The LASIK surgery is a new and better form of the old PRK surgery method. In both cases the outer cornea layer is removed, so the laser can operate directly at the tissue. But when performing a PRK surgery the outer layer is scraped away, while the LASIK operation more gently cuts a flap in the cornea. The flap can be bent, the laser operation performed and the flap is put back again.

It only takes a few minutes to perform the the surgery. The eye will be dripped with anesthetics and most people will not feel any pain at all. When the eye is anaesthetized the cut in the cornea can be made and the laser surgery can be done.

The actual laser treatment takes between 30 seconds and two minutes. A special laser called an Excimer laser will be used. It is specifically designed to operate in the eye’s sensitive tissues. Finally the corneal flap is put back again.

You can go home right after the operation. Because the eyes may sting a little bit, it is recommended to rest for the rest of the day; and maybe also take a nap.

Most people will already at that time feel that their sight has improved. Over the next weeks will stabilize.

After the eye surgery the eyes can feel a little dry. It is therefore recommended to drip them with a little salt water.

All studies indicate that a permanent sight improvement is provided by the LASIK operation. And previous bad eyesight will not return again. But a possible, natural change of sight in the future is not possible to prevent by the operation. So the surgery should not be done before the sight is stable.

A LASIK laser treatment can also not prevent the age-related long-sightedness that all (even normally sighted people) will experience.

Martin Elmer is writing about eye surgery in Laserbehandling. You can read about LASIK, LASEK, LASEK, Wavefront and Aspheric treatment in Wavefront.