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LASIK is a procedure to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK, which stands for laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis, is a form of refractive surgery that changes the way light is bent, or refracted, as it passes through the cornea so that it focuses properly on the retina in the back of the eye and objects can be seen clearly. The procedure is effective for many patients with nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism.
Before the procedure, patients are given topical anesthesia and a mild sedative so they are awake but calm and cannot feel the instruments. During the procedure, a device called a microkeratome creates a flap in the outer layer of the cornea called the epithelium. The epithelial flap is lifted and an excimer laser beam changes the curvature of the underlying corneal tissue. The cornea is steepened for hyperopic patients, flattened for myopic patients, and made more spherical for patients with astigmatism. The flap is then repositioned
Recovery is rapid. Most patients are doing extremely well by the next day.
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