LASIK is the most commonly performed elective procedure in the United States. Patients frequently as me how LASIK works. The best way to describe the procedure is to begin by explaining the eye's optical function. It may help to refer to the diagram of the eye in our animation below.
The eye can be compared to a camera. Light passes through two light bending surfaces, the cornea, or the outer window, and the internal crystalline lens. In an eye with perfect vision, these two structures focus light precisely upon the retina (analogous to the film of a camera). When a patient needs glasses or contacts to see, they are dependent upon a third lens to bring light to focus on the retina. Laser vision correction works by enhancing the eyes optical status to decease the dependence upon an external lens - be it a spectacle or contact lens. The Allegretto Eye-Q laser is the world's most precise system that allows me to make subtle changes upon the outer window (cornea) and fine tune the focusing ability of the cornea to provide crisper, clearer sight.
