Lasik can be completed in thirty minutes or less

by Susan Slobac

Lasik, a type of laser eye surgery, can improve such common vision problems such as near-sightedness and far-sighteness. Lasik means you can finally discard those inconvenient corrective lenses - and the procedure costs less than you may think.

Lasik is actually an acronym for LASser assisted In situ Keratomileusis. If that "sounds Greek" to you, you're absoutely correct; not only is the name of the procedure derived from the Greek language (as is common for all medical terminology), it was actually a latter-day Greek physician named Pallikaris who was largely responsible for the development of lasik back in the 1970s..
Lasik is performed by cutting a thin flap of the cornea with a microscopic instrument called a microkeratome. This flap is laid back, an excimer laser is employed in order to remove the corneal tissue causing the vision distortion. The flap of cornea is then replaced. No stitches are needed; the cornea's epithelium starts to grow over the incised edge of the flap within a few hours of the surgery's conclusion.

Lasik can be completed in thirty minutes or less, and most patients recover from lasik surgery quite rapidly. Lasik also involves very little pain or discomfort; no needles are used to numb the area; only a few drops of a liquid anaesthetic are required. Lasik patients are usually able to return to their everyday activities work within a few days. Afterwards, you can get rid of those cumbersome eyeglasses - a distinct advantage if you play contact sports.

Most patients enjoy greatly improved vision and experience few if any complication. However, like any surgical procedure, lasik entails some risks, particularly for those in poor health. Patients who are often poor candidates for lasik treatment are those suffering from a chronic illness that affects their healing ability (such as diabetes), or an autoimmune disease. People whose pupils are extra large have unusually thin corneas and/or do not produce tears, should reconsider lasik. This does not necessarily mean that lasik is out of the question; only a detailed consultation with a qualified ophthalmologist can determine whether or not a patient is a suitable candidate for lasik.

The costs of lasik can vary a great deal; in the Denver, Colorado metro area and other Front Range communities, lasik can run anywhere from $500 to $1500 per eye, depending on the amount of pre- or post-operative care required as well as any follow-up care or procedures.

About the Author
LASIK is nearly painless and has been FDA approved for over a decade. LASIK patient satisfaction rate rivals that of any other medical procedure. In this article Susan Slobac writes about the Lasik Eye Surgery.