What Is Eye Laser Surgery?

It is an oft quoted sentence that beauty lies in the eyes of beholder. However, if you are dogged by poor vision and find it quite difficult to concentrate and focus on your surroundings, it is best advised to get the eye laser surgery so as to rectify the vision and improve upon the eyesight in an hassle free way. Eye laser surgery is also known as LASIK an abbreviated form for Laser Assisted in situ Keraomileusis that is a well known refractive laser eye surgery to rectify cases of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatisms.

Eye laser surgery or LASIK was found by Spanish ophthalmologist Jose Barraquer who in 1950’s developed microkeratome that supported the process of cutting thin cornea flaps in the process of Keraomileusis. In the eye laser surgery procedure, there are several procedures that are looked into before operating the patient for eye laser surgery. In the eye laser surgery, a thin flap is created in the eye so that it can be folded and remodeled with laser surgery.

In order to begin with the eye laser surgery, patients who have been wearing contact lenses are asked to stop wearing them a week before the eye laser surgery. However, the patients who want to undergo an eye checkup with the use of pachymeter to determine the thickness and surface contour of eye cornea.

With the use of low power laser, a topographer draws a map of the cornea as it helps in detection of astigmatism and various other irregularities that are some times present with the shape of cornea. This information is quite helpful in providing the exact details of the eye. During the eye laser surgery, the patient is given an antibiotic dose so that he/she does not develop an infection.

In the eye laser surgery, it is a two stage operation where a corneal flap is created and in the second step laser remodeling is carried out followed out by the reposition of the flap and postoperative care. In the flap creation during the eye laser surgery, a corneal suction ring that helps in the creation of the flap with the use of microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser microkeratome that creates many tiny bubbles in the cornea.

After this process, a hinge created at the end of eye flap that reveals stroma. After this step, the corneal stroma is remodeled with excimer laser in such a way that it does not damage the stroma. In this process, the tissue layers are removed. This operation is carried out in such a way that it is painless incision. Once the laser has remodeled the stromal layer, the LASIK flap is repositioned and checked for the presence for any air bubbles or debris.

The flap heals naturally and one has to be careful for the eye till it is completely cured. In order to help the healing process, anti inflammatory eye drops and antibiotics are used and patient is recommended to use dark glasses to avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Finally, when the eye heals, the vision is restored and one gets freedom from myopia and hyperopia.