LASIK

LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. The name is short for "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis." LASIK treats nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, a condition in which the cornea's curvature is asymmetrical.

Why is it so popular? LASIK has advantages over other procedures, including a relative lack of pain afterward and the fact that good vision is usually achieved almost immediately, or at least by the very next day.

In order to decide whether you're a good candidate for LASIK, your eye doctor will examine your eyes to determine their health, what kind of vision correction you need, and how much laser ablation is required.

LASIK is an ambulatory procedure; you walk into the surgery center, have the procedure and walk out again. In fact, the actual surgery usually takes less than a minute, and you're awake the whole time. Occasionally, the doctor will give a mild oral sedative beforehand.

Most people don't feel pain during LASIK surgery. Your eyes are first anaesthetised with special drops.

The doctor will have you lie down, then make sure your eye is positioned directly under the laser. (One eye is operated on at a time.) A kind of retainer is placed over your eye to keep your eyelids open — normally, this is not uncomfortable. It has a suction ring that keeps your eye pressurised, which is important in LASIK for allowing the surgeon to cut the corneal flap.

The surgeon will use an ink marker to mark where the flap should be placed. The flap is then created with either a microkeratome blade or with a laser, depending on the surgeon's preference. During the procedure you won't actually see the creation of the flap, which is very thin.

The doctor uses a computer to adjust the laser for your particular prescription. You will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while he or she watches your eye through a microscope while the laser sends pulses of light to your cornea. With some lasers it is critical that your eye remain fixated on the target light in order to obtain the best result. Other lasers are equiped with a special tracking device that follows your eye even if it moves.

The laser light pulses will then painlessly remove the tissue. You'll hear a steady clicking sound as the laser is operating. You're also likely to smell a mildly acrid odour due to the tissue removal. The higher your prescription, the more time the surgery will take. The surgeon has full control of the laser and can turn it off at any time.

After the procedure is finished, you will rest for a little while. If you're having both eyes done the same day, the surgeon will probably do the other eye after a short period of time. Some people choose to have their second eye done a week later.

Immediately after LASIK, the doctor will have you rest for a bit, then you can go home (someone else must drive). At home, you should relax for at least a few hours.

You may be able to go to work the next day, but many doctors advise a couple of days of rest instead. They also recommend no strenuous exercise for up to a week, since this can traumatise the eye and affect healing.

Please ask your doctor for further information.