LASIK
LASIK, an acronym for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, is a refractive surgery procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses.
The first step in the procedure consists of mapping the corneal surface with a computer controlled scanning device to determine the exact shape. Then the appropriate amount of tissue which needs to be removed is calculated, such that upon replacing the flap there is no need (or less need) for corrective devices like spectacles and lenses.
The ablation (or vaporization) is carried out by a computer controlled laser.
This procedure is used for vision correction, i.e. the removal or reduction of dependence on corrective devices. The benefits of the surgery are large and obvious - cosmetic, utilitarian and psychological. However, there is a small chance of complications like corneal infection, haziness, halo or glare, amongst others. The procedure is irreversible.
The technology is improving at a rapid pace, but a large body of conclusive evidence on the chances of long-term complications is not yet in place.
A 2004 Wake Forest University study found that Lasik results are affected by heat and humidity, both during the procedure and in the two weeks preceding surgery[1] (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15093641).
Public information from the official LASIK (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK/faq.htm) FDA site:
"LASIK is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middle section of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced."
Related articles
External link