LASIK eye surgery reshapes the cornea to allow light to be properly focused on the retina. For the vast majority of patients, LASIK eye surgery results in improved vision among a wide range of other benefits including the ability to avoid wearing contacts or glasses, long term vision improvement, and more.
To begin the process of receiving LASIK eye surgery, an ophthalmologist will apply numbing drops to the eye. The drops take effect immediately and last for up to 15 minutes. A device is used in order to painlessly open the eye, allowing for direct access to the affected areas. The surgery is performed using a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome, which create a thin circular “flap” in the cornea.
This circular flap is folded back in order to remove some of the cornea tissue with an excimer laser. The laser removes the tissue based on each individual’s prescription. A computer is used to track eye movement during the surgery and to ensure precision. Such accuracy is required with an organ as sensitive as the eye to yield perfect vision each time. Each LASIK eye surgery is customized for the patient and can be used to correct astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. Once the correct amount of cornea tissue has been removed, the corneal flap is replaced using special instruments.
The healing process begins as soon as the patient leaves the facility, with the surgery taking just 30 minutes for the majority of patients. After the surgery, follow up visits are scheduled to track healing and to ensure long term health of the eye. To learn more about the LASIK procedure conducted at Eye Michigan, please call our team of eye care experts at (248) 221-1022 or visit our website.