What is LASIK?
LASIK or Lasik (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) is also referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction. It is a type of refractive surgery using a laser to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism in patients. This is a relatively fast and painless surgery which requires no stitches. The recovery time is as fast as 24 hours’ post-surgery.
How does LASIK function?
The Lasik process starts when the eye surgeon cut out a small circular flap on cornea. The surgeon cut the flap with the help of surgical tools either microkeratome or femtosecond. The flap is then held from an end to bend it in order to access the underlying cornea called the stroma. In the process, some corneal tissue is removed using an excimer laser. This extraordinary surgical laser has a cool ultraviolet light beam built in which removes microscopic amounts of tissue from the cornea. This removal of tissues reshapes the cornea based on the patient’s vision disorder. The newly shaped cornea so formed tries more accurately to focus light on the retina for improved vision.
Lasik is performed differently depending on the patient’s vision malfunction. For nearsighted (myopia), the task is to flatten the irregular cornea with the help of the laser. For farsighted (hyperopia), the aim is to get a steeper cornea. Excimer lasers shape an irregular cornea into a relatively normal shape to corrects astigmatism.
After the reshaping of the cornea is done, the flap is placed on top of the cornea to cover the area from where the tissues were removed. The cornea is then allowed to heal naturally.
Reasons to choose LASIK over contact lenses and glasses.
LASIK is said to have a 95.4% patient satisfaction rate. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says that nine out of 10 patients achieve 20/20 to 20/40 vision after LASIK. A permanent solution is always better than the usual struggle of dealing with blurry vision. Handling lenses or glasses can become a hassle and steep on the pocket for long-term use. Unlike glasses or contact lenses, LASIK is a detailed surgery which is performed on each patient differently. Depending on the patient’s condition, a personalized treatment plan is charted. This custom made plan helps in achieving maximum success. Shreveport eyes specialists in Shreveport, Louisiana is a very popular eye care facility recommended by most ophthalmologist across the country.
