How is LASIK surgery performed?įirst, your LASIK surgeon will create a very thin, superficial flap in your cornea with a small surgical tool called a microkeratome or with a femtosecond laser. NEED AN EYE EXAM? Make an appointment with your optometrist, who will be able to tell you if you're a good candidate for laser surgery before you seek out a LASIK specialist. If you're not a good LASIK candidate, a number of other vision correction surgeries are available, such as PRK and LASEK laser eye surgery and phakic IOL surgery.

The results - improved vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses - begin immediately after the procedure and vision usually continues to improve and stabilize over a few days. LASIK surgery is essentially pain-free and takes only about 15 minutes for both eyes. The word 'LASIK' is an acronym for 'laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.' Like other types of refractive surgery, the LASIK procedure reshapes the cornea to enable light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina for clearer vision. LASIK is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery to treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

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