How does laser vision correction work?
Laser vision correction changes the curvature of the cornea, one of the structures of the eye that focuses light on the retina. If the eye is too large or the cornea’s curvature too great, light focuses improperly and distant objects appear blurred. This is called nearsightedness or myopia. If the cornea’s curvature is too flat, close objects appear blurred. This is called farsightedness or hyperopia. With the laser we can reshape the contour of the cornea by sculpting extremely small amounts of corneal tissue. The four types of laser treatment we use are called Wavefront-guided LASIK, LASIK, PRK and LASEK.
The most common laser vision correction procedures are done with an excimer laser. The excimer laser is a computer-guided cool laser that corrects vision by reshaping the cornea to improve the way light is focused or refracted by the eye. Two major procedure types are available for treating low to moderate levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism: Laser assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) and surface ablation (PRK or LASEK). In both cases, the laser sculpts the cornea in about 60 seconds and the entire procedure usually takes less than 15 minutes.
