LASIK Eye Surgery

What is LASIK?

The eye and vision errors

The cornea is a part of the eye that helps focus light to create an image
on the retina. It works in much the same way that the lens of a camera focuses light to create an image on film. The bending and focusing of light is also known as refraction. Usually the shape of the cornea and
the eye are not perfect and the image on the retina is out-of-focus (blurred) or distorted. These imperfections in the focusing power of
the eye are called refractive errors. There are three primary types of refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Persons with myopia, or nearsightedness, have more difficulty seeing distant objects
as clearly as near objects. Persons with hyperopia, or farsightedness,
have more difficulty seeing near objects as clearly as distant objects.

Astigmatism is a distortion of the image on the retina caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens of the eye. Combinations of myopia and astigmatism or hyperopia and astigmatism are common. Glasses or contact lenses are designed to compensate for the eye's imperfections. Surgical procedures aimed at improving the focusing power of the eye are called refractive surgery. In LASIK surgery, precise and controlled removal of corneal tissue by a special laser reshapes the cornea changing its focusing power. Click to Continue