How LASIK Works

Excellent eyesight is usually considered 20/20 vision, which means light comes into the eye through the cornea, passes through the lens, and is then passed onto the retina. When someone is experiencing less than perfect eyesight, it is usually the result of a refractive error. In a refractive error, the cornea is misshapen and light is not refracted correctly onto the retina.

After determining that you are a good candidate for LASIK through our Free LASIK Consultation, there are four steps to LASIK.

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  1. Mapping Your Eyes’ Imperfections - Your eyes, just like your fingerprints, are unique. The specific irregularities causing your vision to be less than optimal must be precisely identified before having LASIK. Dr. Donelson uses a digital mapping system to capture each eye’s unique imperfections with greater accuracy than ever before. This advanced technology creates a detailed 3D map of the cornea’s surface which our surgeons then program into a digital treatment plan, which is used to perform your LASIK procedure.


  2. Creating the Corneal Flap – Before the laser is applied to the cornea, a corneal flap must be created. Traditionally, the microkeratome, which is a spinning metal blade, was used for this step. With all-laser LASIK, this flap can now be created with a laser. Dr. Donelson uses the IntraLase™ laser. The laser creates thousands of tiny bubbles below the surface of the eye so that the flap can be separated easily from the eye.


  3. Reshaping of the Cornea – Once the flap is gently folded back, the excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea into a round shape. We use the VISX S4 IR™. With the precision of this advanced laser, most patients need a very miniscule section of tissue removed – about the thickness of a human hair – to make the correction. 


  4. Replacing the Corneal Flap – After the cornea has been reshaped, the flap is folded back into place where it immediately begins bonding with the tissue. Healing is quite rapid and most people can return to normal activity the very next day.

While these steps are similar with many LASIK practices, the important things to note are the surgeon’s experience with his staff and the technology for each step. Some centers have performed many procedures but not with the same surgeon and the same staff. It isn’t likely they’ll tell you the percentage of their patients that need “enhancements”. Choosing a doctor like Dr. Donelson who has exceptional skills and results is the only way to ensure you receive the best treatment possible.

To see if you are a good candidate for LASIK, take our LASIK Self Evaluation.

 

Key Questions About the Technology Used in LASIK

What Is All-Laser or Blade-Free LASIK?

All-laser LASIK is the most advanced evolution for the flap-creation step. In the ‘bladeless’ or ‘all-laser’ technique, a laser forms a series of bubbles in the corneal tissue to create the flap, rather than using a blade. The advantages with this advanced technique are more accuracy and stability, and greater patient comfort.

Which Technology Solves Night Vision Problems?

Many of us suffer from night vision problems with or without refractive surgery. In the earliest days of laser vision correction, some patients reported halos and ‘star bursts’ after their procedures, especially when driving at night. Patients with large pupils were susceptible to this complication.

Today’s advanced lasers have dealt authoritatively with night vision issues. In fact, many of our patients report improved night vision after the procedure.

How long does LASIK last?

Since the cornea is living tissue there can be minor fluctuations and occasionally the need for enhancements as the cornea adapts following the procedure. These are a normal part of the post-operative process.

After the post-operative processes are complete, your vision may improve and stabilize. Some of our LASIK patients report excellent vision following the procedure that gets even better in the next months and years.

Your eyes age as you do, and for most of us who’ve reached our mid-40’s, another element of the eye will cause vision trouble – especially creating the need for reading glasses. This element is the eye’s lens, which gradually loses flexibility and results in a condition called presbyopia, or the need for reading glasses. A LASIK procedure called Monovision LASIK may help this condition significantly. The procedure for Monovision LASIK corrects one eye for distance and one eye for close up viewing, such as reading. The results of this procedure can be simulated with contact lenses to see if it will work for you.

By the time you are in your 70s you may be experiencing another set of age-related vision problems which LASIK doesn’t address - cataracts. However, if you corrected your refractive error with LASIK earlier in life, that correction will still be true.