Glaucoma: Glaucoma is characterized by a particular pattern of progressive damage to the optic nerve that generally begins with a subtle loss of side vision. The type of laser surgery will depend on the form of glaucoma and how severe it is.

During the laser surgery, the eye is numbed so that there is little or no pain. The surgery is usually done with a local anesthetic and relaxing medications. Often a limited type of anesthesia, called intravenous (I.V.) sedation, is used.

Usually, filtering surgery is an outpatient procedure, requiring no overnight hospital stay. Within a few days after surgery, the eye doctor will need to check on the eye pressure. The doctor will also look for any signs of infection or increase in inflammation.

Recovery Time

For at least one week after surgery, patients are advised to keep water out of the eye. Most daily activities can be done, however, it is important to avoid driving, reading, bending, and doing any heavy lifting.

The eye will be red and irritated shortly after surgery, and there may be increased eye tearing or watering. The inner eye fluid flows through the surgically-created hole and forms a small blister-like bump called a bleb. The bleb, usually located on the upper surface of the eye, is covered by the eyelid, and is usually not visible.

PRK Eye Surgery: PRK is a type of laser eye surgery used to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism.

Your medical history will be evaluated as well as have your eyes tested. Likely tests will include measuring corneal thickness, refraction, and pupil dilation. The PRK procedure is done under local anesthesia and takes a maximum of about 10 minutes to do both eyes.

Recovery Time: Most of the time, a bandage contact lens will be applied immediately after the procedure. This contact lens is usually worn for the first 3 to 4 days to allow the surface of the eye to heal. You should expect to visit your eye doctor at least a few times during the first 6 months after surgery, with the first visit being the day after surgery. Once the surface of the eye is healed, the bandage contact lens is removed.

Strabismus: Strabismus as crossed eyes, is a condition in which the eyes don't look towards an object together. One of the eyes may look in or out, or turn up or down. The eye turning can occur all of the time or only sometimes, such as during stressful situations or illness.

A doctor may recommend that patients go through physical therapy to help strengthen their eye muscles. Vision therapy is also used to help a person correct their vision when suffering with strabismus. This therapy helps train a patient's brain to be able to align their eyes and focus and visually process images. Vision therapy uses computerized optical devises, including lenses and filters, to develop the eye muscles. In addition surgery to correct strabismus is performed to strengthen or weaken the effect of one or more of the muscles that move the eye.

When this procedure is performed on adults, it is usually done under local anesthesia.

At the end of the procedure, the surgeon will close the opening in the eye with stitches. The patient will often have double vision for a few weeks after surgery. This goes away as the brain adjusts to the new way of seeing.

Astigmatism: Astigmatism is a common type of visual problem that partly blurs an image. Astigmatism is a common eye condition that's easily corrected by eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery.

Corrective lenses (eyeglasses or contact lenses): For astigmatism, special corrective lenses called toric lenses are prescribed. Toric lenses have greater light bending power in one direction than the other. After performing various tests, your eye doctor will determine the ideal toric lens prescription for your astigmatism.

Refractive surgery: Another method for correcting astigmatism is by changing the shape of the cornea through refractive or laser eye surgery. While there is more than one type of refractive surgery, specific treatments are recommended on an individual basis.

Presbyopia: Presbyopia is part of the natural aging process of the eye, and can be easily corrected. Technically, presbyopia is the loss of the eye's ability to change its focus to see objects that are near. It is not a disease. It's as natural as wrinkles, and it affects everybody at some point in life. Presbyopia generally starts to appear around age 45.

Presbyopia cannot be cured. Instead, prescription glasses, contact lens, reading glasses, progressive addition lenses, or bifocals can help correct the effects of presbyopia. Bifocals are often prescribed for presbyopia. Bifocals are eyeglasses that have two different prescriptions in one spectacle lens.

Laser surgery to reverse presbyopia is currently being used.

Retinal Detachment: A retinal detachment is a separation of the retina from its attachments to the underlying tissue within the eye. Retinal holes or tears can be treated with laser therapy or cryotherapy (freezing) to prevent their progression to a full-scale detachment.

Three types of eye surgery are done for actual retinal detachment: scleral buckling, pneumatic retinopexy, and vitrectomy.

Scleral buckling: For many years, scleral buckling has been the standard treatment for detached retinas. The surgery is done in a hospital operating room with general or local anesthesia. Some patients stay in the hospital overnight, while others go home the same day.

Pneumatic retinopexy: Pneumatic retinopexy is a newer method for repairing retinal detachments. It usually is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.

Vitrectomy: Certain complicated or severe retinal detachments may require a more complicated operation called a vitrectomy. Vitrectomy surgery is performed in the hospital under general or local anesthesia.