Illustration

Definition:

LASIK is a surgical procedure that can reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The procedure permanently changes the shape of the cornea (the delicate clear covering on the front of the eye). For clear vision, the eye's cornea and lens must bend (refract) light rays properly, so that images are focused on the retina . If the light rays aren't clearly focused on the retina, the images you see are blurry.

This blurriness is referred to as a "refractive error." It is caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea, or lens. LASIK uses an Excimer Laser (an ultraviolet laser) to precisely remove corneal tissue to correct the shape for better focusing.

LASIK eye surgery is performed most often on people who have nearsightedness (myopia), which means that they only clearly see nearby objects; anything far away is blurry.

Alternative Names:

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis; Laser vision correction

Description:

A complete eye examination will be done before surgery to make sure your eyes are healthy. Once this is determined, the doctor will measure the curve of the cornea and the size and position of the pupils, the shape of the eyes (making sure there are no irregularities that would prevent LASIK as an option), and the thickness of the cornea (making sure there will be enough tissue left, once the cornea is cut and reshaped).

A signed informed consent form is needed before the procedure, confirming knowledge of the risks, benefits, alternative options, and possible complications. LASIK is an outpatient surgical procedure and will take 10 to 15 minutes for each eye. The only anesthetic used is an eye drop that numbs the surface of the eye. The procedure is done with the person awake. LASIK may be done on one or both eyes during the same session.

During LASIK, a special knife (a microkeratome) is used to cut a hinged flap of corneal tissue off the outer layer of the eyeball. The flap is lifted out of the way and a special laser is used to reshape the underlying corneal tissue.

The calculation for how much tissue is removed by the laser is done ahead of time. Once the reshaping is done, the surgeon replaces and secures the flap. No stitches are needed. An eye shield or patch will be placed over the eye to protect the flap and to help prevent rubbing or pressure on the eye until it has had enough time to heal.

Indications:

LASIK is done most often on people who use glasses or contact lenses because of myopia (nearsightedness). It is occasionally used to correct farsightedness. It may also correct astigmatism.

The FDA has approved the Excimer Laser to correct nearsightedness up to -12.00D with -4.00D of astigmatism, and farsightedness from +1.00 to +6.00 with 1.00D of astigmatism. (Diopter, symbol D, is the measurement of the refractive error. A negative D value indicates nearsightedness and a positive D value indicates farsightedness.)

HOME   ARCHIVES

WHAT IS LASIK ?

LASIK is a surgical procedure that is capable of correcting a wide range of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Although LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive procedure in the United States, the FDA considers the performance of LASIK a practice-of-medicine issue. (This means that physicians can perform LASIK should the physician and the patient make the joint decision to do so.) Get Complete More TOP Resources about WHAT IS LASIK

HOW IS LASIK ?

The step by step LASIK how to Click image for more.

MORE LASIK ARTICLE RESOURCE :

SMOKING NOT GOOD FOR EYES VISION Many peope willing to do correct Lasik eyes survergy to get better vision. Did you know that smoking could make your vision get worst and could couse problem with the health of your eyes. More... Read more LASER EYE SURGERY HAS 10 PERCENT FAILURE RATE The safety claims of laser eye surgery clinics, one of the fastest growing areas of cosmetic surgery, may be misleading, according to investigations. While many clinics claim that the sur... Read more LASIK IS POPULAR REFLACTIVE SURGERY Introduced in the early 1990s, LASIK is currently the most popular surgical procedure used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. LASIK can also correct Presbyopia, but on... Read more PRK IS LASIK WITHOUT THE FLAP PRK (or photorefractive keratectomy) is a laser eye surgery similar to LASIK. Like LASIK, PRK involves the use of the cool (non-thermal) energy of the Excimer laser to re-shape the cornea and ... Read more

MORE ARCHIVES