The Technology Behind LASIK Surgery
What Is LASIK?
The word LASIK stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”. LASIK is the most popular form of laser vision correction. It works by reshaping a patient’s corneas.
This enables light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina. Most patients who undergo LASIK end up with 20/20 vision or better after LASIK!
How Does LASIK Work?
The first step with LASIK is finding out if you’re a good candidate for the procedure. This involves setting up a LASIK consultation.
During your consultation, your surgeon creates a map of your cornea. This is with an instrument called a corneal topographer.
The corneal topographer measures the curvature of the front of your eye. It is also used as a guide during LASIK.
Some surgeons use Wavefront technology, which sends light waves through the eye. This creates a more precise map of your cornea before your surgery.
If you are a candidate, LASIK is a pretty simple procedure!
Before the procedure, you’ll receive numbing eye drops. These are an important part because you won’t feel any pain during LASIK.
What Happens During LASIK?
When you are ready, your doctor will mark your cornea using an ink marker before beginning. Your eye will be positioned under the laser that’s used during the procedure.
The doctor will use an instrument called a lid speculum to keep your eye open during LASIK. They may apply a suction ring to the front of your eye to prevent eye movements during the procedure.
First, your eye surgeon will create a flap in your cornea using a laser. Then the surgeon folds back the flap to access the corneal layer, called the stroma.
After creating the flap, the surgeon uses a computer to adjust the excimer laser. You may need to look at a target light during the procedure and keep your eye fixed on one spot during the surgery.
Your surgeon will be able to watch your eye through a microscope while you stare at the target light. The surgeon can observe the laser sending light to your cornea.
The goal of the surgery is to reshape the cornea. Using an excimer laser, the surgeon removes a tiny amount of corneal tissue. This reshapes the cornea using an ultraviolet light beam.
To correct nearsightedness, the surgeon will flatten the cornea. To correct farsightedness, the surgeon will create a steeper cornea. The excimer laser can also correct astigmatism by creating a smoother cornea.
The laser light pulses that reshape the cornea are not painful. You may feel some pressure in your eye during the procedure.
You may also hear a clicking sound when the laser is in use. After the laser corrects your corneal tissue, the eye flap is put back into position. This will bond with your eye naturally.
The procedure is performed separately on each eye and only takes a few minutes.
After the procedure is over, you’ll need to wait before going home. Since you received numbing eye drops, make sure you have someone to drive you home.
These will start wearing off an hour or two after the procedure is over. The best thing you can do at this point is go home and rest. If your eyes are dry, artificial tears are helpful!
Make sure to follow all instructions from your eye doctor to have a safe and easy LASIK recovery!
iDESIGN Next Generation of Customized LASIK Treatment
The new iDESIGN Refractive Studio provides surgeons with the ability to deliver one-of-a-kind custom laser vision correction for each patient to have excellent visual outcomes following their LASIK procedure.
- Next generation LASIK platform that measures the eye inside and out to enable highly precise personalized vision correction
- Only available LASIK platform indicated for monovision LASIK in presbyopic myopic patients
VISX Star S4™
The VISX Star S4™ IR Excimer Laser System. This laser platform allows our surgeons to reshape the cornea with unrivaled precision and accuracy, guided by the detailed map of the eye created by the iDESIGN WaveScan WaveFront™ System prior to surgery. The result is the safest, most effective form of laser vision correction available.
LASIK Eye Surgery in Lexington
Wondering if the life-changing effects of LASIK could be right for you? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Huffman & Huffman, P.S.C. in Lexington, KY today!
