LASIK Eye Surgery: A Definition

The word LASIK means ?Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis.? In situ is latin and means to deal with a phenomenon in place where it occurs, as opposed to outside of it?s environment. Keratomileusis is a surgical improvement of the refractive state of the cornea. It is performed by lifting up the front surface of the eye by forming a thin hinged flap, under which the shape of the cornea is changed by using some type of surgical device.

Excimer Lasers

LASIK eye surgery is therefore surgery that is done in order that a person who wears glasses or contact lenses should no longer be completely reliant on them to see. It is a medical procedure undertaken by a qualified opthamologist. The aim is to modify the shape of the cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) through use of an excimer laser. An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet chemical laser that is unusually well focussed and capable of highly delicate control. Instead of burning away or cutting materials, an excimer laser intrroduces sufficient energy to disrupt molecular bonds of surface tissues. Effectively the tissue disintegrates in a controlled fashion through ablation rather than burning. Excimer lasers can remove very thin layers of surface material with almost no heating or change to the material which is left behind.

Flap Creation

When LASIK surgery is performed, a knife known as a microkeratome is inserted into the cornea and cuts a flap of skin. A human cornea measures from around 500 to 600 micrometres in thickness; the microkeratome creates a 100 to 200 micrometre thick flap. At one side of the flap is left a small piece of skin known as a hinge. The flap of skin is then gently folded back to show the stroma (otherwise known as the middle area of the cornea).

There are two types of microkeratomes currently in use, mechanical and laser. Both are affixed to the eye by use of a 360 degree vacuum ring, flatten the cornea with a clear plate, then cut the cornea underneath the plate.

Mechanical microkeratomes use a sharp thin metal blade. Laser microkeratomes are used in the IntraLasik procedure. They employ amplified light energy to form thousands of minute bubbles at a predetermined depth. These bubbles of water and carbon dioxide connect with each other create an incision.

Reshaping the Stroma

A laser that is controlled by a computer is then used to disintegrate a part (but not all) of the stroma and after that is finished, the flap of the cornea is fixed up and put back into place. New and more advanced ways of performing LASIK surgery are being looked at all of the time.

The purpose of eyeglasses and contact lenses is to compensate for the weaknesses of the eyes and to allow for vision that is as clear as can be. LASIK is a form of refractive eye surgery that is geared towards improving the eye?s ability to focus and not just focus, but also focus well on any object. When it comes to LASIK surgery, a laser is used to remove part of the tissue of the cornea and then it is reshaped in order to improve its ability to focus.

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Lazer Eye Surgery: The Real Percentages

Lazer eye surgery is not lazer perfect. Although there are a number of people that will get the best possible results, there are also a few that won?t have the best results. If you considering an eye surgery that will provide you with the tools that you need to stop wearing glasses, or even better to stop have to deal with the problems of contact lenses, you need to know the truth. How often is it possible for patients to get 20/20 vision with the use of lazer eye surgery?

The problem with getting a straight answer is that you often have to understand what the options are and what the likely outcomes are. You see, there are a number of factors that play into what your results will likely be. For example, there are a number of different, FDA approved lazers that can be used to treat eye conditions. Each of these has a different success rate. In addition, the extent to which you have an eye condition also matters as well as the eye condition in the first place. Each has a different benefit possibility.

You can visit the FDA website to learn about the specific benefits and results based on a number of these factors if you like. The best way for you to find out what your benefits are likely to be is to talk with your doctor. Doctors can examine your eyes, see what your specific needs and conditions are, and then access your specific possibilities. While you can get some basic information from that website, your doctor will know better about your condition.

Lazer eye surgery is something that you can consider, but you should know the benefits you are likely to earn. You?ll find that many individuals will have excellent results. Talk to your doctor to learn what he can offer to you.
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The Popularity Of Lasik Eye Surgery

There are few among us who, at one time or another, had not had to manage some level of impaired vision. Whether age has rendered us no longer able to see far away or up close, or we have suffered an illness or disease that has compromised our vision, it is likely that, if we have not already, we will someday need corrective measures to help us see at our best.

And for those who have long managed the expense and inconvenience of eyeglasses and contact lenses, the idea of corrective eye surgery seems most appealing. It's no wonder, therefore, that Lasik eye surgery has continued to grow in popularity since it was first performed in the United States in 1991.

Lasik is relatively new on the scene to us ? the consumers; but in actuality the technology has been a long time coming. In fact, in 1948, Columbian ophthalmologist, Jose Barraquer first experimented with corneal procedures by actually surgically removing more than half of a patient?s cornea that he then froze. Once the cornea had been frozen to an appropriate temperature, Dr. Barraquer was able to reshape its surface thus removing barriers to clear vision.

Once the cornea had been reshaped it was replaced into the patient?s eye. Such technology evolved by the 1960s to the point where such corneal procedures could be done without removing the cornea from the patient?s eye; this procedure was perfected and performed in Russia and involved the use of a scalpel.

Lasik began to take shape in the early 1980s when a U.S. ophthalmologist made alterations to laser technology that had begun to be used by the U.S. military. But in 1990, Lucio Buratto and Ioannis Pallikaris developed the Lasik surgery that we know today by combining methods of two pre-existing techniques ? keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy. Both keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy are techniques in which the cornea is reshaped with the use of an excimer laser or other technology.

The word Lasik refers to Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a form of refractive laser eye surgery that was first performed in the United States in1991. During the procedure, the patient?s eye is immobilized with the use of a cornea suction ring after which the surgeon creates a flap through an incision made in the top layer of the corneal tissue.

The flap is then lifted back to reveal the mid-section of the cornea ? known as the stroma. The surgeon then uses a low-powered excimer laser to resurface the stroma. The corneal flap made during the procedure is then replaced over the stroma; the healing process is natural and generally speedy. The procedure itself is very quick ? usually less than 10 minutes an eye ? and virtually painless. The most discomfort experienced by the patient is general anxiety in anticipation of the procedure.

Today, over one-million people in the United States alone have undergone Lasik surgery ? generally with very good success. In fact, it is a very small percentage of patients ? less than 6% - who have experienced any complications following their procedure. Such complications generally include light sensitivity, dry eye, double vision, and scarring. These incidences, however, are very rare and can be greatly reduced by having your procedure performed by a reputable and experienced surgery center.
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