Difference Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery

Edited by Diffzy | Updated on: April 30, 2023

       

Difference Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery

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Introduction

Hundreds of billions of objects make up the environment in which we live, each with its color and clarity. It is a blessing for those with good vision to be able to see all of these things. However, there are certain people in the world who struggle to see things in their best light.

This could be related to a vision problem or blurry and poor vision. Cataract surgery and Lasik surgery are two well-known treatments for patients with vision difficulties. They are not the same thing, even though they both strive to improve eye vision.

Lasik Surgery vs Cataract Surgery

The primary distinction between Lasik Surgery and Cataract Surgery is that the former tries to improve near-sightedness or farsightedness by altering the shape of the cornea, resulting in a change in eye vision and focus. The latter, on the other hand, concentrates on eliminating cataracts from the interior of the eye and replacing the lens with an artificial lens (Difference Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery (With Table), n.d.).

Difference Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery in Tabular Form

Parameters of Comparison Lasik Surgery Cataract Surgery
The definition This is a type of eye surgery that involves changing the curvature of the cornea to improve vision. When the natural lens of an eye gets clouded or obsolete, it is replaced with an artificial one through eye surgery.
Another name This surgery is also known as laser vision surgery or laser eye surgery. This procedure is also known as lens replacement surgery.
Uses Treating a person's farsightedness or near-sightedness allows him to see without the use of glasses. Treat the obsolescence that happens in an eye's natural lens.
The effectiveness The success rate for this procedure is around 96-97 percent. This procedure has a success rate of around 99 percent.
Most suitable for People who are farsighted or near-sighted. Those who have hazy eyesight or cataracts in their lenses.

What is Lasik Surgery?

LASIK eye surgery is the most well-known and widely used laser refractive surgery for vision correction. LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses) is a procedure that can be used instead of glasses or contact lenses.

A particular form of cutting laser is used during LASIK surgery to accurately alter the shape of the dome-shaped transparent tissue at the front of your eye (cornea) to improve vision.

The cornea bends (refracts) light precisely onto the retina at the rear of the eye in eyes with normal vision. The light is bent improperly in near-sightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), or astigmatism, resulting in impaired vision.

Vision can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, but reshaping the cornea will also offer the necessary refraction.

For the repair of one of these vision issues, LASIK surgery may be an option:

  • Near-sightedness- This is a condition that occurs when a person has myopia. Light rays basically focus in front of the retina and impair distant vision when your eyeball is somewhat longer than normal or when the cornea curves too sharply. Objects that are close to you can be seen clearly, while those that are far away cannot.
  • Farsightedness (hyperopia)- Light focuses behind the retina instead of on it when you have a shorter than average eyeball or a cornea that is too flat. This causes hazy vision at near and far distances.
  • Astigmatism- Astigmatism occurs when the cornea curves or flattens unevenly, disrupting the focus of near and far vision.

You probably already use glasses or contact lenses if you're considering LASIK surgery. Your eye doctor will discuss if LASIK surgery or another similar refractive technique would be a good fit for you.

Preparation of Lasik Surgery

To prepare for surgery a person should take the following steps:

  • One should be aware of the potential costs of surgery. This is because most insurance companies will not pay the cost of LASIK surgery since it is considered elective surgery. Prepare to pay for your expenses out of pocket.
  • Make plans to get a ride home. You'll also need someone to drive you to and from your surgical location. You may still feel the effects of the drug you were given before surgery, and your vision may be blurry just after surgery.
  • Leave the eye makeup. On the day before and the day of your operation, avoid wearing eye makeup, cream, perfumes, or lotions. In the days immediately up to surgery, your doctor may also advise you to clean your eyelashes daily or more frequently to eliminate debris and reduce your risk of infection.

Before the Operation of Lasik Surgery

People who are properly examined before surgery to verify that they are appropriate candidates for the treatment have the best long-term benefits from LASIK.

If you wear contact lenses, which might alter the shape of your cornea, you'll need to stop wearing them for at least a few weeks before your examination and operation and just wear your spectacles. Depending on the type of contacts you use and how long you've been wearing contacts, your doctor will give you particular instructions.

Your eye specialist will ask about your medical and surgical history and perform a thorough eye examination to assess your eyesight and determine whether you can safely undergo the surgery.

Your doctor will be on the lookout for symptoms of:

  • Infection of the eyes
  • Inflammation
  • Eyes that are dry
  • Large pupils
  • High eye pressure

Your eye doctor will also assess the shape, contour, thickness, and abnormalities of your cornea. Your eye specialist will assess which parts of your cornea require reshaping and calculate the exact amount of tissue to be removed.

Before LASIK surgery, doctors usually employ wavefront-guided technology to thoroughly examine your eye. A scanner makes a highly comprehensive chart of your eye, comparable to a topographic map, in this test. The more precise your eye doctor can be while removing corneal tissue, the more thorough the measurements are.

Your doctor will go over the risks and benefits of LASIK surgery, as well as what to expect before and after the procedure and answer any questions you may have.

The Procedure of Lasik Surgery

LASIK procedure normally takes 30 minutes or less to complete. You will be lying on your back in a reclining chair for the process. It's possible that you'll be offered medication to help you relax. Your doctor will use equipment to hold your eyelids open after placing numbing drops in your eye. A suction ring placed on your eye right before cutting the corneal flap can induce a pressure sensation and cause your vision to fade slightly.

A little hinged flap is taken away from the front of your eye by the eye surgeon using a small blade or cutting laser. Your doctor can access the area of your cornea that has to be altered by folding back the flap.

Now, your eye surgeon reshapes parts of your cornea with a programmed laser. A small amount of corneal tissue is removed with each pulse of the laser beam. The surgeon repositions the flap after reshaping the cornea. In most cases, the flap heals without the need for stitches.

During the procedure, you will be asked to concentrate on a single point of light. While the laser reshapes your cornea, you can keep your eye fixed by staring at this light. As the laser eliminates your corneal tissue, you may notice a unique odor. Some people have reported smelling something that smells like burned hair.

If you need LASIK surgery in both eyes, the treatment is usually done on the same day.

After the Procedure of Lasik Surgery

Your eye may itch, feel gritty, burn, or be runny just after surgery. Your vision will most likely be hazy. In most cases, there will be little pain, and your vision will return fast. For several hours after the treatment, you may be given pain medicine or eye drops to make you comfortable. Until your eye heals, your eye doctor may advise you to wear a shield over your eye at night.

After surgery, you will be able to see, although your eyesight will not be clear immediately away. It takes two to three months for your eye to heal and your eyesight to settle after surgery. Your odds of seeing better after surgery are partly determined by how good your eyesight was before surgery.

One to two days after surgery, you'll have a follow-up appointment with your eye doctor. He or she will examine your eye to evaluate how it is healing and look for any potential issues. Other follow-up appointments, as recommended by your doctor, should be scheduled throughout the first six months after surgery.

It may take a few weeks for you to resume using cosmetics around your eyes. It's also possible that you'll have to wait a few weeks before returning to strenuous contact sports, swimming, or hot tubs. Follow your doctor's advice on when you can return to your regular activities (LASIK eye surgery, n.d.).

What is Cataract Surgery?

So basically, Cataract surgery is a process that removes a person's eye's natural lens and replaces it with an artificial lens in most circumstances. The lens of your eye is normally clear. The lens of your eye becomes clouded as a result of a cataract, affecting your vision.

Also, according to experts Cataract surgery is done as an outpatient procedure by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist), which means you won't have to stay in the hospital afterward. Cataract surgery is a popular operation that is generally safe.

Why is Cataract Surgery Required?

Your doctor may recommend cataract surgery if a cataract makes it difficult for a person to carry out the daily activities.

Moreover, Cataract surgery may be recommended if a cataract interferes with the treatment of another eye disease. For instance, if a cataract makes it difficult for a person's eye doctor to examine the back of the eye to monitor or treat other eye issues like age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, doctors may recommend cataract surgery.

Preparation of Cataract Surgery

You’ll probably be instructed to fast for 12 hours before your cataract surgery. For a brief amount of time, your doctor may advise you to stop taking any medications that could increase your risk of bleeding during the surgery. Tell your doctor if you're taking any medications for prostate problems, as some of these can interfere with cataract surgery.

Antibiotic eyedrops may be prescribed one or two days before surgery. You can usually go home the same day as your operation, but you won't be able to drive, so make arrangements for someone to drive you home. Make arrangements for help around the house, if necessary, as your doctor may restrict tasks like bending and lifting for about a week after surgery.

Before the Cataract Surgery

Your doctor performs a painless ultrasound test to measure the size and shape of your eye a week or so before surgery. This aids in the selection of the proper lens implant (intraocular lens, or IOL).

IOLs will be provided to almost everyone who gets cataract surgery. By focussing light on the back of your eye, these glasses improve your eyesight. The lens will not be visible or feelable. It does not require any maintenance and becomes an inseparable part of your eye.

Plastic, acrylic, or silicone are used to make this. UV light is blocked by some IOLs. Some IOLs are made of stiff plastic and are implanted through an incision that must be closed with multiple stitches (sutures).

During the Procedure of Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is commonly performed as an outpatient operation and takes an hour or less. To dilate your pupil, your doctor will first place eyedrops in your eye. To numb the region, you'll be given local anaesthetics, and you may be given a sedative to help you relax. You may be awake but sleepy during surgery if you're given a sedative.

The clouded lens is removed during cataract surgery, and a clear prosthetic lens is usually put in its place. However, in some circumstances, a cataract can be eliminated without the use of an artificial lens.

After the Cataract Surgery

Within a few days after cataract surgery, your eyesight should improve. As your eye heals and adjusts, your vision may become fuzzy at first. Because you're viewing through a new, clear lens, colors may appear brighter following surgery. Before surgery, a cataract is usually yellow or brown, making colors appear muted.

To monitor healing, you'll normally see your eye doctor a day or two after surgery, then again, a week later. It's typical to have itching and slight discomfort following surgery for a few days. Rubbing or squeezing your eye is not a good idea (Cataract surgery, n.d.).

Main Differences Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery In Points

  • LASIK, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses, is a surgical treatment that uses a laser to reshape the cornea to correct near-sightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
  • The clouding of an eye's lens is known as a cataract. Clouding usually occurs over time. Symptoms of cataracts include hazy vision, increased glare, especially when driving at night and difficulties reading, among others. The procedure in which a doctor removes a patient's clouded lens and replaces it with an artificial one is known as cataract surgery.
  • Cataract surgery replaces the lens that sits directly below the iris.
  • LASIK reshapes the cornea, the outermost layer of a patient's eye.
  • In addition, doctors frequently perform LASIK surgery on younger individuals.
  • Older people are more likely to develop cataracts (The Difference Between LASIK and Cataract Surgery, n.d.).

Conclusion

Thus, now we got to know the differences between Lasik surgery and cataract surgery in detail.

References

  • Cataract surgery. (n.d.). Retrieved from MAYO CLINIC: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cataract-surgery/about/pac-20384765
  • LASIK eye surgery. (n.d.). Retrieved from MAYO CLINIC: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/lasik-eye-surgery/about/pac-20384774
  • The Difference Between LASIK and Cataract Surgery. (n.d.). Retrieved from DAVIS EYE CENTER: https://daviseyecenter.com/cataracts/difference-between-lasik-and-cataract-surgery/#:~:text=LASIK%20reshapes%20the%20cornea%2C%20the%20outermost%20layer%20of,people%20are%20more%20likely%20to%20deal%20with%20cataracts.

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"Difference Between Lasik and Cataract Surgery." Diffzy.com, 2024. Fri. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.diffzy.com/article/difference-between-lasik-and-cataract-surgery-480>.



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