How Does LASIK Eye Surgery Work? Keratomileusis - The Carving Of
The Cornea
At present, LASIK or "Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis" is
the only commonly performed keratomileusis procedure.
Keratomileusis involves an altering of the shape of the corneal
tissue with the aid of an excimer laser, which is a powerful
ultraviolet laser. This laser eye surgery is performed by
ophthalmologists in order to correct different types of vision
impairment. LASIK is the preferred treatment for patients with
refractive error, since the procedure entails rapid recovery and
minimal pain overall.
LASIK surgery leverages technology to its fullest. For instance,
a computer system tracks the patient's eye position 4,000 times
per second, while the lasers make the desired incisions. It
might sound like a dangerous procedure, but it's time to debunk
this myth. LASIK surgery is a completely safe procedure
performed with high precision. That is, the laser carves the
corneal tissue in a finely controlled manner. LASIK surgery is
not that cumbersome when compared with other types of eye
surgery, and has a relatively low frequency of complications.
Though LASIK surgery is performed with the patient awake and
functional, the eye surgeon typically administers a mild
sedative and anesthetic eye drops. No matter what the type of
vision impairment, altering the shape of the cornea is a viable
solution. In general, the procedure has very few side effects
and offers instant results. However, a few complications may
arise depending on the extent of the patient's refractive error
and other irregularities in the corneal tissue.
LASIK eye surgery, with excellent technology at its disposal, is
improving at a rapid rate. However, there is no conclusive
evidence as to the chances of long-term complications owing to
the surgery. Although relatively uncommon, a few complications
may arise, namely corneal infection, slipped flap, haziness,
halo or glare. An important point to note is that this
laser-assisted procedure is irreversible.
LASIK has gained popularity due its efficacy and improved
precision. The procedure also boasts of the smallest
complication statistics relative to other eye surgeries. With
only a 5% complication rate, LASIK sounds like a safe enough
procedure to rectify your vision impairment.