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What is Lasik?
One of the most commonly done eye surgeries done today is Lasik. Laser In-situ Keratomileusis or Lasik is a really great option for those who do not want to depend on contact lenses or eye glasses. It could be for professional or even personal reasons, both social and active patients who decide to go with Lasik notice that they can do their hobbies, careers, and even sports activities without glasses. Lasik is considered to be safe and is quite successful when the patient takes time to educate themselves and search for a qualified and skilled surgeon.
It was during 1995, when the US Food and Drug Administration approved Lasik eye surgery and it is since this approval that the technology that is used has been improved and it has increased the effectiveness as well as safety.
The procedure for Lasik is actually done in several steps. In order to prepare for this surgery, an anesthetic eye drop is put in to completely numb the eye. The surgeon will then mark the cornea using a water-soluble ink which will help with the alignment of the corneal flap during later parts of the eye surgery.
The first step in this surgery is to create a flap using corneal tissue. The most traditional method for creating a flap will use a microkeratome, which is a high precision blade system. Next the corneal tissue will be reshaped to help to change the prescription of the patient. The corneal flap will be lifted, which has a texture of a soft contact lens, while the patient focuses on a flashing target light which engages a high-performance eye tracking system which will lock the laser onto the pupil and then a laser beam is applied to reshape the corneal curvature. Next, the surgeon is going to use an excimer laser which will be used to reshape the corneal curvature. It is completely computerized, and it is customized to optimize the reshaping based on the starting shape of the cornea. This laser is cool, and it gets its power from ultraviolet light. It doesn’t generate any heat, so there will not be any damage to the surrounding tissue. This allows the surgeon to have complete precision to remove microscopic layers of tissue to get the best result.
One the treatment has been completed, the flap will be replaced over the eye. This flap is basically a bandage which helps the patient deal with discomfort. It also helps with the healing process and that means that there are no stitches that will be needed.
Once the surgery is done, it is best that the patient goes home and rest for the day and there will be light sensitivity, the feeling of something being in the eye, and tearing for at least 5 hours after the surgery. Many patients will notice a huge improvement to their vision in a single night.
There are some risks with Lasik, even though it is a very common surgery. It is important that you stay educated. Be sure that you discuss those risks with your surgeon and each patient will be different and there are many treatment options available.