LASIK is a surgical procedure that is capable
of correcting a wide range of nearsightedness (myopia),
farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. No needles
or general anesthetics are used. Through a series
of 7 steps, your vision is quickly restored, eliminating
the need for glasses or contacts.
Anesthetic eye drops are applied to numb the eye for surgery, and the surgeon marks the cornea with water-soluble ink to guide replacement of the flap.
The surgeon applies a suction ring designed to hold the eye steady and checks the pressure of the eye.
The surgeon raises a thin layer of the cornea, or corneal flap, with the microkeratome to expose the portion beneath. This part of the procedure is called keratectomy.
The flap - the outermost 20 percent of the thickness of the cornea - is lifted and reflected to the side.
The surgeon tests for laser alignment and walks the patient through the fixation process.
The computer-controlled Excimer laser removes the tissue under the flap and reshapes the cornea of the affected eye. In less than 60 seconds, ultraviolet light and high-energy pulses from the Excimer laser reshape the internal cornea (the stroma) with accuracy up to 0.25 microns, or 1/4000 of a millimeter.
Then, the surgeon lays the flap back into its original position and observes the eye for three to five minutes to ensure bonding. Because the cornea bonds quickly, healing is rapid, and the eye does not require stitches.
