Suppose you are watching television one
day and notice that you have to squint to see the screen
clearly. You decide to visit an optometrist for a vision
screening. After the screening, the optometrist tells you
that you have a vision problem called myopia -
nearsightedness. Does this mean you will have to wear
eyeglasses or contact lenses in order to see? In the past,
the answer to your question would have been yes. However,
there is another option that you may decide is a better
alternative than wearing corrective lenses: laser eye
surgery. You may have noticed printed advertisements and
television commercials that advertise a type of laser eye
surgery called LASIK. What is laser eye surgery? Can laser
eye surgery correct myopia? Is laser eye surgery something
that you should have done to correct your vision problem?
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Your job in this WebQuest is to learn all
about laser eye surgery. You will learn what types of vision
problems can be corrected by laser eye surgery. You will
explore the many different types of laser eye surgery and
identify the ones that are used to correct myopia. Because
not every patient is a candidate for laser eye surgery, you
will determine if you are a potential candidate for this
type of vision correction. You will also find out about the
advantages and disadvantages of laser eye surgery. Finally,
you will answer a set of questions to demonstrate what you
have learned about laser eye surgery, and make a decision
about whether or not you would choose to have this surgery.
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Look at the web sites given here to find
the information that will enable you to answer questions
about laser eye surgery.
- Laser
Eye Surgery: Is it worth looking into?
Visit
this site to read an article from the FDA Consumer
Magazine about laser eye surgery to correct vision
problems. The site includes a description of how vision
works, and a description of both laser-assisted in situ
keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy
(PRK) surgeries. Scroll down to learn who is a candidate
for laser eye surgery and for answers to frequently asked
questions about these procedures. This is an excellent,
comprehensive, and unbiased site.
- Comprehensive
Info on LASIK and Other Vision Surgery Techniques.
At this site you can learn all about the various
types of surgery available to correct vision problems.
Scroll down and click on types of corrective surgery to
read about flap procedures such as LASIK, LASEK, and ALK;
photoablation procedures such as PRK; and corneal incision
procedures such as RK, HK, and AK. Each procedure is
covered in detail at this site.
- The
LASIK Procedure.
Go to this site for a basic
description of the LASIK eye surgery. Scroll down and
click on detailed description to see photos of this
procedure.
- Laser
Eye Surgery, PRK, LASIK: The Inventions of Sight.
Visit this site to read about the history of the
development of vision correction devices. Then read about
the newest ways to treat vision problems by clicking on is
PRK for me.
- National
Eye Institute.
At this site you can find
information on eye diseases, and eye care resources.
Although it doesn't discuss laser eye surgery directly, it
does have diagrams and information on vision and vision
problems.
- LASIK
Institute.
Visit this site to find out more
about laser eye surgery, particularly LASIK surgery. This
site provides patients with detailed information on laser
eye surgery. It also provides information for surgeons and
researchers.
- LASIK
Eye Surgery: What is LASIK?
Go to this Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) site for information on the
eye and vision errors and to learn about the types of
surgery to correct those errors. In the menu bar at the
top of the page, click on when is LASIK not for me to find
out who is not a candidate for this type of surgery.
- Introduction
to Refractive Errors.
At this site by the
Cornea and Laser Eye Institute you can find out what
causes vision errors and how laser surgery can correct
these errors.
- Laser
eye surgery: experts prescribe caution.
Visit this CNN.com site to read about some of the
problems associated with laser eye surgery.
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1 class period for research and answering
the set of questions
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Read through the following set of
questions before you begin your Internet research. As you
explore each site, look for answers to the questions.
Questions about Laser Eye
Surgery
- What common vision problems can be corrected using
laser eye surgery?
- What type of laser is used in laser eye surgery?
- What do the letters LASIK stand for? What do the
letters PRK stand for?
- What kinds of vision problems can be corrected by
LASIK surgery? By PRK surgery?
- Who should NOT have laser eye surgery?
- Suppose you have myopia. Explain why you would, or
would not, choose to have laser eye surgery in order to
correct your vision problem. Use information from your
Internet research to support your position.
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In the process of completing this
WebQuest, you've become familiar with the types of vision
problems that can be corrected with laser eye surgery, and
become informed about the types of laser eye surgery
available. You have learned about both LASIK and PRK
procedures in particular, and have identified who might be
candidates for such surgeries. You have developed research
skills as you explored the web sites given and identified
the relevant information to answer the set of questions
above. Did your research convince you that laser eye surgery
is an effective treatment for vision problems? If you have
vision problems that can be corrected through laser eye
surgery, would you choose this form of treatment?
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