Laser Eye Surgery
Laser eye surgery reshapes the transparent dome-shaped structure in the front of your eye (cornea) to correct vision problems (refractive errors). Laser eye surgery is a permanent change that reduces or eliminates your need to wear glasses or contact lenses..
What Happens During LASIK Eye Surgery?
The LASIK surgeon uses a computer to adjust the laser for each patient’s particular prescription. An instrument to hold the eyelids open may be used and the patient will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while the laser sends pulses of light to painlessly reshape the cornea. During LASIK eye surgery, a suction ring is placed on the eye just before cutting the corneal flap that may cause a feeling of pressure and may cause vision to dim slightly. Then, an instrument called a femtosecond laser is used to create a thin flap in the cornea. The corneal flap is then painlessly peeled back and the underlying corneal tissue is reshaped using another laser. After the cornea is reshaped so that it can properly focus light onto the retina, the cornea flap is put back in place and the surgery is complete. A distinct odor might be detected as the laser removes the corneal tissue which some people describe as similar to that of burning hair, but is nothing to worry about.