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LASIK
LASIK is a laser eye surgery that has proven effective in correcting vision and lessening (or even eliminating) the need for glasses or contact lenses. Many different vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, can be treated with it. The procedure corrects these vision problems by permanently reshaping the cornea and affecting how it focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye.
LASIK, which is short for laser in-situ keratomileusis, is an elective laser eye procedure that permanently reshapes the cornea of your eye in an attempt to correct your vision.
The goal of LASIK surgery is to lessen and, in many cases, eliminate your need for glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the world for vision correction.
To understand the LASIK procedure, it is important for you to understand the parts of your eye involved with sight. These structures include:
- Cornea
- Iris
- Pupil
- Lens
- Retina.
Your cornea is a thin, clear layer on the outside of your eye. The iris, or the colored part of your eye, is a muscle that controls the amount of light going through your pupil. Behind the iris sits the lens.
When light enters your eye, each light ray is bent twice -- first when it passes through the cornea, and again when it goes through the lens. The cornea and lens form the light rays into a beam of light that is focused directly onto your retina, where images are created.
This image is then sent from the retina, through your optic nerve, to your brain for further processing.
There are several conditions that can cause this intricate visual system to not work properly, including:
- Nearsightedness
- Farsightedness
- Astigmatism
- Presbyopia.
LASIK can fix the first three conditions, but it cannot fix presbyopia.
Nearsightedness
In a normal eye, light rays project an image directly onto your retina. If the eye is too long, however, or if the cornea bends light rays too much, then the image is focused in front of the retina instead. In this case, the person is said to have myopia, or nearsightedness, which means they can see clearly up close, but need corrective lenses to see clearly at a distance.
Corrective lenses bend the light in a way that causes it to be focused directly onto the retina again.
Farsightedness
If the eye is too short, or if the cornea does not bend the light rays enough, then the image is focused behind the retina instead of onto the retina. In this case, the person is said to have hyperopia, or farsightedness.
Depending on the amount of farsightedness, this person might need corrective lenses to see clearly both at a distance and up close. Again, the corrective lenses are shaped to bend the light so that it is focused directly onto the retina.
Astigmatism
If the cornea has an uneven shape to it, then some light rays will be bent more than others. This is called astigmatism. These corneas are shaped more like a football or a barrel. This may lead to some light being focused in front of the retina and/or some light being focused behind. Depending on the amount of astigmatism, this person might need corrective lenses to see clearly at a distance and/or up close.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is condition that affects everyone sometime after the age of 40. It is caused by the lens gradually losing its ability to focus. People with presbyopia have difficulty focusing on objects up close.
LASIK is done on an outpatient basis, meaning that you go home on the same day of your procedure.
(Click Preparing for LASIK Eye Surgery or The Day of LASIK for more information on what to expect before the procedure.)
During the surgery, a laser is used to permanently reshape your cornea and correct your vision. You are awake during the surgery.
(Click LASIK Eye Surgery for a detailed explanation of the actual procedure.)
After your LASIK is complete, you will stay at the facility for about an hour. You will then be able to go home to continue your recovery. Most patients are able to return to work within 24 to 48 hours of their LASIK eye surgery.
(Click LASIK Surgery Recovery for a detailed explanation of the recovery process.)
On average, with the LASIK procedure, there is a 90 to 98 percent chance of achieving 20/40 vision or better. To legally drive without glasses in most states, you will need at least 20/40 vision.
There is about a 60 percent chance of achieving 20/20 vision and about an 85 percent chance of achieving 20/25 vision following LASIK surgery. Whether or not this is achieved depends on your current level of correction, your healing response, and whether you have had:
- Past eye disease
- Previous eye infections
- Eye trauma
- Eye problems from birth.
(Click Expected Results With LASIK for more information.)
LASIK surgery is a safe and predictable means of lessening or removing a person's dependency on corrective lenses. It is safe enough that it is routinely performed on both eyes at the same time. However, LASIK is a surgical procedure and, therefore, there are some possible complications or risks, both major and minor.
Minor LASIK complications are, in most cases, temporary and are often easily treated by your healthcare providers.
Major complications are the rarest complications associated with LASIK. These complications occur in less than 1 in 100 cases.
(Click LASIK Complications for more information.)
LASIK is a procedure that reshapes the cornea of your eye using a highly specialized laser. This is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the world for vision correction, with predictable results and low risk. A majority of patients lessen their dependency on glasses or contact lenses and, in many cases, eliminate their need for corrective lenses altogether.
Before deciding to have LASIK, it is always recommended that you have a good understanding of the procedure, including its risks, benefits, and alternatives. Based on what you want and expect, you and your doctor can make a shared decision about your healthcare.
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
