How Are Lasers Used in Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser Eye Surgery
One of the most common physical ailments that men and women suffer from is poor vision. Glasses and contacts can quickly become an annoyance and a hindrance; most individuals long for the ability to see clearly without any aid. Laser eye surgery is an innovative way to repair vision for a clearer outlook on life. For proper candidates, laser vision correction can help you to obtain perfect vision.
How It Works
Laser eye surgery is actually quite simple. Laser light is utilized to reshape the cornea in order to allow it to focus directly on the retina. Reshaping the cornea can lead to perfect vision. The reason that men and women have impaired vision is because the cornea is unable to properly focus on the retina. Improper focusing leads to blurred vision and depth perception problems. By changing the cornea's focusing power, vision can be dramatically improved.
Before Laser Eye Surgery
Before undergoing laser eye surgery, all patients must first undergo an eye scan. This scan determines if you're a proper candidate for the treatment and also provides your information and requirements, which determine proper calibration of the laser. While this treatment has progressed significantly, there are still some individuals that are not great candidates for treatment. Those who have had eye surgery in the past year, have eye infections or a history of herpes in the eye area, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have dry eye syndrome or have pupils that dilate beyond 7 mm in the dark are not ideal candidates for this surgery. Discussing all requirements with your doctor will determine if this treatment can benefit you. Once accepted as a candidate, patients can undergo the treatment.
During Laser Eye Surgery
The treatment starts with numbing. Your physician puts numbing drops in the eye in order to keep the area free from pain. Once numbed, a device called a lid speculum is placed over both eyes. This device is designed to pull back the eyelids so that the eyes can remain open throughout the treatment. Once in place, the laser is properly calibrated and the treatment begins. Your surgeon starts by cutting a flap in the cornea, which is about ¼ of the overall thickness. Once this flap is pulled back, the laser uses precise pulses of light in order to reshape the cornea.
Each laser pulse consists of a tightly focused beam of light flashed over the surface of the eye. When the light comes into contact with the corneal tissue, it vaporizes a small portion of it. By digitally controlling the size, position and number of laser pulses, your surgeon can control the amount of corneal tissue removed. Once complete, the corneal flap is replaced and quickly conforms to the new shape.
Post-Treatment
In the following days, the corneal flap heals and bonds, and patients start to notice a difference in their vision. Most patients experience improved to perfect vision. Results vary from patient to patient based on individual factors, such as level of impaired vision, eye shape and corneal shape. Patients generally experience a successful result, which is why laser eye surgery is a popular way to correct impaired vision.
Tags: impaired vision, Laser Surgery, perfect vision, corneal flap, corneal tissue