Lasik Eye: Surgery Procedures

If you are among those who have had enough when it comes to dealing with glasses, misplacing them, or having to remove them in order to participate in a contact sport such as football - or are tired of having to deal with all the maintenance of the contact lenses - a lasik eye procedure may be just the thing for you to be able to enjoy the freedom that comes with naturally better eyuesight.

Lasik Eye surgery is better known to medical professionals as LASer In-situ Keratomileusis. The surgeon employs a laser emitting a strong light capable of vaporizing skin tissue. A microscopic instrument known as an excimer laser is used to remove a thin layer of tissue from the cornea - which is where vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism have their origin. The surgeon cuts a thin layer of tissue over the cornea, taking care to see that it does not become detached, and gently folds it back in order expose the cornea and make the necessary corrections. Afterwards, this top layer of tissue is replaced; as it is still attached to the cornea, no stitches are required.

Because Lasik Eye surgery is does not require that anything actually be detached or removed, healing of the eye is much faster than would normally required for other eye surgery procedures such as those involving cataracts or macular degeneration. Lasik eye incisions actually start to heal within a few hours.

Lasik Eye surgery requires less than thirty minutes for both eyes. Discomfort is minimal; the eye area is numbed with anesthetic drops instead of an injection. You may notice a change after a lasik eye procedure, even as long as two to three months later. Nonetheless, the effects of the surgery are permanent. Most individuals who have had a lasik eye procedure note large improvements in their vision, even the same day after the treatment. Reading glasses may still be required, because lasik eye surgery does not correct presbyopia, which is a natural, age-related weakening of the eyes that often makes people need magnification for reading. Operation of a motor vehicle should be avoided for at least a day or so. After about two weeks after lasik eye surgery, it is usually safe to apply eye makeup again. Most individuals are able to resume normal activities a day after lasik eye surgery. Costs for a lasik eye procedure in and around Denver and the Front Range area range from between $500 and $1500, which is in the low mid-range for the nation as a whole.