LASIK Eye Surgery

Although quite some time since it appeared as a revolutionary technology, laser eye surgery LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) is giving some concern to those who have to receive it (or suffer, depending on how you see).

To find out exactly what is being done with the eye involved, to quickly understand two of the most common problems at the hearing: myopia and hyperopia.

Myopia is the visual problem in which the image is formed in front of the retina. The way to solve it by placing a diverging lens with which we can transfer that image to the retina itself, as we see in the following scheme:

LasikMiopia

The case of hyperopia is just the opposite. The image is formed at a point behind the retina, so that in order to transfer it to its rightful place, we will need a converging lens.

LasikHipermetropia

Well, knowing this, we know the reasons why are performed laser eye surgery. The only difference between patients who were operated on and those who wear contact lenses or glasses, is that the former have "cut" their lenses on the cornea itself, while the latter put them in front of the eye.

Consider the process followed by surgery for myopia:

* The first step in the operation is to have a myopic eye to operate. Here is one. This will follow a "topographic map" of the cornea, to identify its various irregularities and know how much corneal tissue to be removed.

LasikPaso1

* We had to make a precise cut in the cornea with a special knife for that purpose (microkeratome). The depth of cut is not very large, since we are simply removing the "first layer of the cornea.

LasikPaso2

* It will leave a small portion of cornea that will serve as the hinge, since it then will cover the traded (known as the corneal stroma).

LasikPaso3

* With the stroma into the air, we went to use an excimer laser to shape the stroma. In this way we will be carving the cornea as if a lens is involved, getting the optimal shape for a correct view.

LasikPaso4

* After the operation, the cornea covered again, and no need to suture the cut will close earlier.

LasikPaso5

Do you think this whole process cumbersome?