LASIK surgery, short for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, can finally bring an end to the inconveniences you’ve been experiencing wearing glasses and contact lenses over the years.

LASIK is a type of laser eye surgery which corrects vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism by altering the shape of your cornea. The goal of laser vision correction is for your cornea to refract (bend) light rays to focus more accurately on your retina than it did before the surgery.



Am I a Candidate for LASIK?

Most people who suffer from ordinary nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism issues can benefit from LASIK surgery. However, you may NOT be a candidate for laser eye surgery if:

· You have an immune system disease

· You regularly have dry eyes

· You have an uneven corneal surface or an abnormally shaped cornea

· Your vision has deteriorated in the past 2 years

· You are under 21

· You are pregnant or breast feeding

· Cost is an issue



Preparing for Surgery

Your eye surgeon should discuss your medical history with you prior to surgery. He will also measure your cornea, determine its shape, and evaluate it for irregularities.

You won’t be able to wear your contacts for a few weeks before your initial eye exam. Contacts have a tendency to distort the shape of your cornea, which could adversely affect your surgery. Also, if you regularly wear eye makeup or eye cream, you’ll have to do without it the day before and the day of your surgery.



Surgical Procedure

Before surgery, you will use anesthetic eye drops to numb your eyes and reduce pain. A laser then will cut a flap in the front of your eye. The flap gets folded back so that the laser can reshape your cornea. After this is completed, the flap is folded back into place. The whole procedure generally takes less than a half hour to complete.

After surgery, you might experience burning, itching, or watery eyes, and your vision may be blurry. You might need to wear a shield over your eyes at night while they heal.

Your vision will improve dramatically shortly after the surgery, but it will probably take 2-3 months before you achieve maximum results. Most people can expect their vision to reach levels of 20/25 or better.



Risks and Complications

As with any surgical procedure, there are several risks involved in laser vision correction. There is always the chance of infection if your eyes don’t heal properly. Some of the other potential complications include:

· Vision may not be as crisp or sharp as it used to be – your eyes will generally adjust after a few months

· Dry eyes

· Poor night vision – glare, halos, starbursts, etc.

· Overcorrections

· Undercorrections



By: Patricia Woloch