Lasik Procedure

What is LASIK?

LASIK is a popular surgical procedure to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. This procedure has been performed on many patients to improve their vision without the need for contact lenses or glasses. With LASIK surgery, the results —improved 20/20 vision or better— can usually be seen in as little as 24 hours.

How does LASIK work?

The LASIK procedure can be completed within just a few minutes for both eyes, making the recovery process relatively easy. First, Dr. Lin will create a thin, circular flap on the top of the cornea. This will give her access to the underlying cornea, where she will remove microscopic amounts of corneal tissue using an excimer laser. Reshaping the cornea will allow more accurately focused light on the retina, thus improving vision.

What are some alternatives to LASIK surgery?

LASIK surgery is considered the most successful and popular vision correction procedure. Unfortunately, LASIK may not be suitable for everyone. If you are not a good LASIK candidate, other vision correction procedures are available, such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or implantable collamer lenses (ICL). PRK removes the top layer of the cornea instead of creating a flap on the cornea seen in LASIK surgery. ICL is an implantable contact lens that is a great option for patients who cannot have LASIK surgery because of high prescription, dry eyes, or thin corneas. Dr. Vicki Lin will help you determine if one of these procedures is suitable for your eye condition.

How does PRK work?

PRK is similar to LASIK as it involves lasers to help reshape the cornea. However, instead of creating a corneal flap, PRK removes the outer layer of the cornea before reshaping the underlying corneal tissue. This procedure is particularly beneficial to candidates whose cornea is too thin for LASIK or who have undergone LASIK before and currently have thinner residual cornea.

How does ICL work?

Unlike PRK and LASIK, implantable collamer lenses (ICL) does not use a laser. Using this advanced no-stitch surgical procedure, a small lens made of biocompatible collamer is inserted through a microscopic self-sealing slit in the cornea. Overall, the procedure is very safe and virtually painless, as there is no reshaping of the cornea involved. Additionally, this procedure is reversible, in which the ICL can be removed at any time if your prescription changes.