Spectacles indeed look trendy on some people, but they often cause discomfort and restrict freedom of movement. Wearing spectacles is made worse when they do not match one’s face, which is unflattering to one’s appearance. While contact lenses can solve this problem, there is a more advanced solution, namely the Lasik procedure.
Lasik or laser in-situ keratomileusis is a surgical procedure that has become a phenomenon as it can cure near and farsightedness and other eye problems in a very short time. Nowadays, many people are interested in Lasik because it is safe and effective.
There are two stages in the Lasik procedure, which are the development of retractive surgery technique. First, a tiny opening is made on the cornea and the second is to reshape the cornea by removing tissue in the cornea with a laser. The opening in the cornea is then re-closed.
The basic creation of Lasik started in the 1950s, when microkeratome was created. It is a precision surgical instrument with an oscillating blade designed for creating the corneal flap.
Over the years, the microkeratome has been redesigned to perfection so that creating the corneal flap is safe. The second technological invention was ultraviolet laser, which was created in 1980 and can be used for accurate incisions in tissues without damaging surrounding tissue.
Ten years after the Lasik operation was approved by the FDA, millions of people around the world enjoyed its benefits and were finally freed from the discomfort of wearing spectacles or cleaning contact lens regularly.
However, a small portion of the many millions have complained about dry eyes, blurred vision and bleeding colors. A few also claim the procedure impaired their vision as they cannot watch movies or drive in the evening. Based on such complaints, the FDA did a Lasik safety audit. “The technology is more sophisticated and safer, but there are still a few patients who are not satisfied with the result,” said FDA director for equipment and health radiology Dr Daniel G Schultz.
Since FDA’s approval in 1998, Lasik turnover has reached US$2.5 billion per year. Up until 2006, the FDA had received 140 serious complaints about the procedure’s side effects. However, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) studied 3,000 articles collected by its committee and found 95 percent were satisfied with the surgery results.
Although the Lasik procedure has had FDA approval for a decade, it was only in September 2007 that NASA agreed to its astronauts undergoing the procedure. US navy top gun and air force pilots are also now allowed to undergo this procedure, which is limited to I Lasik and no other Lasik procedure.
I Lasik is a knifeless Lasik technology with an unprecedented level of safety and accuracy. It is the most sophisticated combination of Intralase and VISX Advanced CustomVue and is the best there is to date.
