Lasik in Dallas
Many people have heard the term LASIK, but what does it mean? Before we can begin a discussion on having LASIK in Dallas, it is important to properly define it. LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, which is obviously a mouthful. If you are anything like most people, this will mean very little to you. In layman terms, LASIK is where a LASIK surgeon uses a very special laser (called an excimer laser) to permanently change the clear front covering of your eye. This clear covering is called the cornea.
LASIK was first performed in Greece in 1991. The first surgeon credited with performing this procedure was Ioannis Pallikaris. The date for the first LASIK eye surgery is important because it shows that this procedure has some longevity to it. Due to its longevity, you can feel a little more comfortable if you are considering this procedure.
To grasp a better understanding, it helps if you can understand how the cornea actually works. Light enters the cornea and is focused to create a picture on your retina. The cornea uses a process called refraction to assist in bending and focusing the light. Sometimes, there is an abnormality in the cornea (i.e. cornea’s ability to focus is not proportional to the length of the eye), which leads to blurring or distortion. This results in the cornea not being able to correctly focus the image on the retina.
When the cornea is not shaped properly, you can be diagnosed with refractive errors. Obviously, the way to correct these errors is to undergo LASIK eye surgery. During the LASIK eye surgery, the surgeon performs a removal of corneal tissue in an attempt to reshape the cornea. This process has become very common and is considered extremely safe.
For those of you who want to know exactly how the procedure works, a brief description follows. First, a flap is cut into the cornea with a laser device (called a laser keratome) or a blade device (called a mechanical microkeratome). After the incision, the cornea flap is folded back to reveal the stroma. The stroma is simply the middle of the cornea. After the stroma has been exposed, a laser is used to shrink (or more precisely, vaporize) a small portion of the stroma. Once the LASIK surgeon has removed the amount of the stroma that he or she wanted to, he or she then replaces the flap.
As an example of the success and safety of LASIK eye surgery, one simply has to take a look at the United States Air Force. It is not uncommon for pilots to receive LASIK surgery and then be returned to flight status. If a pilot who consistently flies at hundreds of miles per hour and has to deal with G forces can safely have the surgery and improve their vision, then we can safely conclude that this is a minimal risk procedure.
Before concluding this article, the LASIK Dallas Guide would be remiss if it didn’t briefly mention the other two primary types of refractive eye surgery in use today. The first is PRK, which stands for Photorefractive keratotomy. This procedure is very similar to LASIK, including the use of the excimer laser. The primary difference between the two methods is that excimer laser is used on the outside of the cornea, versus the inside of the cornea during LASIK. The other primary method of refractive surgery is called Radial keratotomy (RK), which uses tiny incisions in the cornea to cause it to “flatten”. This flattening effect is often enough to improve the patient’s vision.
If you have any further questions about LASIK, please continue to reference the LASIK Dallas Guide.
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