Laser Eye Surgery
Laser eye surgery is, as all surgeries are, very complex, difficult and expensive. The surgery ranges from $2000-$3000 per eye.
This surgery fixes eye problems such as far sightedness (hyperopia/hypermetropia). This is when your eyes can focus on images further away. Short sightedness (Myopia), this is when your eyes can focus on images near by. Astigmatism this is when all images, far and near, are blurred.
These complications are caused by the structuring of the eye. If the eye is too long or the cornea too steep you will have Myopia, if the eye is too short or the cornea too flat you will have hypermetropia, if the cornea is unevenly curved you will have astigmatism.
LASIK stands for laser in situ keratomileusis, which means using a laser underneath a corneal flap (in situ) to reshape the cornea (keratomileusis).
This surgery fixes eye problems such as far sightedness (hyperopia/hypermetropia). This is when your eyes can focus on images further away. Short sightedness (Myopia), this is when your eyes can focus on images near by. Astigmatism this is when all images, far and near, are blurred.
These complications are caused by the structuring of the eye. If the eye is too long or the cornea too steep you will have Myopia, if the eye is too short or the cornea too flat you will have hypermetropia, if the cornea is unevenly curved you will have astigmatism.
LASIK stands for laser in situ keratomileusis, which means using a laser underneath a corneal flap (in situ) to reshape the cornea (keratomileusis).
The Procedure
The first step in LASIK laser eye surgery is to numb the eye this is down with anesthetic eye drops, which are instilled into the eyes. Then the patient must sit on a table where the laser is. Then a speculum is put on the eyes to stop them from blinking. Patients usually find this the most uncomfortable part of the procedure. Now another device is used to make reference marks which the doctor uses for correctly aligning the flap of the tip of the cornea after the LASIK laser procedure has been performed. Next a suction plate is used on the eye to create a flat base on the cornea. When suction is applied the eye is held stationary and results in a temporary black out of vision. Once the flat base is made a device called the microkeratome cuts the tip of the cornea to create a flap. This flap is pulled back by the doctor to reveal the inside of the cornea (as shown in the picture below). The laser is then used to sculpt the refractive fault of the inner layer of the cornea to whatever structure is needed, depending on the diagnosis of the patient. In most cases the laser used will use a metal tracking ring which works together with an infrared tracking device. This is used for tracking any slight movement of the eye and ensures that the laser remains positioned on the area intended for treatment. Once the laser is done its job of sculpting the inner layer of the eye, the doctor removes the tracking ring. He/She then begins to wash the surface of the eye to rid any debris from the eye. The doctor then puts the flap that was cut from the microkeratome back onto the cornea. Then He/She will wash underneath the flap to rid any debris and bubbles underneath the flap. Once the flap is put back correctly and carefully, the LASIK vision correction is complete. The eye has a natural suction facility that keeps the flap firmly in place, so you shouldn't worry about that little flap coming off any time soon. Also, very little of the cornea has been disturbed so most patients report only a few hours of discomfort after having LASIK vision correction.