Laser In Situ Keratomileusis, known as Lasik, is a refractive laser eye surgery. Ophthalmologists perform Lasik to correct vision because the patient will feel less pain and recover sooner compared to photorefractive keratectomy procedure.

The entire lasik surgery takes about 30 minutes. The procedure is relatively simple and fast. The patient will be lying on her back in the laser system room. The laser system is a machine with a computer screen and a microscope attached to it. Vision problems like shortsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism have the same cause - your cornea is not a perfect shape. Lasik surgery will try to reshape (polish) your cornea so the light going through it focuses better on your retina.

Since you have to remain conscious and be able to look directly at the laser throughout the surgery, the surgeon can only use anesthetic drops for your eyes to get rid of the pain. You just feel some pressure and a little discomfort. During the entire procedure you are able to see, although your vision might blur or flicker for a few moments.

There are 6 steps in lasik surgery :

1. First of all the surgeon will drop a few numbing drops into your eye and clean the area around it. Then your eyelids will be propped open.

2. Before the laser can start its work, the surgeon will need to cut a flap in your cornea. This could be done with either a laser or with microkeratome - a special cutting instrument. It might sound scary, but don't worry: you won't feel the cutting.

3. After that, the laser will be positioned over your eye and you will have to look directly at it for about 60 seconds. The reshaping has not started yet, but your eye needs to get used to being focused on the light. When your eye is in the perfect position, the laser will start its work. The laser is controlled by a computer, which is preprogrammed by the surgeon to remove a specific amount of corneal tissue.

4. After your cornea is reshaped, the flap is put back on it place.

5. Stitches won't be used to keep the flap in place; instead, doctors use a special protective shield to hold it. The shield will protect your eye from being touched accidentally.

6. That's it! Usually you can go home straight after the procedure, but you will have to organize a lift for yourself because you might feel a bit dizzy and your vision will be blurred, at first; obviously you shouldn't drive, under these conditions. The improvement in vision is usually noticable the same day, or by the following morning, at the latest.

Straight after lasik surgery you might feel some discomfort, like there is something in your eye. The most difficult thing is to resist the urge to rub your eyes, but you mustn't touch them until the flap is healed. There are also several restrictions, after the surgery. You shouldn't use any eye make-up for two weeks, play any sports for four weeks, or swim or take a hot bath for two months. Also you will have to come in for a follow up visit within 48 hours after the surgery, plus a few more visits during the following six months.
There are a few things you may want to take into consideration before taking lasik eye surgery :

*Does your job prohibit refractive surgery - any impact on your career?
*Can you really afford this high cost procedure?
*Do you have an autoimmune disease or other major illness - a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
*Do you have or have you ever had any difficulties with your eyes except needing glasses or contact lenses?
*Do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
*Are your eyes in a stable condition - has your prescription altered in the last year?
*Do you use glasses/contacts only some of the time? Do you need an exceptionally strong prescription?
*Do you have an unusual pupil size - are your pupils extra large in dim circumstances?
*Do you have thin corneas - abnormal cornea thickness?
*Do you have dry eyes or is your tear gland working properly?
*Are you willing and able to have extra surgery to get the desired result?
*You may still need reading glasses - do you have presbyopia?
*Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
*Do you know some patients may lose some vision or experience blindness?
*Do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become worse, or if you don't have dry eyes before you could develop chronic dry eyes as a result of surgery?
*Do you know you could develop various visual symptoms like glare, halos, starbursts, etc. and that night driving may be difficult?
*Do you know your vision could be severely reduced in dim light circumstances?
*Do you know the additional risks of having both eyes treated at the same time?
*Are you aware of the laser being used for your procedure?
*How many eyes has your doctor performed lasik surgery on with the same laser?
*Does your doctor use a FDA-approved laser for the procedure you need?
*Is your doctor keen to spend the time to answer all your concerns?
*Does your doctor encourage follow-up and management of you as a patient?
*Your pre-op and post-op care may be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon.
Do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable with an equal exchange of information?
*Can you go for an extended period of time not wearing contact lenses?
*Have you arranged not to drive or work after the exam?
*Has your doctor given you an informed consent form to take home and answered all your queries?
*Can you go 24-36 hours without makeup prior to surgery?
*Have you arranged for someone to drive you home after surgery?
*Can you take time off to take it easy for a couple of days if necessary?
*Do you know you will not see clearly probably for a few days?
*Has your doctor made you feel comfortable with the actual steps of the procedure?
*Are you willing and able to put drops in your eyes at regular intervals?
*Do you know you need to protect the eye for a period of time after surgery to avoid injury?
*Do you know how much pain to expect?
*Do you recognize what problems could occur and when to seek medical intervention?
*Are you aware that final results could take a long time?
*If you don't get the desired outcome, do you know not to have an enhancement until the prescription stops changing?

This may all sound very daunting but the vast majority of people who take lasik eye surgery have a very good result. Take your time to prepare properly, you will also increase your chances of getting a good result.