The Basics of Laser Eye Surgery

If you are considering Laser eye surgery there is much to learn before allowing someone to vaporize part of your eyeball with an ultraviolet laser. Here are the basics of laser eye surgery to get you started.

This procedure is sometimes known as LASIK - short for Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis. Laser eye surgery is a popular form of vision correction for people with astigmatism, those that are farsighted, or are nearsighted. Laser eye surgery corrects vision by reshaping the front of the eye, allowing it to focus images correctly. Of the different forms of refractive surgery, Laser eye surgery is the most popular.

There are many benefits to laser eye surgery over other forms of refractive surgery. The main benefit is the success rate. Nearly 80 percent of individuals have successful results from laser eye surgery. It's an outpatient procedure that requires minimal downtime from the patient and has few side effects. If additional treatment is necessary it is easy for the surgeon to make adjustments.

The downside of laser eye surgery is that it is not reversible; corrections must be made with additional treatment. Laser eye surgery is also expensive. The treatment can cost as much as three thousand dollars per eye. While side effects are minimal, you could experience problems with your vision after undergoing laser eye surgery. These side effects include glare, halos, starbursts, decreased night vision, and dry eye syndrome.