LASIK Eye Surgery
Learn about LASIK surgery and the different types of laser eye surgery procedures available to you at TLC Laser Eye Centers.
About LASIK (Laser-Assisted-In-Situ Keratomileusis)
LASIK is the most frequently performed elective surgery in North America. This highly effective outpatient procedure is often referred to as refractive surgery or laser vision correction.
LASIK eye surgery is used to correct the following vision problems:
How LASIK Works
The LASIK procedure is performed by ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in surgical treatments of the eye. Here is a general outline of the procedure:
- Anesthetic eye drops are applied to the eye.
- The LASIK surgeon creates a protective flap to access the inner corneal tissue. During this part of the procedure, your vision dims and becomes blurry for about a minute. After the flap is created you are able to see the flashing fixation light of the laser and the bright lights used for the procedure.
- Next, the inner layers of your cornea receive computer-controlled pulses of cool laser light. Although the laser light is invisible, the laser makes a clicking sound as it gently reshapes the inner corneal layer to improve and in many cases, eliminate your prescription. During this part of the procedure, an eye-tracking device tracks your eye movements to ensure precise correction.
- Following the re-shaping of the tissue, the LASIK surgeon carefully repositions and aligns the flap to its original position. Protective shields are placed over your eye to prevent accidental rubbing as the flap heals naturally and securely over the next several hours.
After the LASIK eye surgery procedure, patients feel moderate discomfort and irritation for a few hours, but most are comfortable after a nap and rest.
Types of LASIK
Everyone’s eyes are different. A pre-procedure consultation with your doctor will help determine the right type of laser eye surgery for you.
Bladeless LASIK
Your eyes are too important to trust with just anyone. That is why bladeless LASIK is available at all of our centers.
When performing bladeless LASIK, the LASIK surgeon uses a gentle laser to create the corneal flap. This technology allows the LASIK surgeon to better customize the corneal flap for each patient. As the name implies, no blades are used in this kind of laser eye surgery.
Your TLC surgeons now offer customization for you in all parts of the LASIK procedure:
- Custom diagnosis (before the procedure)
- Custom corneal flap (Bladeless LASIK)
- Custom vision treatment (Wavefront guided LASIK)
Custom LASIK
LASIK is an excellent choice for many patients. Custom LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure that helps your LASIK surgeon further customize the correction to your individual eyes. LASIK surgeons are able to focus on the quantity as well as the quality of your vision. Custom LASIK may result in vision clearer and sharper than ever before.
Custom LASIK uses Wavefront Technology to measure the way light travels through your eye. This technology performs a detailed analysis of your eye that examines the entire optical system. The instrument used provides information about the unique visual characteristics of your eye, allowing for an additional level of data about your vision. This, in turn, enables your TLC LASIK surgeon to further customize your vision correction. The data is used to guide the laser during your Custom LASIK laser vision correction procedure for optimal results.
Custom LASIK is necessary for some patients and desirable for many. Everyone’s eyes are different. A pre-procedure consultation with your doctor will help determine if Custom LASIK is right for you based on your particular prescription, healing profile and expectations.
Compared to other forms of laser vision correction, Custom LASIK has been shown or is believed to provide patients with:
- A greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision1
- The potential, in certain cases, for better vision than possible with contacts or glasses
- Less incidence of glare, halos and night vision disturbances2
Topography-Guided LASIK
Topography-Guided LASIK is the latest advancement in LASIK technology. Take LASIK to the next level, ask about Contoura® Vision.
1 Source: TLC company data
2 Source: As noted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its approval of Custom LASIK