Vision Correction With Laser Surgery - Improving Eyesight With LASIK

Vision Correction With Laser Surgery - Improving Eyesight With LASIK
By Mario Santos

Vision correction surgery can heal people who suffer vision disorders such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism, and presbyopia. This kind of surgery can bring patient's vision back.

Myopia (nearsightedness) happens when the cornea and the lens are too strong, causing the light rays to focus in front of the retina. On the other hand, hyperopia (farsightedness) occurs when the cornea and the lens are too weak causing failure to focus light rays onto the retina. Astigmatism is caused by refractive error, as the cornea is not perfectly spherical. As a result the light is focused at different locations, causing asymmetric blur. Presbyopia occurs due to the aging eye, which naturally loses its flexibility. That person will find it extremely difficult to focus on close objects.

All these vision disorders can be fixed by vision correction called LASIK surgery. This surgery is a painless method that combines conventional ocular surgery with state-of-the-art excimer laser surgical technology.

First, ophthalmologists prepare the area around the eyes with antiseptic solution to minimize the risk of infection and anesthetic eye drops are given to the patient. The procedure is performed by making a partial cut through the front surface of the cornea to create a 160-micron-thick flap, then a cool beam excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea, including removing microscopic layers of corneal tissue to meet the person's specific refractive requirement.

After the laser treatment, the flap is carefully repositioned over the newly contoured corneal tissue where it adheres immediately with the underlying tissue -- like an own body band-aid -- thus eliminating the need for sutures, which helps speed up the healing process. People at 20 or above are suitable for the treatment. They should have stable vision for the last 1 year and enjoy good health in general. The treatment is not recommended for those who are pregnant.

The procedure is very fast. It is about 10 minutes for every eye, with an average of six seconds to cut the flap and about one minute to reshape the corneal layer using the laser. The quick treatment is done on an outpatient basis and offers fast recovery without the usual post-operative discomforts, including mild scratchy or gritty sensations and watery eyes.