Lasik Basics

Before deciding if laser eye surgery is the best option for your vision problems, it is best to learn a little about this eye surgery and the benefits it can bring. The first thing you should do is consult a doctor. Your eye doctor can determine the cause and extent of your vision impairment, and recommend you to an eye surgeon if he or she thinks you are a good candidate.

Getting the Right Information

It’s important to get your information from the right resources when you’re considering LASIK. After consulting with your eye doctor, talk to any friends who have had in the past. Ask them what their experience was like and if they feel like it’s been a good decision.

To fully understand how eye surgery works you must first be aware of how the eye works. Light first passes the cornea, which is a clear tough tissue that covers the iris and pupil, and also refracts light. Beneath the cornea is a thick watery substance called the aqueous humor. The crystalline lens follows and is what we use to фокус the light. After the lens, the vitreous humor creates space for the light to refract enough to фокус and create an image on the retina. The retina is мейд of cells that sense and perceive light and transmit data to nerve cells which carry that information to the brain.

How Laser Eye Surgery Helps

When there is a defect in the shape of the eye, it causes the image to be blurred. Vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism can all be corrected with eye surgery. Eye surgery, with use of lasers, helps to reshape the cornea, making it фокус directly on the retina just like a normal functioning eye.

How do the lasers help with various eye problems? Eye surgeons are able to properly shape the eye with the laser to improve vision for each individual. Incisions are мейд with use of a laser to create an opening into the eye. The eye surgeon can then reshape the corneal tissue to ensure that it fixes the vision impairment. Once the corneal tissue has been reshaped, the incision in the eye can heal naturally during the recovery period.

Knowing What to Expect

The actual only takes about 15 minutes per eye. Patients are typically given a muscle relaxant to lessen anxiety, and are also provided with numbing eye drops to prevent any discomfort during the surgery. The surgeon will use special tape and eye lid holders to make sure your eyes do not close during the surgery. Patients usually report just looking into various flashing lights during the procedure without much pain involved.

After the surgery, your doctor will provide you with shields to place over your eyes to keep you from touching them as the incisions in your eyes heal. You will also be instructed to use special eye drops during the post-operative period to keep your eyes moist. Patients generally see their eye surgeon for follow-up appointments the day after surgery, one to two weeks after surgery, and three months after surgery. After one to two weeks of healing, most patients report a dramatic improvement in their visions, without the hassle of wearing contacts and glasses.