LASIK eye surgery works to reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses such as contacts or glasses. LASIK stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.”

In the first step of LASIK surgery, a thin flap is made in the flat surface of the eye, known as the cornea. The flap is made in either one of two ways: your ophthalmologist will use either a metal instrument called a microkeratome or an Intralase laser using the energy from ultraviolet beam. In the second step, your surgeon will then fold back the flap and precisely reshape the corneal tissue with what is called an excimer laser. In the final step, the flap is repositioned over the cornea, serving as a bandage.

LASIK surgery improves your vision during the second step, during which the laser remodels the cornea’s shape. During this process, the cornea is reshaped allowing more light to enter the eye and the retina, resulting in sharper vision. Your surgeon will flatten the too-steep cornea if you are nearsighted, and shape your cornea into a steeper shape if you are farsighted. Your surgeon can even reshape the eye if you have astigmatism.

LASIK has a high patient satisfaction rating that is linked to low pain association while the surgery is performed along with results as early as the next day.

While we do not actually perform this procedure, we do comanage with reputable ophthalmologists who have years of experience performing refractive surgery using only the newest state-of-the-art equipment. Comanagement is the term used to describe the cooperative care of patients between the primary care eye provider and the ophthalmic surgeon. The components of refractive surgery include the pre-operative examination and measurement of the eyes, the discussion of the surgical procedure, including the alternatives, risk/benefit ratio, and risks and complications; the surgery; and the post-operative care. Most often, patients prefer to receive both their pre-operative work-up and their post-operative care from their primary eye care providers because of either a long-standing relationship with their provider or because of the geographic convenience of not having to return to the surgeon for every post-operative visit. Another advantage of post-operative management by the primary eye care provider is the fact that a great majority of the post-operative examinations consist of the measurement of the eyes for residual nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or the need for reading glasses. This skill is best performed by the primary eye care provider who is familiar with the patient’s lifestyle, as well as their individual visual needs. Visit www.optimaeye.com for more information about selecting the refractive surgeon that is right for you.

As prior to any surgery, one of our eye doctors will perform a comprehensive eye exam to determine if your eyes are healthy enough for the procedure and to determine how much laser reshaping would be necessary for optimal vision correction. Contact our office to schedule an appointment for a consultation today to discuss how to best improve your vision.