LASIK (Laser In-situ Keratomileusis) is the newest laser procedure for the correction of visual defects such as Myopia, Hyperopia, and Astigmatism. Shaping the cornea from within, LASIK combines the precision of the Excimer laser with the proven benefits of lamellar keratoplasty (surgery under the protection of a flap of corneal tissue). The majority of people who undergo LASIK are able to pass an international drivers' license test without the use of visual aids.

The Excimer Laser is an ultraviolet Laser working at the wavelength of 193 nanometers. It is a phenomenally accurate cutting tool with sub micron precision. Each pulse of the laser removes ¼ of 1 micron of tissue ( I micron = 1 millionth of a millimeter). The Excimer laser gently reshapes the cornea bringing rays of light to focus on the retina.

The picture above shows a human hair etched with the Excimer laser! It is theoretically possible to carve your name on a human hair with this laser!!!

Imagine the cornea to be the dome-shaped transparent outermost layer of your eye, much like the glass on your watch. Using the precision and accuracy of the Excimer laser, LASIK changes the shape of the cornea to improve the way rays of light are focused by the eye.

First, a thin layer of the cornea or corneal cap is lifted up and an instrument called the Keratome glides across the cornea. Then, in less than 60 seconds, ultraviolet light and high energy pulses from the Excimer laser reshape the internal cornea with an accuracy of up to 0.25 microns. By computerized adjustments of the laser beam it is possible to treat high levels of shortsightedness and moderate levels of long-sightedness, including high levels of astigmatism.

After the cornea has been reshaped, the flap adheres rapidly, without requiring stitches. The procedure is performed using eye drop anaesthesia. Many patients see a dramatic improvement in vision on the first day. For eyes that are very weak pre-operatively, recovery is a bit slower.

Generally, a candidate is over 18 years old and has healthy corneas. Candidates must not have had a significant increase in their prescription in the last 12 months.

The criteria that surgeons use to determine eligibility vary. The following set of questions is designed to alert patients to conditions that surgeons will evaluate on a case-by case basis. Click here to check your eligibility.

The primary goal of refractive surgery is not to give you perfect vision, but to reduce your dependence on visual aids.

On the 16th of September 1996 Dr Banaji and Dr Knorz of Germany were the first surgeons in the world to perform a Bifocal LASIK. Unfortunately, the results did not reach the high standards they were looking for. However, a method known as Monovision whereby one eye is left slightly myopic and the other corrected for distance, allows people to perform most functions including reading and long distance viewing with great success.

Every patient’s vision improves after LASIK, though to differing degrees depending upon the initial spectacle or contact lens correction. Overall, 95% of patients achieve 6/12 vision, which means they can drive legally, play sport and join the services without glasses. Many Excimer advertisements promise that you would be able to throw away your glasses. These are highly misleading. Patients with high initial correction may require reading glasses or a thin pair of glasses for activities such as night driving. We urge you to look at LASIK not as a route to perfect eyesight, but as a procedure that reduces your dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

The Excimer laser procedure has been prevalent in many countries worldwide since the early 1980s. Many clinical studies conducted to study the long term effects of this procedure have come up with the same conclusion – that there are no long term effects on the integrity of the eye.

LASIK is the most frequently performed surgery in the entire field of medicine since 2000, having been performed on over one million patients. Not one of these operations has ever resulted in a case of blindness.

Not at all. Post-operatively, you may feel a slight grittiness in the eyes, which may last a few hours. This is in direct contrast to the other laser procedure (PRK), which can be quite painful post-operatively.

Usually, you can be back at your desk, performing your routine tasks, the very next day.

Your vision may fluctuate for a few days after surgery. You may notice some glare around lights at night. Your vision in the evening will not be as sharp as your vision during the day. These are temporary and usually pass with time.

The effect is permanent.

There are two laser procedures used to correct refractive errors – PRK and LASIK. These procedures differ vastly, though. In PRK, the procedure is done through the surface of the cornea. In LASIK, surgery is performed under the protection of a flap of corneal tissue, which has tremendous advantages in patient comfort, predictability and safety.

Your eye doctor cares about the health of your eyes. However, he/she may not be the right choice for you when you are considering undergoing LASIK surgery. These simple guidelines should be considered carefully before you decide to undergo LASIK.

The levels of risk and benefit vary slightly not only from procedure to procedure, but from device to device depending on the manufacturer, and from surgeon to surgeon depending on their level of experience with a particular procedure.

Is your surgeon a board-certified ophthalmologist? Yes. It is possible that your doctor is an optometrist. Ophthalmologists are surgeons; optometrists are not. LASIK is a surgical procedure – one that must be carried out by a certified ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors, who have trained for four long years in medical school and three years in ophthalmological residency. These doctors become skilled at recognising and treating eye problems and diseases, surgical problems and complications.

Don't base your decision simply on cost and don't settle for the first eye center, doctor, or procedure you investigate. Remember that the decisions you make about your eyes and refractive surgery will affect you for the rest of your life.

Be wary of eye centers that advertise, "20/20 vision or your money back" or "package deals." There are never any guarantees in medicine.

Your surgeon should have been in practice for more than five or six years, having successfully completed over 2000 LASIK procedures. These should not include PRK or other laser procedures. The additional qualification of a Fellowship Training in Corneal Surgery is excellent.

The surgeon’s enhancement rate should be less than 8%. Enhancement operations are an additional procedure to fine-tune your LASIK procedure. Surgeons with high enhancement rates, or those who claim no enhancements at all, are highly suspicious.

Your surgeon should have experience on more than one type of laser system for LASIK surgery.

More than anything else, your doctor should be able and willing to answer any queries you raise and be willing to discuss his/her outcomes (successes as well as complications) compared to the results of studies outlined in the handbook. He will not rush you into surgery or make your questions seem trivial. He will be willing to explain everything there is to know about LASIK to you and your family as often as required.

Always remember that 90% of the success of a LASIK procedure is attributable to the surgeon, and only 10% to the laser.