Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis or LASIK is a procedure that uses excimer laser to change the shape of the cornea (the clear covering in the front of the eye) permanently.

During LASIK Eye Operation

Normally LASIK eye surgery takes less than half an hour. During the surgery process you will have to lie down on your back in a reclining chair. The room will have a laser system. The laser system in LASIK system is large system with a microscope and a monitor attached to the system. The doctors will place an eye drop into your eye and clean the area around it. The lid speculum will help to hold the eyelids open. Doctors will then place a ring and applying high pressures will create suction in the cornea. While the suction ring is on your vision will get dimmed. Due to the high pressure and and dimmed vision you may feel a bit of discomfort during this part of LASIK surgery procedure. A cutting instrument, microkeratome, is attached to the the suction ring. The doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in the cornea. The suction ring and the microkeratome are then removed. Though you will be able to see, but you will experience blurred and fluctuating vision throughout rest of the procedure. The surgeon will lift the flap and fold it back on the hinge and dry the exposed tissue.

During the surgery you will have stare towards the laser that will be positioned over your eye. This is actually not the laser that will be used to remove the tissues from the cornea; this only helps to keep your eye fixed on a particular spot to help the surgeon to complete the operation. You are not a good candidate for this surgery if you are unable to stare at the light for at least 60 seconds. On the correct position of the eye, the doctor starts the laser. Some people who have undergone LASIK reported that they smell something like a burning hair when the laser removes the corneal tissues.  The amount of energy delivered by the laser is controlled by the computer attached to the laser. The surgeon has already programmed the computer to use it on a particular tissue by the initial value of the measurements taken. When the laser energy pulses vaporize the respective corneal tissues, the flap is set back to its original place. A shield is also placed over your eye at the end of LASIK procedure as protection.