LASIK

LASIK or Lasik (; "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis"), commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism. LASIK surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist who uses a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome to create a corneal flap to expose the corneal stroma and then an excimer laser to reshape the corneal stroma in order to improve visual acuity.

LASIK is very similar to another surgical corrective procedure, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and LASEK. All represent advances over radial keratotomy in the surgical treatment of refractive errors of vision. For people with moderate to high myopia or thin corneas which cannot be treated with LASIK or PRK, the phakic intraocular lens is an alternative.

As of 2018, roughly 9.5 million Americans have had LASIK and, globally, between 1991 and 2016, more than 40 million procedures were performed. However, the procedure seemed to be a declining option as of 2015.

Process

In March 2009, the FDA officially recognized the new LASIK standard from The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), entitled "Laser Systems for Corneal Reshaping".

A detailed pre-operative screening will assess corneal thickness, shape, and refractive error, ensuring the patient is a suitable candidate. During the surgery, a surgeon uses a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome blade to create a thin corneal flap, which is then carefully folded back to expose the underlying tissue. An excimer laser precisely reshapes the stromal layer of the cornea, removing microscopic amounts of tissue to correct refractive errors.