• Lasik Eye Surgery
• Lasik Eye Surgery Risks
• Lasik Eye Surgery Complications
• Lasik Eye Surgery Side Effects
• Lasik Eye Surgery Success Rate
• Lasik Eye Surgery Cost
• Lasik Eye Surgery Reviews and Results
• Lasik Eye Surgery Age Requirement and Facts
• Cataract Surgery
• Cataract Surgery FAQs
• Laser Eye Surgery
• Laser Eye Surgery Side Effects
• Laser Eye Surgery Risks

LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK Introduction LASIK is the most popular laser eye surgery all over the world for treating astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness. LASIK involves creating a tiny incision with either a microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser (“bladeless” LASIK). A thin corneal flap between 100 and 180 microns is created. This flap is folded back, and the medial corneal tissue (stroma) is then painlessly treated with an excimer laser to rectify the refractive error. An excimer laser works with ultraviolet light to vaporize and remove the required eye’s surface tissue for correction of refractive errrors. After surgery, the flap is put back in place, and the incision is allowed to heal naturally with time.

Wavefront LASIK eye surgery is an advanced LASIK technique that uses 3-D measurements to determine an eye’s individual processing of images. In this procedure, a laser is guided by a computer that measures how an eye processes various images. These measurements will determine how much corneal reshaping is needed. The Wavefront LASIK procedure is very individualized and precise and is suitable for those suffering from mild to fairly high degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness and acuvue astigmatism.

LASIK Eye Surgery Pros and Cons
One refractive error (not caused by organic disease) is blurry vision caused by misalignment or distortion of the optical elements of the eye. The traditional correction of blurry vision is by fitting the patient with eyeglasses or contact lenses, which are merely corrections for the problem, not cures. For those interested in a cure for their refractive error, we turn to refractive surgery, and the foremost among them is LASIK, which is synonymous with laser refractive surgery.

For treating nearsightedness, LASIK aims to flatten the overly steep cornea. For treating farsightedness, LASIK aims to create a steeper cornea than the existing one. LASIK also corrects astigmatism by smoothing out an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

LASIK requires a relatively thick corneal tissue for efficient and painless procedure with quick recovery. The whole procedure takes about one minute. LASIK is generally adopted for lower levels of correction (between – 6 D and 3.50 D). The average cost of LASIK eye surgery in the US is around $2,000 for each eye.

LASIK doesn’t need overnight stay at the surgical center as it is performed on an outpatient basis. Your LASIK surgeon adjusts the laser for your specific prescription, using a computer. You will be required to focus your vision for a short period of time on a target light. During this period, the laser device sends pulses of light to painlessly alter the shape of your cornea. While the complete LASIK surgery takes around 5 minutes, the actual visual correction procedure itself usually takes less than a minute.

Thanks to LASIK, millions of people all over the world are less dependent on glasses/contacts. However, one should be cautious before deciding to undergo LASIK as it is associated with some serious — though rare — risks. Thankfully again, the risks associated with LASIK occur in far below one percent of LASIK eye surgeries.

In spite of being the surgery of choice for people having normal corneas, LASIK is not indicated for those with thin corneas. Further, certain physical conditions disqualify you for LASIK. Having Type I diabetes or other diseases affecting wound healing would preclude LASIK. However, you might still qualify for PRK or LASEK. Similarly, existence of uncontrolled glaucoma or pregnancy will disqualify you for LASIK as well as certain other laser eye procedures. Further, LASIK is an option to correct myopia only if your refractive error falls within LASIK’s narrow range of effective myopia treatment. Patients with high myopia levels get disqualified for LASIK.

Benefits of LASIK Surgery
• Rapid restoration of visual acuity.
• Relatively untouched epithelium in the visual axis.
• Just one day of minimum discomfort.
• Lower tendency of haze formation compared to surface PRK.
• Low tendency towards regression.
• Frequency of post-op eye drop application will be reduced.
• Frequency of follow up visits will decrease.
• Anyone undergoing successful LASIK would appreciate its benefits.

LASIK Eye Surgery for Farsightedness
If you have hyperopia (farsightedness), the laser phase of your LASIK increases the curvature of your cornea, allowing light to focus on to the retina.

LASIK Eye Surgery for Nearsightedness
If you have myopia (nearsightedness), during the laser phase of your LASIK, the curvature of your cornea is reduced, allowing light to focus on to the retina.

LASIK Eye Surgery for Astigmatism
If you have astigmatism, the PRK laser of your LASIK procedure selectively alters the curvature of the cornea so that the light is focused at a single point on the retina rather than at the existing double focal points.