Vision Correction with LASIK Surgery

Before undergoing LASIK surgery, it’s important to know how it works and how it can correct your vision. LASIK is one of the most commonly executed refractive surgeries. The reason for LASIK’s popularity is that it is relatively pain free and can correct your vision as quickly as the day after surgery. Many people also like that LASIK can completely free a person from glasses and contacts, making many people able to enjoy more activities such as outdoor sports and swimming.

The way LASIK surgery is performed is through an instrument called a microkeratome. This instrument creates a very thin, circular flap in your cornea which allows the surgeon to use a laser to remove excess corneal tissues in order to reshape the eye. The laser used to remove the excess tissue from your eye is called an excimer laser which uses cool ultraviolet light to remove small amounts of tissue accurately and help reshape your cornea. Reshaping your cornea allows light to better enter your eye and onto the retina, which provides a better and clearer vision than you had before.

 

Whether you are farsighted or nearsighted, you can benefit from a LASIK procedure. Nearsighted vision needs the steep cornea flattened, and farsighted people need to have a steeper cornea. Excimer lasers can also help those with astigmatism, helping to correct an irregular cornea by smoothing it into a normal shape.

 

Before considering a LASIK procedure, first do some research on finding a good surgeon. Most surgeons will offer a consultation so you can meet with them and find out what they expect out of the procedure. An eye doctor will examine your eyes and determine the type of vision correction you will need and whether you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. You may also receive a sort of “map” of your eye area from a corneal topographer. This device helps the doctor find out what needs to be performed to correct your vision. After this, your doctor may ask about any additional health problems to make sure LASIK is the right choice for you. Remember that it’s important that your eye doctor find out as much as possible so that he or she is prepared to give you the best treatment possible.

 

When you receive LASIK surgery, you will be able to go into the surgery center and leave on the same day as the procedure. The surgery takes very little time and you are not sedated during surgery unless the surgeon decides this is the best course of action for you. Your eyes are anesthetized with special drops and your surgeon will use a special device to make sure your eye stays open during the procedure. One eye is operated on a time, and patients often feel nothing during the surgery.

 

After surgery, it is important to follow the instructions of your surgeon. Recovery time is often quite short and you are able to enjoy normal activities in a day to several days after your surgery. Most people find that their vision improves right away, but also many patients find that over time, their quality vision increases. Though LASIK more often than not completely improves the patient’s vision, sometimes the patient still needs reading glasses or glasses for certain activities. Overall, LASIK surgery helps many people free themselves from glasses and contacts and improves their vision for a lifetime.