Lasik

LASIK (laser-assisted corneal curvature correction) is one of the most common operations for patients to correct some vision problems and dispense eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Many patients may resort to LASIK to correct their vision level due to one of the following problems:

• Nearsightedness (Myopia).
• Farsightedness (Hyperopia).
• Aberration or astigmatism.
• To get rid of glasses or contact lenses.

Before confirming the possibility of LASIK surgery, the patient must undergo some of the examinations required by the ophthalmologist, including:

• A comprehensive examination of the eyes, including measurement of some structures within the eye as well as examination of the level of vision.
• Double-binocular examination.
• Quantitative and qualitative examination of the layer of tears in the eyes.
• Corneal topography; to know the strength and shape of the cornea.
• Wavefront measurement; to measure higher-order aberrations of vision
• Measurement of corneal thickness.     
• Accurate measurement of the pupil size.

LASIK surgery may lead to multiple risks. Despite the high success rates of LASIK, it may carry some complications that the patient should be aware of, although rare, such as:

• Sensitivity to light.
• Dry Eye.
• Blurred or unclear vision.
• The need to re-perform the surgery in the case of not achieving the required level of vision.

Lasik surgery has the following three main stages:

• Preparing for the surgery:

The patient is anesthetized locally through the use of a narcotic drop of the eye, and may be given intravenous sedation for further comfort during the surgery.

Before that, the patient is asked not to use contact lenses for at least two days before the surgery.

• During the surgery:

The ophthalmologist uses a lid speculum to keep the eye open and eyelids spaced, and after fixing them he puts a suction ring on the cornea to stand out, after that he passes a special device (microkeratome) that partially cuts a small flap of corneal surface, and allows the pulse of the laser beam to reach the cornea, and reshape it during about 60 minutes.

The ophthalmologist then gets the separated flap from the surface of the cornea back and leaves it for a few minutes to heal, and then puts few drops of antibiotic to avoid inflammation.

• After the surgery:

The patient can leave the surgeon's clinic immediately after the LASIK procedure, preferably with a friend or a relative because he cannot drive.

After the LASIK surgery, the patient may feel pain in the eyes, itching and tearing, as well as the lack of clarity of vision, which is normal and will soon disappear after a few hours.

The ophthalmologist often advises to wear a conservator on the eye during the night to maintain it and enhance healing opportunities. The patient begins after about two or three months to observe the improvement of his or her level of vision.