What was once a rare procedure is now a very common one. With hundreds of thousands being done it's not as scary as it once was.

This easy procedure is now used all over the world to correct vision problems and to finally be able to throw away those glasses and contacts.

Since its debut in the 1980s, there have been conflicting stories about what LASIK entails and whether or not it's truly successful.

If you have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism they you are probably a canidate for this new technology. In some cases it will eliminate glasses and contacts and for other it could possible mean only having to use glasses occasionally.

What this surgery does is reshape your cornea, inside the eye itself using a laser.

Custom LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure that uses the unique visual characteristics of your eye to customize your treatment.

After a thorough eye examination, you'll be expected to choose a doctor to perform the LASIK eye surgery. Once this has been done, you'll be scheduled for a consultation with the doctor to discuss the process, and you'll have the opportunity to voice whatever questions or concerns that you may have prior to the procedure.

Custom LASIK provides an additional level of precise data about your vision requirements using wavefront technology. A device called a wavefront analyzer measures the way light travels through your eye and compares it to the way light travels through an eye with perfect vision. This device then creates a 3-D wavefront map that is unique in the same way that your DNA is unique to you. Your wavefront map provides a detailed diagram of your vision that allows your doctor to provide you with truly personalized vision correction.

The best way for you to determine this is with a thorough exam from your eye doctor. Appropriate candidates must be at least 18 years old, in good general health, and have good eye health with no diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Laser vision correction can treat a very broad range of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Through an initial consultation with your eye doctor your doctor will confirm if you are a good candidate, explain the procedure, and answer your questions so that you can make an informed decision. He or she will explain what results you can reasonably expect by measuring your prescription and thoroughly examining your eyes.

While laser vision correction has proven overwhelmingly successful in reducing dependence on glasses and contact lenses, the degree of improvement may vary among individuals. How well and how quickly your vision improves depends on how well you heal and the severity of your prescription.

Although laser surgery does not promise patients "perfect" or 20/20 vision, most laser patients with mild to moderate prescriptions do achieve 20/20 vision or are within 1 to 2 lines of 20/20 vision on an eye chart.

Additionally, CustomLASIK has proven to be an exciting development. Clinical studies have shown that CustomLASIK can improve not only what you can see but how well you can see it. In the past, all vision was measured using a standard vision chart. If you could see the letters, the doctor would proclaim your vision as a number, such as 20/20, 20/100, etc. But now, with CustomLASIK, doctors are able to focus on the quantity and quality of your vision.

Many patients who have had CustomLASIK are reporting being able to see clearer than ever before. Because CustomLASIK corrects the unique imperfections in each individual's vision, it is likely that night vision will be improved.

Keep in mind, as a patient ages the need for reading glasses is quite common. You should see a doctor that will stand behind its patients' distance vision results for life and have confidence in the stability of results over the long-term.

Jean Sutherland has done extensive research on this procedure and you can find more information at her website http://www.lasikfocus.com