Lasik Surgery in Houston

You may already know that the mission of LASIK Houston is to provide top-quality laser eye surgery for our patients. In addition to this, we at LASIK Houston are committed to educating the public on what LASIK surgery involves. We invite you to read the following article to learn more about LASIK eye surgery:

LASIK is by far the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure in the world. The term LASIK stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.”

Why is the LASIK method so popular? LASIK has many advantages over other surgical methods, include less painful recogvery period after surgery. LASIK also provides very quick results—improvements in vision are often seen the day after surgery.

What does the LASIK procedure involve? All LASIK procedures involve creating a thin, circular flap in the cornea of the eye. This flap can be created using an instrument called a microkeratome. There are also other, more recently-developed approaches to LASIK which involve using a laser to create this flap. In this version of LASIK, a blade never touches your eye.

After creating the flap in the cornea, the surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, and removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. This laser uses a cool beam of ultraviolet light to carefully and precisely remove very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea, thus reshaping the cornea.

The cornea is re-shaped in such a way that it becomes more capable of focusing light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before surgery. The corneal flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.

At LASIK Houston, LASIK procedures are used to help improve vision among nearsighted and farsighted patients alike. For nearsighted patients, the objective of the surgery is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is created. LASIK surgery can also correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

To determine whether you are a good candidate for LASIK, you must first have your eyes examined by an eye doctor. Your doctor will need to determine how healthy your eyes are, as well as the type and degree of vision correction you need. Your doctor must also look for signs of dry eye disease, which must be treated and cleared before LASIK surgery can be performed. If your doctor finds that you are a good candidate for the LASIK procedure, then a qualified surgeon such as those at LASIK Houston can be contacted for a consultation.

LASIK is a single-day procedure. You walk into the surgery center, have the procedure and return home, all in a short period of time. The surgery itself generally takes less than five minutes, and you can remain awake the whole time. Occasionally, the surgeon will give a mild oral sedative beforehand.

Though it is relatively quick, the LASIK procedure is a very delicate one. It is crucial that the surgery be performed by a highly skilled surgeon with proper equipment. You should arrange to have someone accompany you to drive you back home afterward.

As with any kind of surgery, it is of extremely important that you follow your doctor’s instructions for the recovery period. Get plenty of rest, fill and use any necessary prescriptions and call your doctor immediately if you sense any problem. What occurs after the surgery can affect your vision just as much as the surgery itself.

To learn more about the LASIK procedure, or to inquire about the experience and training of the staff at LASIK Houston, please contact our office at 888-888-8888.