LASIK surgery

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a quick and painless procedure in laser eye surgery. The forefather of this type of intervention was PRK, which is a completely safe procedure, but unfortunately, it is somewhat painful. On the other hand, LASIK provides immediate improvement of vision; the procedure is painless, not like the PRK surgery. However, it is not a totally safe one.

LASIK eye surgery is a kind of intervention which changes the shape of the cornea by using an excimer laser. The discovery of excimer laser meant a big step in the history of refractive eye surgery. The first LASIK surgery was granted in United States in 1989, and soon became very popular all over the world.

The LASIK procedure step by step

Before the operation, patients receive eye-drops. A corneal suction ring is needed to hold the eye in the right place. First, the surgeon cuts a thin flap in the cornea, then lifts it and folds it back. This process can be sometimes uncomfortable.

The next step is the remodeling of the corneal tissue with a computer-controlled laser ablated to the desired shape. During remodeling, vision will be very blurry. Patients can only see white light and the orange light of the laser.

After the surgery, the flap is carefully resettled, and left to heal in the postoperative period. The LASIK eye surgery takes about 10-15 minutes, and it is done under local anesthesia. Patients are awake while the LASIK is performed, so right after a short rest, they can leave the clinic. However, they should not drive after the surgery. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye-drops are given for the time of the healing period.

It is also recommended to relax and sleep as much as possible after the operation.

How safe is the LASIK procedure?

There are slight concerns about LASIK surgery, because of its higher risks of aberrations. LASIK laser eye surgery satisfaction rate is around 95%. Sometimes, although not often, serious complications occur, such as starbursts, foggy vision, ghosting, halos, double vision, dry eyes, and other post-operative complications. That is the main reason why eye surgeons recommend the IntraLASIK procedure, which is completely safe and painless at the same time.