LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery is an operation which can change the shape of the cornea and result in improved vision. Successfully surgery means the patient will no longer need to wear contact lenses or glasses. LASIK eye surgery is usually performed on people who are nearsighted but is occasionally performed on farsighted people and those with astigmatism.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery?

In LASIK surgery, an excimer laser, which uses a cool, ultraviolet beam, is used to remove corneal tissue. This corrects the shape of the cornea and gives better focusing. A thin flap is made in the eye covering and folded back to allow the laser access to the cornea. After the treatment, the flap is closed and the eye heals itself.

You need to be healthy to receive LASIK eye surgery and not have rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, glaucoma, lupus, cataracts or a herpes eye infection.

LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure

Soft contact lens wearers must stop wearing the lenses five to seven days before their LASIK surgery. Hard contact lenses should not be worn for several months before the surgery. The corneas are examined with a pachymeter before the surgery, to find out how thick they are. A topographer measures the surface contour of the corneas. With this information, the surgeon can work out how much corneal tissue to remove and whereabouts to remove it from.

You will normally get an antibiotic before the LASIK eye surgery to minimize infection risk and you might also get anesthetic eye drops and a mild sedative. You will need to be awake during the LASIK.

First of all, the hinged flap is created with either a metal blade or a laser. The flap is folded back to reveal the stroma, which is the middle part of the cornea. Next, an excimer laser is used to remodel the stroma. The laser can vaporize unwanted tissue without damaging the stroma. This laser ablation tends to be less painful than PRK eye surgery and the recovery time will be less.

When the flap is lifted, you will only be able to see white light and your vision will be very blurry. This can be disconcerting but is normal. After the laser work is done, the flap is repositioned and checked for debris and air bubbles. The eye naturally holds the flap in place and heals it.

After LASIK Surgery

You will be given a course of anti-inflammatory, antibiotic eye drops after the LASIK eye surgery. You will be advised to sleep more than usual and you might get a pair of darkened eye shields since your eyes will be sensitive to light. These eye shields also minimize the chance of rubbing your eyes in your sleep. Your vision might blurry for up to several weeks after the operation. You should not drive until you can see properly. Many people, however, can see clearly as soon as the day after the surgery.

LASIK eye surgery can be expensive and few insurance companies cover the cost of refractive surgery. If you are happy wearing glasses or contact lenses, this surgery might not be for you but if you are keen to have eye surgery, thousands of people have already had LASIK and are delighted with the results.

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