What Is It Called When Your Eyes Change Color
5 Common Types of Eye Surgery
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As the saying goes, eyes are the window to the soul, so it is important to keep them as sharp and clear as possible. Unfortunately, accidents, age or genes can lead to a loss of full or partial vision, leaving us with a foggy or blurred view of our surroundings. Due to technology advancements though, these problems can be improved or permanently fixed. Here are five of the most common eye surgeries that are performed in the United States and the average cost of these eye surgeries.
Cataracts
Eye surgery involving cataract removal is one of the most common eye surgeries that is regularly performed. Illness, age or trauma can cause the crystalline lens part of the eye to turn cloudy and opaque, a condition known as cataracts. This makes it hard to focus and see a clear image on the retina and many often seek to have them removed via surgery. Doctors will extract the cataract either through Intracapsular Cataract Extraction (ICCE) or Extracapsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE). In 2017, eye surgery involving cataract removal cost an average of $3,500 per eye for those that didn't have Medicare or private health insurance.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States and second leading cause in the world if left untreated. Even for those that do seek treatment, there is yet to be a full cure for the disease, rather only a way to halt further loss of vision. This disease can affect young and old. Approximately 1 out of over 10,000 babies in the U.S are born with it and over 3 million Americans have this disease but only half actually know they have it. Glaucoma eye surgery is performed on those that have this disease that attacks the optic nerve. It is associated with an increase in intraocular pressure which results in a loss of vision. While the surgery itself cannot cure the condition, it can slow down the progression of it. This type of surgery though comes at a price. Those that choose to have the surgery will be paying between $2,000-5,000.
Myopia, Hyperopia and Astigmatism
If you find putting contact lenses in your eyes laborious or discover that your glasses are uncomfortable or give you a headache, there are alternative options to help you. Those that wear glasses or contact lenses most likely suffer from nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) or astigmatism. Thanks to vast advancement in technology, people can now improve their vision through LASIK eye surgery. The cost for this type of laser refractive eye surgery varies between $300-3,000 per eye.
Blepharoplasty
There is also eye surgery to help lift droopy eyelids called blepharoplasty, which is done either for a cosmetic reason or to help improve field of vision. This surgery involves removing skin and fat from the eyelid then stitching it together to create an eyelid crease. There is also a lower eye surgery where the surgeon makes a small incision below the lash line or inside the eyelid itself. This is common for those with sagging or puffy eyes who are wanting a more youthful look. Often insurance companies will only cover the cost if it is performed due to obstruction of their visual field which is proven through a vision field test.
Risks
As with any surgery, there are risks. All surgeries related to the eye run the risk of there potentially being a permanent loss of vision, glaucoma, infection, bleeding or dry eyes. Those that undergo cataract surgery are also at risk of retinal detachment and inflammation inside the eye. Glaucoma complications include potential lower eye pressure where fluid may build up behind the retina causing a shadow that affects the peripheral vision and may need surgery to correct it. LASIK eye surgery can lead to dry eye syndrome while Blepharoplasty can cause skin discoloration, noticeable scarring and irritated eyes. If you are having serious eye conditions, talk to your doctor and get a full eye examination so you can take the right steps to prevent any further damage and improve your vision.
What Is It Called When Your Eyes Change Color
Source: https://www.life123.com/article/5-common-types-of-eye-surgery?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex