LASIK is the procedure of choice for patients who want to experience the benefits of corrected vision, without the hassle of wearing glasses or contact lenses.
There are four simple steps to LASIK:
- Determining your custom treatment plan. – Every cornea has a unique shape just like we all have unique fingerprints. Wave Scans are diagnostic tests that identify and quantify your unique corneal structure and creates a surgical treatment plan that is programmed directly into the excimer laser to give the optimal post-operative result.
- Creating the Corneal Flap – The second step in LASIK is creating the corneal flap. Perhaps the greatest recent advance in LASIK surgery is using the femtosecond laser, the IntraLase™, to make perfect flaps without a blade. This part of the procedure takes less than 20 seconds per eye
- Cornea Correction – Once the corneal flap is folded back, the surgeon uses the excimer laser, the Visx S4, to deliver the customized reshaping to the corneal stroma. During the treatment, which lasts only seconds, the laser is constantly monitoring the position of the eye so that the treatment is delivered to the exact position on the cornea for optimum results. If the eye moves so does the laser and if the eye moves too much, the laser stops and remembers right where it left off. The eye is repositioned and the treatment resumes until completion.
- Replacing the Corneal Flap – After the corrections are made, the flap is folded back into place, where healing begins immediately without sutures.
Recovery from LASIK is relatively quick, as patients are usually able to return to their daily activities the following day. Side effects are generally minimal and typically resolve with time.
If you are interested in finding out more about LASIK, give us a call today to schedule a free LASIK Consultation or schedule your LASIK consultation on our website.
