LASIK Eye Surgery Overview

LASIK is a popular acronym that stands for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis.  Simply put, LASIK eye surgery is a refractive surgery that improves eye sight by correcting wide ranges of LASIK vision issues such as farsighted, nearsighted, and astigmatism.  An advanced medical procedure of LASIK treatment employs a specially designed laser instead of surgical traditional tools to perform LASIK corrective eye surgery.

Common LASIK Procedures

• LASIK Surgery
• Epi LASIK
• PRK Surgery
• Wavefront LASIK
• LASIK Monovision

Examples of LASIK Eye Surgery Treatments
LASIK surgery involves the cornea reshaping, which is the protruding part of the surface of the eyeball.  Used to correct a wide variety of vision problems, LASIK eye surgery has become a preferred eye surgery procedure for people who have, or are experiencing vision problems such as eye myopia or nearsightedness, hypermetropia or farsightedness, as well as acuvue astigmatism.

The LASIK technique was created in 1990 by blending two different surgical techniques called photorefractive keratectomy and Keratomileusis.  In its most simplistic definition, however, LASIK surgery is a laser eye Lasik surgical technique that involves cornea reshaping without cutting into it.

The laser part of the eye surgery refers to the process of using light amplification by stimulated emissions of radiation.  This low wattage laser is used in many toys and light pointers on a daily basis, and does not cause nearly as much damage to eye tissue, as traditional surgical procedures using scalpel.

A computer and a low wattage laser are used as both scan and provide a 3 dimensional map of the cornea.  This enables the computer to determine the exact shape of the cornea so that the LASIK eye surgeon can calculate the depth of corneal tissue that needs to be removed to improve eye vision.

Using an instrument called a microkeratome; a thin flap is created on the surface of the eye cornea.  That flap is then folded back and the cornea damage is reshaped using the laser.  Once the corneal tissue has been reshaped or remodeled to improve LASIK vision, the flap is replaced in its original position.  LASIK vision surgery has very low complication rate and takes less than 30 minutes to perform.

Epi LASIK eye surgery is a newer technique but also involves cutting the flap of the eye cornea with a laser.  A LASIK eye surgeon uses a plastic blade to separate the outer covering of the cornea lens from the eye.  This type of surgery procedure is more appropriate for those with lower myopia or nearsighted.  After the epithelial flap has been made, laser treatment is used to sculpt the corneal tissue.  Following that, the flap is replaced and covered with special contact lenses to facilitate healing.

Wavefront LASIK eye surgery is yet another advancement of LASIK technique and uses 3 dimensional measurements to determine how an individual eye process images.  This technique uses a laser treatment that is guided by a computer that measures how a person's eye processes various images. These measurements will determine how much cornea reshaping is necessary.  The Wavefront LASIK technique is extremely individualized and precise and is suitable for those suffering from mild to fairly high degrees of hyperopia, eye myopia, and acuvue astigmatism.

Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK eye surgery is an outpatient procedure, with minimum complications.  It takes less than 30 minutes to perform, which cuts back on LASIK eye surgery costs.  It is a highly technical and most effective technique that is able to eliminate significant visual impairment.  Both eyes can be done at the same time.  In some cases, an eye patient or a LASIK eye surgeon may recommend a wait in between eyes to better evaluate results.  The eye surgery procedure is relatively painless, and local anesthetic eye drops are used with a mild form of procedural sedation.  Some eye patients feel a need to sensation for a day or two afterward.  LASIK eye surgery also replaces the use of scalpels in such a sensitive area of the body, reducing the number of complications that result from more traditional surgical procedures.

Cost
In the United States, LASIK eye surgery cost can run anywhere around $1,000 per eye.  For Wavefront LASIK or newer LASIK surgery techniques, the cost can range from $1,000 to $2,500 per eye.  In most cases, eye vision insurance does not cover the surgery procedure in the United States, although some vision care insurance companies are starting to add it to their policies and procedures.

Who Can Perform LASIK Eye Surgery?
An ophthalmologist should be licensed and trained and board certification to perform LASIK eye surgery or another form of refractive surgery.  He or she should also be trained to use of laser equipment.  Medical licensing in the United States is by local, state, and national medical boards.  A good choice would be a doctor who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, or one who is associated with an academic medical center as they are more apt to be trained in new or advanced LASIK eye surgery procedures.