To understand how laser vision correction works, you must first understand how the eye works.
Laser vision correction
Using the precise beam of the excimer laser, the doctors at Maida CustomVision carefully reshape the curvature of the cornea so that it focuses light correctly on the retina. This reshaping takes place on a microscopic level, involving the removal of layers of cells thinner than a human hair. The laser dissolves the molecular bonds between the cells. The cool ultraviolet beam of light produced by the excimer laser is so precise that each pulse removes only 39 millionths of an inch of tissue!
At Maida CustomVision, we begin with sophisticated pre-operative testing (advanced ocular analysis) to ensure excellent results. We use the OrbScan which scans the front and back surface of the cornea and generates a detailed mapping of the cornea. We also utilize the EyeSys and Optical Coherence Tomography to give us additional information about the corneal surface.
In the early eighties, radial keratotomy (RK) became the first widely used refractive surgery procedure. RK involved actual incisions in the eye made manually by the surgeon. In the late eighties, this procedure was revolutionized by laser vision correction, in which the surgeon reshapes the eye with the help of a computer-guided excimer laser. Currently, there are two main excimer procedures considered to be the standard of care, LASIK and PRK.
LASIK
The excimer laser produces a beam of ultra-violet light which meticulously and painlessly removes a few millionths of an inch of tissue from the cornea. This reshapes the corneal surface, allowing it to better focus the image on the retina, with the goal of reducing a patient’s reliance on eyeglasses or contact lenses. In LASIK, the laser treatment is performed under a thin flap of the cornea.