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LASIK

LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis - laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery. Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, no epithelial removal is required during LASIK surgery, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.

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AN INNOVATIVE TREATMENT METHOD THAT EFFECTIVELY CORRECTS VISION DEFECTS

What is Lasik?

LASIK is an abbreviation from the Latin “laser in situ keratomileusis”, which means “ablation using a laser for the internal corneal tissue”-this process precisely is performed during the operation by using the LASIK method.

The LASIK method is scientifically known and applied to correct visual defects since 1990 and is considered as the most used method of laser surgery. A confirmation of this fact is that this method was accepted for treatment of astronauts with NASA and American Navy jet pilots.

The newest development in this process is Femto-LASIK. With this innovative Femto-LASIK method, the mechanical incision of the cornea was replaced with the femtosecond laser.

Course of the operation

What is LASIK?

If one wants to have both eyes operated on during the same procedure, LASIK is the most appropriate method.

The invention of the LASIK method is credited to Joannis Pallikaris. In this method, a corneal flap is created using a microkeratome, and the correction itself is done with an excimer laser.

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The course of the operation

In the LASIK method with a microkeratome (scalpel), an incision is made on the cornea using a microprecision knife. The ultra-thin flap (named flap) is carefully deflected, and then the inside of the cornea is exposed to the excimer laser and reshaped so that the focus point is optimally on the retina. Then the flap is resealed, and the cornea heals within a few days.

Mechanical LASIK, in which the flap is molded with a scalpel, is being used less and less for safety reasons. A more modern one, Femto-LASIK involving an incision made with a laser rather than a knife, is now standard with us.

Preparation

We thoroughly disinfect the patient’s facial area before starting the procedure. We then administer anesthesia to the patient in the form of eye drops, and immobilize the eyelids with dilators. During the procedure, we ask the patient to look at the flashing light.

Cutting with a scalpel

In the first phase of the procedure, the surgeon uses a micro-precision scalpel to make a cut in the cornea, creating a thin flap 0.1 mm thick. At this stage, the patient may feel pressure on the eye and see darkness for a short while.

Excimer laser correction

The previously exposed cornea is reshaped with a computer-controlled laser in seconds. It is completely painless – the patient can only hear the sound of the laser and any corneal odor. The surgeon performing the procedure controls the use of the laser with a microscope at all times.

Completion of treatment

In the final phase of the procedure, the corneal flap created earlier is closed back up. To protect the surgical area, the surgeon applies specialized contact lenses with high oxygen permeability to the patient’s eyes. They are removed the day after the procedure.