Is Lasik Eye Surgery Safe For Kids?
By Dawn BradshawThe topic of Lasik eye surgery and its effectiveness in vision correction for children is a highly debated one. According to the FDA, Lasik should be performed only on people above 18 years of age. The other criteria for performing Lasik is that, the vision condition of the patient should be stable for the past year, which is often difficult for children that are having issues with their vision. Because of this, Lasik surgery is normally not recommended for kids.
What does the medical community say?
Lasik surgery can offer superb results in correcting vision issues even in children. Some, prominent ophthalmologists believe that Lasik can be used for children who cannot wear glasses or contact lenses. This is performed particularly for those children who are not able to read or write properly due to poor vision. There is a direct connection between the eyes and the brain, and the development process of this connection continues until children reach age 7 to 8 and this development process might be hindered by LASIK surgery. On the other hand, according to some eye specialists, maximizing the vision of the eye before the developmental process is complete is vital to ensure that the children have complete vision.
Why Lasik might be ineffective for kids?
The Lasik surgery procedure involves creating a corneal flap, and then using a laser to reshape the cornea. Reshaping the cornea corrects the inability of the cornea to focus incoming light directly onto the lens. However, as a child, the cornea, and lens of the eye is also expected to grow and change their shape naturally. So, if Lasik is performed on a child, the cornea might grow into a different shape again as they grow, making the previous process ineffective. Performing Lasik for children should only be performed for severe cases where it is the only option available for vision correction.
Children can be affected by numerous eye disorders. With proper treatment, these eye problems can be corrected, but they need to be diagnosed at an early age. By performing an eye examination, a skilled ophthalmologist can determine whether your child will be able to see without glasses or lenses in the near future or not. Nowadays, medical science has advanced and most children's eye problems can be solved by the use of different medications or surgeries. With the progress of these new technologies, many critical problems like retinopathy, pediatric glaucoma, cataracts, ptosis and many other abnormal visual imbalances are now being treated and corrected successfully.
The physicians at Ophthalmology Associates have offered eye care services in Fort Worth, HEB, Weatherford, and Granbury for over 40 years. For more information call us at (817) 332-2020 or Contact Us Online to request an appointment by simply filling out the on-line form. It's a beautiful world, you deserve to see it well!
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