What is LASIK and Who is a Candidate for the Surgery?

LASIK eye surgery is a permanent procedure which greatly reduces a patient's need for eyeglasses and contact lenses. LASIK surgeons use modern laser techniques which make the surgery relatively quick and painless. Patients are often back to their normal routines the next day. Almost anyone can be a candidate for LASIK, although it is always recommended to get the opinion of an eye doctor before making any decisions regarding surgery.

Before undertaking a LASIK surgical procedure, an eye doctor will need to determine if a patient is a good candidate for the procedure. The doctor will need to make an evaluation based on many factors. The main consideration is the shape of the eye; this determines what sort of adjustment the LASIK surgeon will need to make to the eye. It is important to not wear contact lenses before this evaluation since they alter the shape of the eye.

The eye doctor will need to know what medications the patient is taking and any recent surgical procedures or health issues. In order to determine is a good candidate for laser eye surgery, the patient will need to have a through eye exam. After the exam, the eye doctor should talk to the patient and explain all the risks involved with LASIK.

Before laser eye surgery, the patient should arrange for a friend or family member to drive him to the surgical center. The patient will have blurred vision directly following surgery and will be unable to drive. Sometimes the doctor prescribes some type of minor sedative to relax the patient before the procedure; this will also affect the patient's ability to drive.

LASIK eye surgery is often performed at an outpatient surgical center or at a LASIK surgeon's office. The operation is short; it usually takes less than an hour to perform. Eye surgery patients remain awake during the laser surgery in order to be aid the surgeon when he needs to move the eye. The procedure is painless; often the patient only suffers from a case of nerves.

During the operation the patient will remain in a reclined or flat position. The LASIK surgeon will first numb the eye and then thoroughly cleans the eye and the surrounding area using sterile optical solution. After the eye is numb, the surgeon will either a small incision in the cornea or flatten the eye depending on the type of LASIK to be performed.

LASIK surgery using lasers requires that the eye surgeon flatten the eye with a piece of plastic. This causes the cornea to separate from the eye creating a flap. The rest of the procedure is the same for both types of LASIK surgery. The surgeon manipulates the shape of the eye until the patient's vision is restored to as close to normal as possible. The patient will see results immediately following the surgery.

In order to determine if a patient is a good candidate for this procedure, the eye doctor must evaluate how the patient will handle the operation both physically and emotionally. A good LASIK candidate should be comfortable with the procedure and will enjoy its benefits for years to come.