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No this is not a late-night personal injury lawyer infomercial.
This is a recommendation that you have your LASIK records available, for your own good, later in life.
There are 2 million cataract surgeries done yearly in the U.S. and the odds are, if you live long enough, you will eventually need cataract surgery, too.
What does this have to do with LASIK surgery?
When doctors perform cataract surgery they remove the cataract, which is the lens of your eye that has become cloudy. And they replace that lens with an artificial lens called an Intraocular Lens implant (IOL).
The IOL needs to have a strength to it to match your eye so that things are in focus without the need for strong prescription eyeglasses.
Currently, we determine what the strength the IOL needs to be by using formulas that mostly depend on the measurements of the curvature of the cornea and the length of the eye.
Those formulas work best when the cornea is its natural shape -- i.e., not previously altered in shape from LASIK.
If you plug the “new” post-LASIK corneal shape into the formulas, the IOL strength that comes out is often significantly off the strength you really need to see well.
This is where having your records becomes important.
Knowing what your eyeglass prescription and corneal shape was BEFORE you had LASIK greatly improves our formula’s ability to predict the correct implant strength.
In most states there is a limit to how long a doctor needs to keep your records after your last visit, so everyone who has had LASIK surgery should get a copy of your pre- and post-LASIK records NOW before they no longer exist.
Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.
This blog provides general information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately licensed physician. The content of this blog cannot be reproduced or duplicated without the express written consent of Eye IQ.
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The Background
Over the last several years, research has indicated a strong correlation between the presence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and glaucoma. Information from some of these pivotal studies is presented below.
Did you know
- Glaucoma affects over 60 million people worldwide and almost 3 million people in the U.S.
- There are many people who have glaucoma but have not yet had it diagnosed.
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States.
- If glaucoma is not detected and goes untreated, it can result in peripheral vision loss and eventual, irreversible blindness.
- Sleep apnea is a condition that obstructs breathing during sleep.
- It affects 100 million people around the globe and around 25 million people in the U.S.
- A blocked airway can cause loud snoring, gasping or choking because breathing stops for up to two minutes.
- Poor sleep due to sleep apnea results in morning headaches and chronic daytime sleepiness.
The Studies
In January 2016, a meta-analysis by Liu et. al., reviewed studies that collectively encompassed 2,288,701 individuals over six studies. Review of the data showed that if an individual has OSA there is an increased risk of glaucoma that ranged anywhere from 21% to 450% depending on the study.
Later in 2016, a study by Shinmei et al. measured the intraocular pressure in subjects with OSA while they slept and had episodes of apnea. Somewhat surprisingly they found that when the subjects were demonstrating apnea during sleep, their eye pressures were actually lower during those events than when the events were not happening.
This does not mean there is no correlation between sleep apnea and glaucoma - it just means that an increase in intraocular pressure is not the causal reason for this link. It is much more likely that the correlation is caused by a decrease in the oxygenation level (which happens when you stop breathing) in and around the optic nerve.
In September of 2016, Chaitanya et al. produced an exhaustive review of all the studies done to date regarding a connection between obstructive sleep apnea and glaucoma and came to a similar conclusion. The risk for glaucoma in someone with sleep apnea could be as high as 10 times normal. They also concluded that the mechanism of that increased risk is most likely hypoxia – or oxygen deficiency - to the optic nerve.
The Conclusion
There seems to be a definite correlation of having obstructive sleep apnea and a significantly increased risk of getting glaucoma. That risk could be as high as 10 times the normal rate.
It's highly recommended that if you have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea that you have have a comprehensive eye exam in order to detect your potential risk for glaucoma.
Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.
This blog provides general information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The words and other content provided on this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately licensed physician. The content of this blog cannot be reproduced or duplicated without the express written consent of Eye IQ.
Read on »
