LASIK Eye Surgery

LASER-ASSISTED IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS: Shortly called Lasik or Lasix:

LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. Refractive Surgery is a surgery that permanently changes the focusing ability of the eye, done to improve or eliminate refractive errors. In refractive errors, too much or too little bending of the light rays entering the eye, so that they focus not on the retina, which would give clear vision, but either in front of it (myopia) or behind it (hyperopia). When the cornea is slightly oval-shaped, rather than perfectly round, it has two curvatures, a steeper one and a flatter one. This also causes refractive error (astigmatism), bending the light rays in two different ways, so that they’re skewed and unable to focus.

In LASIK eye surgery, an instrument called a microkeratome is used to create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. Another, newer way of making the flap is with a laser.

The surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it. When the cornea is reshaped in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.

LASIK is a suitable procedure for correcting the most severe refractive errors. It is not widely recognized by consumers but excimer lasers also can correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

LASIK has advantages over other procedures, including a relative lack of pain afterward and the fact that good vision is usually achieved by the very next day.

Other types of laser refractive surgeries are Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), Laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) and Epithelial Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis Epi-LASIK.

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK):

PRK laser vision correction is appropriate for patients who are nearsighted (myopic), farsighted (hyperopic) or have astigmatism. A laser removes parts of the outside of the cornea, reshaping the eye to correct refractive errors. It does not involve the creation of a corneal flap, making it a good alternative for patients whose occupations or activities create elevated risk for LASIK. PRK takes longer to heal, longer to see final results, and has a greater potential for scaring (which can cause hazy vision) than LASIK.

In PRK Laser Eye Surgery, advantages are absence of potential flap complications, Quicker (about 30 seconds per eye) than LASIK and slightly less expensive and consumes less corneal tissue than LASIK. It is well suited for – (1) Patients with mild to moderate myopia or hyperopia, (2) Patients who cannot have a cut flap, such as pilots, athletes, or those involved in other activities or occupations where the possibility of contact with the eye is probable and (3) Patients who are not good candidates for LASIK due to corneal shape or thickness

LASEK

LASEK vision correction is much like LASIK, but no flap is cut. Instead, alcohol is used to float the epithelium (A layer of cells which protects the tissue below. In the eye, it’s the outside layer of cells on the cornea), giving the doctor access to the cornea for corrections. LASEK is a good alternative for patients who should not have a corneal flap, due to lifestyle, large pupils, or dry eye.

EpiLASIKE

EpiLASIK  is very similar to LASIK and LASEK, but does not involve cutting the cornea, and does not use alcohol to separate the epithelium. A mechanical device makes the separation, avoiding the cell damage caused by alcohol and speeding the healing process. This laser vision correction procedure is appropriate for patients with thin corneas.

Risks
As with any medical surgery, refractive surgery too has risks, including:
Undercorrections,Overcorrections, Astigmatism, Glare, halos and double vision, Dry eyes, Flap problems.

If you're considering LASIK eye surgery, talk to your doctor about your questions and concerns. He or she can explain how the surgery might benefit you and help put the risks in perspective.
Only your eye doctor can tell if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery.