Laser Surgery

Can laser surgery help me see better?

Technological advances have made it possible to correct more vision problems than ever before through various types of laser surgery.

To understand laser surgery, you must first understand the way your eyes work. You’re able to see because one part of your eye—the clear front portion of your eye called the cornea—helps to focus light on the retina at the back of the eye. When the shape of your cornea is distorted—too steep, too shallow or flat, or even irregular--the image you see is unclear. Contact lenses and eyeglasses may help correct this fuzzy image, but many people prefer a more permanent solution. That’s where laser surgery comes in.

Laser surgery uses a tiny, focused beam of light to reshape the cornea. This lets the light pass through the cornea at the correct angle so the image on the retina is clear. There are several types of laser surgery currently used.

LASIK or Laser in-Site Keratomileusis is the laser procedure most commonly used today. In LASIK, the doctor uses a computer-controlled Excimer laser to reshape the cornea. LASIK combines the use of the laser with a surgical procedure called Lamellar Keratoplasty. This procedure creates a flap of the cornea. The flap is lifted and the laser is used underneath. The flap is then folded back in place and acts as a bandage to speed up healing.

Other types of laser surgery include LTK (laser therokeratoplasty), RK, (radial keratotomy) and PRK (photorefractive keractectomy). Your optometrist can explain the differences in the various procedures and recommend which type is most appropriate for you particular situation.

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