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 For
over 25 years doctors placed incisions in the cornea to treat nearsightedness
and astigmatism. In the early 1980's,
they began looking at lasers to improve the precision and predictability
of altering the shape of the cornea. Researchers found that the
excimer laser could remove tissue with up to 0.25 microns of accuracy.
Now, in its second decade of use, the technologically advanced
excimer laser has added a tremendous amount of precision, control
and safety to the surgical correction of vision errors. Using this
remarkable technology, the cornea is reshaped to conform to your
glasses or contact lens prescription, thereby reducing or even eliminating
a lifetime of dependence on corrective lenses for hundreds of thousands
of Americans every year.
LASIK or Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis,
offers a number of benefits over other forms of laser vision correction
because it is performed under a protective layer of corneal tissue.
As a result, there is less surface area to heal, less risk of scarring,
less risk of corneal haze, less postoperative discomfort, less postoperative
need for medicators, and vision returns more rapidly, often within
a day or so. LASIK can also treat a higher range of vision errors.
Although postoperative results vary, most patients are able to pass
drivers license tests without their glasses or contact lenses.
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