The word LASIK signifyLaser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. This popular vision correction operation has been in use since the 1990s. Correction is performed with a special laser that reshapes the cornea to change the focusing power.
For myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, the environment generally appears blurry. With these forms of ametropia, the refractive power of the eye is not optimal. Objects cannot be clearly imaged on the retina. The LASIK technique changes the refractive power of the cornea so as to correct blurred vision. LASIK Eye Surgeryprocedures are there to improve the focusing power of the eye are called refractive surgery.
How exactly does LASIK work?
With good vision, images are focused on the retina at the back of your eye. With visual impairment, images end up being focused elsewhere, resulting in blurred vision.
Here you see how the light mistakenly hits the front of the retina in myopia.
LASIK lasers correct these visual defects. They change the cornea in that the light is focused on the retina as it should when it is healthy. Corneal reshaping is performed using a laser. An opening is created in the cornea under which the laser is then focused on the eye.
Stages of surgery
As with all other laser eye methods, visual acuity should have been stable for at least a year prior to LASIK surgery without any eye disease (eg, cataract or retinal disease).
A laser operation can last from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of operation and the patient.
Before your doctor starts using the laser, your eye is anesthetized with a local anesthetic so that you don’t feel anything during the operation.
Using a scalpel, the surgeon first cuts a thin slice of the cornea. The doctor then turns this “opening” to the side like a book cover.
After the operation, the opening is folded back. It will grow back on its own. However, the cornea loses its mechanical strength. It cannot be changed by modern methods.
How long will the convalescence last?
In most cases of laser eye surgery, your vision returns several hours after the surgery. Over time, your eyes will gradually improve. It is therefore possible to return to work a few days after the operation and to follow your daily routine.
