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How LASIK Works

LASIK is a refractive surgical procedure to help correct vision problems. The term LASIK is an abbreviation or acronym for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, which means "to reshape the cornea, from within, using a laser." In LASIK , the corneal surface is treated underneath a protective corneal flap. It is one of several corrective procedures for the treatment of familiar vision problems that you may already have heard of, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism.

While glasses and contact lenses also help correct problems such as these, they are considered vision aids, not surgical procedures. LASIK and other procedures are, in fact, designed to help people eliminate, or reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is not the appropriate procedure for everyone and it is important to know if it is right for you. Consultation with your physician can help determine this.

You may experience nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism because your cornea is inadequately shaped for the dimensions of your eye. In use since the late 1980s, LASIK utilizes a laser beam to remove small amounts of tissue from the cornea to reshape it and correct the refractive error. The reshaped cornea then focuses images directly on the retina. For many patients, a successful LASIK procedure can mean clearer vision with the potential to eliminate glasses or contact lenses.

The following animation will show you how LASIK works to correct different vision problems.

Customized Laser Vision Correction

There's a new LASIK procedure called CustomCornea that promises to deliver truly customized vision correction. This exciting new procedure can treat all of the conditions LASIK surgery is traditionally used to correct, as well as a range of vision problems that could not be detected before. Experts believe these problems, called higher order aberrations, are responsible for many low-light vision problems, including glare and halos. CustomCornea is the first laser vision correction procedure that's capable of measuring and treating higher order aberrations.

The LASIK Procedure

After your eye has been completely numbed using "eye drop" anesthesia, an eyelid holder will be placed between your eyelids to prevent you from blinking.

Next, an instrument known as a microkeratome makes a protective flap in the cornea. During this process you may feel a little pressure, but no discomfort. You will be asked to look directly at a target light while the laser reshapes the cornea, usually in less than a minute. Then, the protective flap is folded back in place where it bonds securely without the need for stitches. After LASIK , some patients report a slight discomfort that usually goes away within twelve to twenty-four hours.

How LASIK Works

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