Common Ophthalmic Surgeries

Vision problems are very common, and there are many ways to address them. While the use of ophthalmic lenses is the easiest way to correct vision problems, there are also ophthalmic surgeries and procedures that can fix problems or improve vision so you may not need ophthalmic lenses anymore.

Let’s discuss some common ophthalmic surgeries to give you a better idea of what they are and what problems they fix.

Common Ophthalmic Surgeries

Here are some of the most common ophthalmic surgeries and procedures.

· Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are cloudy regions in the lens that make seeing clearly difficult for patients. Surgeons typically fix cataracts using tiny tools to remove the cloudy lens from the eye and replacing it with a clear, artificial lens.

· Retinal Surgeries

Retinal surgeries are ophthalmic surgeries for the retina, and they are often used in conjunction to overcome retinal problems. The most common ones are:

Ø Pneumatic Retinopexy
A small, temporary air bubble is injected into the middle of your eyeball to push the retina back into place before applying other treatment to hold your retina in place.

Ø Pars Plana Vitrectomy
This procedure is performed to remove and replace the vitreous humor (the eyeball’s gel). The surgeon makes an incision and insert a vitrectomy probe for cutting the gel and removing the broken part of fluid by using a suction tool.

Ø Scleral Buckle
Surgeons place a scleral buckle, which is a minute and flexible band around the sclera (white part of your eye) forever. The band gently pushes the sides of your eye toward your retina to help reattach it over time.

· Refractive Surgeries

Refractive surgeries address refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. They often eliminate the need for ophthalmic lenses. The most common of these surgeries is Laser-assisted in situ Keratomileusis or simply LASIK.

It involves a laser light to correct the shape of the cornea and fix refractive errors. A common alternative to LASIK is Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK, which fixes refractive errors in adults with thin corneas or dry eyes.

· Corneal Surgeries

Corneal surgeries are surgeries for the damaged cornea of your eyes. Depending on the severity of the damage to the cornea, the doctor may suggest complete or partial transplant of the cornea. This transplant requires healthy donor tissue, typically from the eyes of a deceased person.

Other common corneal surgeries include Corneal Inlays, which is when a device is surgically implanted in the cornea to treat presbyopia or age-related farsightedness.

· Glaucoma Surgeries

Glaucoma damage can’t be reversed but glaucoma surgeries can help prevent vision loss and further damage. Surgeons commonly perform a trabeculectomy in which a small opening is made in the eye under the upper eye lid to drain excess fluid.

Conclusion

These were just some common ophthalmic surgeries and there are many others, including ones that are similar to the mentioned ones. There are also many different surgeries that achieve the same outcome for patients with slight variations.

We can discuss them another time. For now, if you want to learn more about common ophthalmic surgeries or want the best ophthalmic lenses for yourself or your business, please visit our website today.