LASEK Eye Surgery: Here's What Happens
By Stephanie Whyche
LASEK surgery begins with the surgeon numbing the cornea of the eye with a local anesthetic. The eyelids are held open with a special instrument.
Next, the surgeon loosens the outermost layer of the cornea (the epithelium layer) usually using a chemical solution typically made with diluted alcohol. The loosened epithelium is then moved to the side, exposing the cornea.
Then the surgeon reshapes the cornea with an excimer laser, a specially designed instrument for refractive surgeries that emits pulses of cool ultraviolet light that vaporize rather than burn away tissue.
With the instrument, the surgeon gently removes specific amounts of corneal tissue as needed. The cornea is then reshaped as needed so that light entering the eye bends or refracts more effectively allowing visual images to strike the retina more precisely.
To correct hyperopia (farsightedness), the surgeon reshapes the central area of the cornea so that it curves more steeply. In myopia, (nearsightedness) that area is flattened more.
The surgery, which takes a minute or so per eye, is finished after the surgeon slides the epithelium back in place over the cornea. To ease discomfort and promote healing, the eye is covered with a bandage contact lens that stays in place for several or more days.
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