Laser Eye Surgery Speech

Individuals who require some form of corrective lenses suffer from a visual impairment known as refractive error, meaning they suffer from one of four impairments: myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. In the early 1970s, a procedure known as radial keratotomy was created. Radial keratotomy is a surgical procedure for correcting refractive error. Technological advances enabled the advent of laser surgery to correct refractive error over the past decade. The most promising and most popular form of laser refractive repair is a process known as ôlaser in situ keratomileusisö, more commonly known by the acronym LASIK, (Bidwell 1999, 2).

LASIK made headlines after a variety of famous patients like Cindy Crawford, Courtney Cox, and athletes like pitcher Greg Maddux. When Maddux took the mound to start for the Braves only two days after undergoing LASIK, without corrective lenses, the procedure increased in popularity. LASI

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t with knew what he was doing. And I think your eyes are certainly more important than your car,ö (Bidwell 1999, 2). Health professionals argue that anyone seeking to undergo the LASIK procedure should schedule a pre-screening exam costing around $250.00 (Braham 2002). There are many reasons for a pre-screening exam. LASIK surgery is not for everyone and if performed on the wrong individuals it may cause greater harm than good, possibly causing blindness in some cases. One of the biggest factors or criteria for ruling the procedure in or out is the thickness of the cornea. The FDA recommends that the cornea by at least 410 microns thick after LASIK, as patients with thin corneas can suffer vision loss (Braham 2002). Ideal candidates should also be over 21 years of age as the eyes are still growing until that point. Ideal candidates for LASIK surgery must also have healthy eyes that are free of retinal problems, corneal scares, and any eye disease, (Lewis 1998, 7). While these and other considerations must be determined during a pre-screening exam to decide if a patient will benefit from LASIK surgery, the benefits are enormous for those who meet the criteria. As Jeri Goldstein, a former contact wearer who suffered blurr
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Approximate Word count = 1209
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)