LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK is Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. This procedure changes the corneal curvature so that dependency on spectacle lenses and contact lenses are reduced to a great extent. Patients with myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism can opt for this procedure after consultation with their ophthalmologist and ruling out conditions that may make them unfit for such a surgery.

In this procedure, a laser beam is used to remove tissues of the cornea in a controlled and precise manner thereby changing the focusing power of the cornea. The laser beam used in the Laser Surgery is known as the excimer laser. A cutting blade device known as microkeratome or the laser keratome is used to initially cut a flap in the cornea. This flap is folded back on its hinge and the stroma, which is the middle section of the cornea, is exposed. Computer controlled laser pulses vaporize a small portion of the exposed stroma and then the flap is replaced. This procedure can be performed using the conventional ablation technique or using the wave front guided ablation.

Wave front usage in this procedure is called custom LASIK. Initially all the aberrations in the patient's eye are determined. This is done using a wave front aberrometer. The results thus achieved are used to create a specific profile for reducing the defects in the eye of the patient. This profile allows the surgeon to be more specific in his surgery and treatment.

The LASIK procedure is very short and does not take more than 20 to 50 seconds. It is a painless surgery since anesthetic drops are administered into the eye before the procedure. The patient should be able to go home within half an hour of the LASIK Eye Surgery. Improved vision usually develops in 3 to 4 days. It is common for people to go back to work the day after the surgery, though it is advisable not to drive. Halo effects and glaring near bright lights are usually the immediate aftereffects of the surgery, but they usually disappear within a couple of weeks. Improved vision usually occurs immediately but it sometimes may take a week for the 20/20 vision to set in. In exceptional cases, glasses and contact lenses are required for correction even after the LASIK surgery.

This Eye Surgery is not for everyone. It can cure and help the majority of patients with eye sight problems, but there are a small percentage of people who should not opt for this procedure. Another important aspect to consider is that the patient’s eyesight should have stopped changing before deciding to go on with the surgery. It should be remembered that the procedure is a real surgery and complications are possible. There can be instances of the patient’s sight not being corrected even after the surgery. Hence the decision to perform this surgery should be taken only after consultation with an experienced ophthalmologist's advice.