How Does LASIK Work?
20/20 Vision – Or Better – Without Lenses
LASIK Means Comfort, Freedom And Better Vision Than You Ever Thought Possible
Over 12 million Americans have had LASIK since the technique was approved by the FDA in the 1990s.
LASIK solves nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism at the source – by correcting irregularities in the eye’s cornea that is causing poor vision.
How good can LASIK get? The majority of Dr. Leavitt’s patients achieve better than 20/20 vision.
How LASIK Works:
LASIK addresses common vision problems by using lasers to reshape the curve of the cornea and solve ‘refractive error’.
What Is ‘Refractive Error’?
In normal vision, the cornea refracts or bends light so images are focused properly on the retina.
Shortsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism are the result of irregularities of the shape of the cornea – errors in the cornea’s refractive power – resulting in blurred or distorted images being received by the retina.
Refractive error varies from person to person and this variation is the reason your glasses or contacts don’t ‘work’ for your friends or relatives. LASIK solves the unique imperfections of the cornea causing your refractive error, and restores clear vision.
3 Steps from “Refractive Error” to 20/20 Vision
1. The first step of a LASIK procedure is the creation of the corneal flap, a thin segment of the outer layer of the cornea. In the early days of LASIK, an oscillating hand-held blade called microkeratome was used to create the corneal flap; however, this technique has been superseded by all-laser or bladeless LASIK. With all-laser LASIK this step is performed with a special computer controlled laser, the Intralase™, which creates a thinner, more precise and more stable flap.
2. Next, the flap is lifted and an excimer laser such as the VISX™ or Allegretto™ is used to re-shape the underlying corneal tissue to correct any irregularities. This step in Custom LASIK is based on an individual 3 dimensional map of your eye, which is then programmed into the laser so that the exact amount of corneal tissue is removed to yield the best vision possible.
3. Finally, the flap is folded back into place where it bonds quickly. Healing is rapid with all-laser LASIK, and most people can return to work the very next day. LASIK takes only minutes per eye. You can expect to feel little to no pain and perhaps just the slightest sensation of pressure. Inserting or removing contact lenses or just rubbing eyes tired from wearing glasses can produce more discomfort than a LASIK procedure.
View Video: 3 steps to 20/20Key Questions About The Technology Behind The 3 Steps
What Is All-Laser or Blade-Free LASIK?
All-laser LASIK is the most advanced evolution for the flap-creation step. In the ‘bladeless’ or ‘all-laser’ technique, a laser forms a series of bubbles in the corneal tissue to create the flap, rather than using a blade. The advantages with this advanced technique are more accuracy and stability, and greater patient comfort.
Which Technology Solves Night Vision Problems?
Many of us suffer from night vision problems with or without refractive surgery. In the earliest days of laser vision correction, some patients reported halos and ‘star bursts’ after their procedures, especially when driving at night. Patients with large pupils were susceptible to this complication.
Today’s advanced lasers have dealt authoritatively with night vision issues. In fact, many of Dr. Leavitt’s patients report improved night vision after the procedure.
How long does LASIK last?
The refractive errors corrected by LASIK stay corrected for the rest of your life. Since the cornea is living tissue there can be minor fluctuations and occasionally the need for enhancements as the cornea adapts following the procedure. These are a normal part of the post-operative process.
After the post-operative processes are complete, you can expect your vision to improve and stabilize, with many LASIK patients reporting excellent vision following the procedure that gets even better in the next months and years.
Your eyes age as you do, and for most of us who’ve reached 40, another element of the eye will cause vision trouble – especially creating the need for reading glasses. This element is the eye’s lens, which gradually loses flexibility and results in a condition called presbyopia, or the need for reading glasses. Monovision LASIK can help this condition significantly.
By the time you are in your 70s you will be experiencing another set of age-related vision problems which LASIK doesn’t address. However, depending on the age at which you have your procedure, you can expect decades of excellent vision free of the effects of refractive error.
