Due to the constant hassle of putting on glasses or contact lenses every day, no one wants to wear them anymore. Vision correction surgery has been becoming more and more popular as a result. Let us discuss the most popular alternative to glasses or lenses, Lasik eye surgery.
The term Lasik stands for Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. For most people, this doesn’t mean anything. In laymen terms, Lasik is where a patient’s eyes are reshaped by a laser, which results in improved vision.
This procedure consists of a small flap being cut into the patient’s cornea by a microkeratome blade. The surgeon then uses a laser to vaporize a portion of the stoma, after folding the flap back. Once the procedure is done, the flap is very gently put back into place.
The stoma is not able to repair itself after the Lasik eye surgery. This inability to heal is what allows the eye to take on a new shape. As a result, the surgeon’s work is permanent. On the other hand, the flap on the cornea will repair itself.
Let us briefly discuss what the cornea does. The cornea produces an image on your retina by focusing and bending light. With the Lasik eye surgery, the surgeon is able to adjust your eye’s focusing ability by reshaping the cornea.
When you visit an eye surgeon, don’t be surprised if he or she doesn’t want to treat you with Lasik eye surgery. The reality is that Lasik is not always the answer. There are other alternative such as Photorefractive Keratectomy or Lasek eye surgery.
Lasek differs from Lasik in that a surgeon will use alcohol to remove the surface layers of the cornea to reshape the eye. With Photorefractive Keratectomy, instead of using alcohol, a surgeon uses a metal blade to remove the epithelial cells from the exterior of the cornea.
In summary, a useful tool in the battle for perfect vision is Lasik eye surgery. A word of caution though; do not have the expectation that Lasik is the only answer to your vision problems. Other alternatives may be better for you, as we have shown.
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