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 Procedure

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
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1. Dr. Edward C. Warren
2. Laservue in Canada
3. FDA on Lasik
4. Anti Lasik
5. New Technology at Laservue