People normally feel a bit nervous when they research for LASIK. At the end of the day, it is a medical technique that has a bearing on the eyesight. If you choose a surgeon with high qualifications, then you can be relaxed and be relieved.

In the modern times, most LASIK procedures use lasers and not blades. This will help you relax as there is the assurance of precision which comes with it being computer controlled. And the LASIK procedure is based on 40 years of improvement due to a continued effort on making the procedure safe and effective.

Before and now: Improvement in vision surgery techniques

The mid-1970s: One of the beginners in the procedure was the radial keratotomy. The cost of the process was high and was done by a surgeon who used a scalpel. It was carried out on one eye at one time because of the need to monitor the progress of the process and to evade complications. The patient will come after two weeks to get the procedure performed on the other eye.

1988: LASIK surgeons started using microkeratome. This is a really thin blade which was used to cut a flap in the upper part of the cornea. Then excimer laser was used to remove that tissue from the surface of the eye and reshape the cornea that is underneath according to the prescription of the patient. The time taken for the procedure was 15 minutes.

2000s-Today: the doctors using modern techniques use all laser procedures as the microkeratome method was not in use any longer. The femtosecond laser was used in place of creating the flap in the cornea with a blade. The incision is more constant by the use of the bladeless approach. The patients who have thin corneas and could not avail LASIK procedures earlier can now go for the process. It is heartening for the surgeons and the patients that the bladeless procedure offers more precision. The other technique is Wavefront LASIK or custom LASIK. This widely used method uses a 3D measure of the eyes to make a laser eyesight correcting treatment suited to the needs of every patient.

The Future of LASIK: The techniques are constantly being observed to ensure the optimum results are available, so the progress continues. For instance, cross-linking the cornea is a useful procedure that makes the cornea stronger. It is now being considered for those patients who need more removal of the corneal tissue. The combination of corneal cross-linking, keratoconus and LASIK procedure makes sure that the patients with thin corneas can be LASIK candidates now.

LASIK Statistics

The techniques have progressed over the years, and a review of the data can prove that the improvements have been beneficial. When you look up LASIK procedures, you must consider the following facts:

• A high percentage of LASIK patients get satisfaction from the procedure
• Most of the patients get exact visual accuracy or better, and some of them get a major percentage of accuracy in the eye.
• LASIK is a major part of all the refractive procedures that are carried out in the present day.

Consulting a Specialist

LASIK is still a surgical process, just like any other process, in spite of it having technological improvements and great statistics and it has certain risks involved in it. The side effects of the process include a reduction in night vision and dry eyes. Though most of the problems are not permanent and can be cured.

A qualified LASIK specialist must be consulted to know if the surgery is right for you. The specialist will make your concern turn into the happiness of having better eyesight.