovery After PRK     37
How Well Will You See?     42
The Healing Response: The Big Variable     45
Complications: What Can Go Wrong?     48
Re-treatments     56
One Eye or Two?     59
How to Choose a Doctor     62
If You Are Over Thirty-five     65
The Most Commonly Asked Questions About Laser Vision Correction     73
Additional Information-for Those Who want to Know More
What Does "20/20" Mean?     81
What Is a Laser? What Is an Excimer Laser?     86
The History of Laser Vision Correction     89
Who Monitors This Technique? The Role of the FDA     93
Five Important Tests-and What TheyMean     95
Alternatives to Laser Vision Correction     101
Intraocular Lenses
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
Corneal Rings (Intacs)
Radial Keratotomy (RK)
Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK)
Orthokeratology
Glasses and Contact Lenses
No More Reading Glasses?     111
Afterword
My Own Experience as a Patient     117
Appendixes
Other Sources of Information     125
Glossary     127
Acknowledgments     137
Index     139