Also referred to as laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis, LASIK is an eye procedure that uses a cool laser to reshape the cornea. A person who opts to undergo this procedure should be in good health. The surgery, which only takes from five to ten minutes, can make a measurable difference in your vision.
The Role of the Cornea
To understand why LASIK eye surgery in Huntsville, AL is a popular treatment option, you need to know more about the cornea. The cornea is the part of an eye that assists in focusing light. This light is used to produce an image on the retina. Therefore, you can compare this activity to what happens when someone focuses a camera. The bending and focusing of lights is referred to as refraction.
Refractive Errors
When LASIK eye surgery is recommended, it is because the image produced on the retina is blurred or distorted. When the eye is not focusing as it should, the associated imperfections are called refractive errors. The three main types of refractive errors include the following:
* Myopia or nearsightedness (or difficulty seeing distant objects)
* Hyperopia or farsightedness (or difficulty seeing objects up-close)
* Astigmatism (distortion of the retina)
What Happens When LASIK Surgery Is Performed
Many patients who receive LASIK eye surgery have a combination of myopia and astigmatism or hyperopia and astigmatism. When the surgery is performed, the doctor removes corneal tissue before reshaping the cornea. Therefore, a LASIK procedure permanently alters the shape of the cornea, or the clear covering on the front of the eye.
This is done using an excimer laser. A flap is created using an instrument called a microkeratome. This produces a hinge on one end of the flap. The flap is then folded back, revealing the mid-section of the cornea. Pulses from the laser vaporize part of the stroma before the flap is replaced. You can find out more about this procedure and vision therapy by visiting us online.
