Laser Eye Surgery which is performed for vision correction and make you independent of glasses or
contact lenses is known as LASIK which is actually an abbreviation for Laser Assisted In situ Keratomileusis a procedure which has become popular gradually over few decades.
Understanding about Lasik Eye Surgery is one of the most critical step in decision making on whether to go for a Lasik Eye Surgery or Not, and if Yes, which Lasik Eye Surgery one should choose as per their age and clinical parameters
If you are reading this by wearing glasses, this brief content makes you understand about Lasik Eye Surgery in a very simple way
Normal Visual Acuity or Normal Power is described as when we do not have any problem in viewing the objects without any glasses or contact lenses.
How generally the normal vision happens: Normally when the image of an object is focused exactly on the retina the object is perceived clearly without any blurring. Retina is the tissue responsible for the transmission of an image to brain.
If the image is focused either short of retina or beyond retina, the image will not be visible clearly and appears blurred.
Generally, the younger age group right from childhood to up to 40 years the most common disorder is image being focused short of retina. This disorder is called Myopia (Short sightedness) That is the reason all the Myopia patients are prescribed with a glass power indicating a negative or minus with a numerical which is the correction power.
For people above 40 years as per the ageing process, the lens accommodation or adjustment reflex gradually decreases and the image falls beyond retina which is called presbyopia or hyperopia (Far sightedness)
And when we use glasses with right index to make the same Image fall on retina properly you will be able to see the image clearly. The glass index which is appropriate for you is considered as the prescription required to correct your vision. The same happens with contact lenses, the lenses are shaped with index as per your prescription power so that the focus of Image falls exactly on Retina
Lasik Eye Surgery is performed to do exactly what and how the glasses correct the visual acuity problem you have. That means, making the focus of image fall on Retina properly.
The outermost layer of eye which covers the coloured portion of eye (Iris) is called cornea. Lasik Eye Surgery is a surgery which reshapes cornea as per the correction required to focus the image on
Retina.
This is the basic principle behind the Lasik Surgery and ever since Lasik Surgery has evolved many techniques have evolved to make the visual outcomes better and also to offer Lasik to the patients who are not suitable for one type Lasik
Lasik was introduced to correct problems in Distance Vision which is otherwise called as Myopia , but newer techniques makes it possible to correct even problems with Near Vision which is otherwise called as Presbyopia.
How to understand if you are eligible for Lasik Eye Surgery
Age
First of all, one needs to be above 18 years and below 40 years to get the Lasik Eye Surgery for
Distance Vision Correction
People above 40 and below 50 can get the Lasik in one eye called mono lasik for near vision
correction.
Powers
Lasik Eye Surgery can correct powers up to -8:00 Spherical and up to – 4:00 Cylindrical, however the
corneal thickness study is determinant factor for deciding whether one is eligible or not eligible for
Lasik.
For people above 40 years, the near vision problem can be corrected using monovision lasik where
the age-related presbyopia is corrected in one eye and for distance vision the other dominant eye is
left as it is or corrected for distance vision.
Clinical Conditions
Lasik Eye Surgery cannot be performed in patients with keratoconus, injured and healed cornea,
post viral keratitis, patients with cataract and patients with severe dry eye syndromes.
Choosing right lasik
Ever since the Lasik was introduced, many techniques have evolved over period of time and today
there are more than 6 types of Lasiks in practice. However, the latest technique or most advanced
technique may not be the right procedure for you. You have to get the primary screening in the
surgeon’s clinic for understanding the right procedure for you.
When you visit the clinic for Lasik surgery, the first thing we do is to identify the exact correction you
would require which means what is your glass prescription power. After that your corneal thickness
and regularity test is performed by using a pachymeter and topography.
Types of Lasik and Choosing the right Lasik
Broadly, there are 2 main types of Lasik
