One of the most common eye-related procedures is LASIK surgery. People who require eyeglasses or contact lenses in order to correct their vision often opt for corrective LASIK surgery so that they can see properly without having to worry about constantly wearing their eyeglasses. Doctors know it as a kind of refractive surgery, one of the many different kinds of surgeries that is used to correct vision problems such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and others.
LASIK, pronounced simply as LAY-sik, has become a popular refractive surgery across the globe. It’s recommended for people above the age of 20, though some doctors choose not to perform it on patients below the age of 25. LASIK is not an invasive surgery; it is performed by directing a laser beam on the eyes in order to correct the most common eye problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. LASIK actually stands for “laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis.”
What It Does
Like many other forms of refractive surgeries, LASIK reforms the cornea in order to allow more light to enter the eye, thus allowing the retina to focus properly to provide much clearer vision to the patients. In almost every case, LASIK is a completely pain-free process. The most that the patient is likely to feel is a sharp tinge in their eye, and that’s all. In fact, as technology has evolved, the time that it takes to perform the procedure has also fallen by a significant margin; LASIK surgery can now be completed within 15 minutes for both eyes, and the patient can walk home all by themselves. There are many doctors that perform LASIK in San Antonio nowadays.
How Is It Performed
When you visit your doctor for a LASIK surgery, they will first start off by using a micro-surgical tool such as a femtosecond laser in order to create a circular “flap” on your cornea. The hinged flap is then folded by the surgeon in order to gain access to the cornea underneath, and an excimer laser is used to remove a small part of the tissue. A highly specialised laser is used that emits cool ultraviolet beams so as not to damage the cornea, and remove small amounts of tissue from there.
This allows the cornea to focus light more accurately on the retina, ultimately resulting in much clearer vision. The good thing about the LASIK surgery is that there are many doctors now performing it, and it has become a very popular choice for people who do not want to worry about putting on prescription eyewear. These are just a few important things that you should know about the LASIK surgery and how it is performed.