LASIK eye surgery ('laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis') is the most widely performed laser eye surgery in London to correct:
- short-sight,
- long-sight,
- astigmatism and
- presbyopia (the need for reading glasses).
In common with all forms of laser refractive surgery, LASIK eye surgery changes the curvature of the cornea so that light entering the eye will be correctly focused on the retina at the back of the eye, resulting in a clear image.
How Does Focus’ A-LASIK Eye Surgery Correct Vision?
At Focus, your surgeon will perform more than 150 steps on each eye with our advanced LASIK procedure (A-LASIK), developed by chief surgeon David Allamby. A-LASIK has resulted in a 100% success rate for all common myopia prescriptions and a boosted safety profile. For LASIK in general, ninety percent of the treatment is done manually by the surgeon, with the lasers active for only 10% of the duration. Hence, getting an expert surgeon is very important.
Your surgeon first uses a femtosecond laser to create a thin, circular “flap” in the uppermost layer of the cornea. (N.B. some clinics still use a mechanical blade tool called a microkeratome for this step, but which is outdated and should be avoided).
The curvature of the cornea is changed by this cool ultraviolet laser (without heat) by evaporating microscopic amounts of tissue. The new shape creates clear vision by correctly focusing light onto the retina inside the eye. For short-sight, the cornea is made flatter, whereas for long-sight it is made steeper.
LASIK eye surgery, like PRK, can also correct astigmatism by smoothing a rugby ball-shaped cornea into a rounder, more normal shape. It is a common myth that LASIK eye surgery cannot treat astigmatism.
After the laser reshapes the cornea, the flap is then folded back into position, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed. Then the cornea is allowed to heal naturally.
The surface skin cells will have sealed the edge of the flap in just 4 hours.
