eye conditions and LASIK treatments

Printing Instructions: To print this page, choose the "Print" option from the "File" menu in your menu bar. Select a printer and press the "OK" button. Clear Vision Clear vision in the normal eye is the result of light rays passing through the cornea, pupil and lens, and focusing directly on the retina. Nearsightedness Nearsightedness can occur when the curve of the cornea is too steep or the eye is too long in relationship to its corneal curvature. This causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of on its surface, resulting in blurry distance vision. Correcting Nearsightedness with LASIK After the eye has been numbed using eye drops, an eyelid holder is placed between the eyelids to prevent blinking during the procedure. Next, a thin protective flap of corneal tissue is created and gently folded back using an instrument called a microkeratome. The laser then removes tissue from the center of the cornea making it flatter, moving the point of focus from in front of the retina to the surface of the retina. Post-LASIK Finally, the protective flap is folded back into place where it bonds securely without the need for stitches. After LASIK, some patients report a slight discomfort that usually goes away within twelve to twenty-four hours. Although post-operative results vary from patient to patient, most patients are able to pass a drivers' license test without glasses or contact lenses. Farsightedness Farsightedness can occur if the cornea is too flat or the eye is too short. This causes light to focus at a hypothetical point beyond the retina, resulting in blurry close vision. Correcting Farsightedness with LASIK After the eye has been numbed using eye drops, an eyelid holder is placed between the eyelids to prevent blinking during the procedure. Next, a thin protective flap of corneal tissue is created and gently folded back using an instrument called a microkeratome. The laser then makes the cornea steeper by removing tissue from the outer margins or periphery of the cornea, moving the point of focus from somewhere behind the retina to the surface of the retina. Post-LASIK Finally, the protective flap is folded back into place where it bonds securely without the need for stitches. After LASIK, some patients report a slight discomfort that usually goes away within twelve to twenty-four hours. Although post-operative results vary from patient to patient, most patients are able to pass a drivers' license test without glasses or contact lenses. Astigmatism Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is more curved in one direction than the other and often occurs in combination with nearsightedness and farsightedness. In this case the eye is shaped similarly to a football, in that it is oblong instead of round. This causes light to focus on more than one point on the retina, resulting in blurry and often distorted vision. Correcting Astigmatism with LASIK After the eye has been numbed using eye drops, an eyelid holder is placed between the eyelids to prevent blinking during the procedure. Next, a thin protective flap of corneal tissue is created and gently folded back using an instrument called a microkeratome. The laser then removes tissue from the steeper portion of the cornea, making the cornea more spherical, allowing light to come to one point of focus on the retina. Post-LASIK Finally, the protective flap is folded back into place where it bonds securely without the need for stitches. After LASIK, some patients report a slight discomfort that usually goes away within twelve to twenty-four hours. Although post-operative results vary from patient to patient, most patients are able to pass a drivers' license test without glasses or contact lenses. back to top