What is LASIK?

LASIK eye surgery is one of the most popular laser refractive surgery to correct vision problems. Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) can be an alternative to glasses or contact lenses.

During LASIK surgery, a flap of a certain thickness is created and raised before the reshaping of cornea. This flap may be created using a microkeratome (blade) or using a femtosecond laser (bladeless). Once the flap is rasied, a special type of cutting laser is used to precisely change the shape of the dome-shaped clear tissue at the front of your eye (cornea) to improve vision. The flap is then repositioned back on the cornea and allowed to heal. Over time, the flap sticks to the cornea and the cornea is effectively reshaped.

Since a flap is raised and corneal reshaping is done under it, the cornea needs to be of a certain thickness for this procedure to be safe for your eyes in the long run. Other things that might affect the decision to perform a LASIK on your eyes, could be the shape of your eyes, the refractive error to be corrected, any kind of weakness noted in the strength of your eyes or if you are someone active in contact sports.

LASIK is usually done in 20 minutes for both eyes. Usually, a couple of days of burning sensation, redness and watering is common after LASIK. Once you start using the eyedrops prescribed after surgery, the symptoms will start reducing and vision becomes clearer. It is common to have red spots on the white of the eyes after having undergone LASIK. These spots usually resolve by themselves within a couple of weeks. They do not affect the vision in any way.

Some of the common side effects expected after LASIK are dry eyes leading to grittiness and irritation, glare and haloes especially during driving at nights.

Whether you are suitable for LASIK or not, is something your doctor would decide during your consultation.