LASIK eye surgery can be an alternative to glasses or contact lenses done for the correction of certain common vision problems.

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a type of laser refractive surgery — the best known and most commonly performed. In general, a special type of cutting laser is used to precisely change the shape of your cornea — the dome-shaped transparent tissue at the front of your eye — to improve vision.

Normally, images are clearly focused on the retina in the back of your eye because the light rays are bent properly to contact the retinal surface. With nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) or astigmatism, the light is bent incorrectly and it ends up being focused elsewhere, resulting in blurred vision. Traditionally, the blurred vision is corrected by bending (refracting) light rays with glasses or contact lenses. But reshaping the cornea itself also will provide the necessary refraction.

Is there more than one type of laser eye surgery?

Yes, the two best-known and most popular types of laser eye surgery are LASIK and LASEK (also referred to as PRK). Both types can be enhanced by iDesign, a highly advanced innovation which takes over 1,200 measurements from your eye to create a personalised ‘map'. This allows your treatment to be tailored specifically to you to achieve the best results.

Why LASIK done?

LASIK surgery may be an option for the correction of one of these vision problems:

• Nearsightedness (myopia). When your eyeball is slightly longer than normal or when the cornea curves too sharply, light rays focus in front of the retina and blur distant vision. You can see objects that are close fairly clearly, but not those that are far away.
• Farsightedness (hyperopia). When you have a shorter than average eyeball or a cornea that is too flat, light focuses behind the retina instead of on it. This makes near vision, and sometimes distant vision, blurry.
• Astigmatism. When the cornea curves or flattens unevenly, the result is astigmatism, which disrupts focus of near and distant vision.

If you're considering LASIK surgery, you probably already wear glasses or contact lenses. Your eye doctor will talk with you about whether LASIK surgery or another similar refractive procedure is an option that will work for you.

After the procedure of Lasik:

Immediately after surgery, your eye might itch, burn and be watery. You'll probably have blurred vision. You generally will experience little pain, and you'll usually recover your vision quickly.

You might be given pain medication or eyedrops to keep you comfortable for several hours after the procedure. Your eye doctor might also ask you to wear a shield over your eye at night until your eye heals.

You'll be able to see after surgery, but your vision won't be clear right away. It takes about two to three months after your surgery before your eye heals and your vision stabilizes. Your chances for improved vision are based, in part, on how good your vision was before surgery.

You'll have a follow-up appointment with your eye doctor one to two days after surgery. He or she will see how your eye is healing and check for any complications. Plan for other follow-up appointments during the first six months after surgery as your doctor recommends.

It might be a few weeks before you can start to use cosmetics around your eyes again. You might also have to wait several weeks before resuming strenuous contact sports, swimming or using hot tubs.

Results of Lasik:

LASIK often offers improved vision without the hassle of glasses or contact lenses. In general, you have a very good chance of achieving 20/25 vision or better after refractive surgery.

More than 8 out of 10 people who've undergone LASIK refractive surgery no longer need to use their glasses or contact lenses for most of their activities.

Your results depend on your specific refractive error and other factors. People with a low grade of nearsightedness tend to have the most success with refractive surgery. People with a high degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness along with astigmatism have less predictable results. In some cases, the surgery might result in undercorrection. If this happens, you might need another surgery to achieve the proper correction.

Rarely, some people's eyes slowly return to the level of vision they had before surgery. This might happen due to certain conditions, such as abnormal wound healing, hormonal imbalances or pregnancy. Sometimes this change in vision is due to another eye problem, such as a cataract. Talk with your doctor about any vision changes.