"What is Lasik?"
Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is an FDA-approved surgical procedure intended to reduce dependency on eyeglasses or contact lenses. The most commonly performed vision correction procedure, LASIK is performed on nearly 1 million patients each year to correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism by permanently altering the shape of the cornea, the eye's thin, transparent covering. Corneal reshaping increases the eye's focusing power and improves vision.
The Benefits of LASIK
According to the Eye Surgery Education Council (ESEC), more than 90 percent of patients who undergo LASIK experience vision improved to 20/40—the minimum vision standard for driving an automobile or playing sports without corrective eyewear. Fifty-six percent of patients report post-surgery 20/20 vision.
Before the LASIK procedure, your eyes will be anesthetized with eye drops and a speculum will be used to restrict eyelid movement. You will be instructed to fixate on a flashing red light with one eye, while the other eye is taped shut.
During LASIK surgery, the surgeon will painlessly lift a thin, hinged flap of corneal tissue with a precise, automatic surgical instrument called a microkeratome. During these few seconds, you may feel some slight pressure, but no pain, and your vision will go dim. After the flap is folded back to reveal the cornea's midsection, called the stroma, you will be asked to look at the flashing light again, which will then be very blurry.
Next, the LASIK surgeon reshapes the corneal surface by positioning the excimer laser for about 30 to 60 seconds. Lastly, the flap is repositioned and given sufficient time to self-adhere. This occurs in just a few minutes by a natural pump mechanism, without any sutures or glue. The procedure may then be repeated on the second eye.
