Information about Laser Surgery LASIK
is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. You may
hear people calling it "LASIX," but the name is actually short for
"laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis." Why
is it so popular? LASIK has advantages over other procedures, including
a relative lack of pain afterward and the fact that good vision is
usually achieved almost immediately, or at least by the very next day.
 | An
instrument called a microkeratome is used in LASIK eye surgery to
create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. Another, newer way of
making the flap is with a laser. |
The
surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal
tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The excimer laser uses a cool
ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of
tissue from the cornea to reshape it. When the cornea is reshaped in
the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the
retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid
back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.  | Both
nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from the LASIK procedure.
With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea;
with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. Also, excimer
lasers can correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a
more normal shape. |
| Before the LASIK ProcedureIf you are considering LASIK eye surgery, your first step is to choose a good surgeon.
In order to
decide whether you're a good candidate for LASIK, your eye doctor will
examine your eyes to determine their health, what kind of vision
correction you need, and how much laser ablation is required. Just as
in a regular eye exam, he or she will use instruments such as: a
refractor (to determine your prescription); a slit lamp (to look into
the back of the eye for retinal problems); and a tonometer (to
determine intraocular pressure — if it's high, this may be an early
sign of glaucoma). Your doctor will also look for signs of dry eye disease, which must be treated and cleared up before LASIK can be performed. Also,
a corneal topographer is usually used; this device photographs your eye
and creates a kind of "map" of your cornea. No one has a perfectly
rounded cornea, and the topographer will display the corneal
irregularities and the steepness or flatness that the surgeon must
correct. Some doctors are also using new "wavefront" devices, which
send waves through the eye to provide an even more precise map of the
aberrations that are affecting your vision. Finally,
the doctor will question you about any health problems you have or
medications you take. Some health conditions will disqualify you
altogether for LASIK, but others may just postpone the procedure until
a later date. Lasik Surgery Informational Sites
* If you are running pop up blockeres on your system you may need to override to open links above. 1. Dr. Edward C. Warren 2. Laservue in Canada 3. FDA on Lasik 4. Anti Lasik 5. New Technology at Laservue
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