LASIK Now vs LASIK Then

Submitted by Dr. Dean Dornic on Sun 12/18/2011 - 11:57

Improvements in technology have improved video games and the LASIK procedure.

One truth about medical procedures is that with time, things get better. Cataract surgery used to involve a week stay in the hospital with sandbags around the head after to prevent movement. Newer technology has changed this to a 10 minute outpatient procedure with most patients returning to their normal daily routine within a day.

LASIK has undergone a similar evolution. The LASIK procedure hardly resembles the original procedure first described 20 years ago. The original procedure involved making a flap with a mechanized, geared flap-maker with a blade and a crude (by today’s standard) laser with an aperature that was centered on the pupil by the surgeon using a joystick.

Today’s most sophisticated LASIK procedure involves totally customized flaps, preplanned on a dashboard using a high-frequency laser and a second pupil-tracking laser to reshape the cornea to correct not only refractive error but corneal aberrations.

A Geared LASIK flap maker.

The result? A much safer procedure with better outcomes. Many patients describe even better night vision than previously obtained with glasses or contact lenses. LASIK has gained a new popularity as patients have taken a second look at the procedure because of the newer innovations in LASIK technology. Want to find out if LASIK is right for you? Consult with an ophthalmologist who performs LASIK eye surgery and ask about risks and benefits. Maybe you will join the millions of patients who are now free of eyeglasses and contact lenses.