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The LASIK method: Perfection for the eye

After a detailed consultation with the patient the attending physician performs a number of preoperative examinations to gather all of the relevant data for the planned intervention. With a computer-aided diagnostic system the physician accurately determines the exact constitution, curvature and thickness of the cornea.

Based on these data the computer calculates the details for the pending correction in order to determine the optimal treatment plan for surgery.

The treatment itself only takes several minutes. The laser procedure does not affect the surface of the cornea, but rather the deeper corneal layers. Therefore the intervention is nearly painless for the patient. The postoperative treatment prescribes the use of anti-bacterial eye drops that must be applied regularly by the patient for 2 weeks after surgery. The first postoperative check is done immediately after the intervention; additional follow-up examinations are done in the months following at increasing intervals. The LASIK method is performed since 1991 and was approved as a scientific method with a very low complication rate in 1999 by the German Ophthalmological Society and by the Association of German Ophthalmologists (BVA).

What does LASIK stand for?

LASIK is the abbreviation for Laser-in-Situ-Keratomileusis.
It is the most successful and most commonly-used refractive eye surgery technique for the correction of defective vision, and has been performed millions of times around the world. More than 4 million people around the world have already been treated with LASIK, and the operation has been performed on over 400,000 people in Germany (figures correct at end 2003).

How does LASIK work?

Preparing the cornea To provide access to the deeper layers of the cornea, a computer-controlled "blade" is first used to cut a very thin flap (0.16 mm) in the cornea.		Exposing the deeper layers of the cornea This flap is then folded back like the cover of a book.		Applying the laser The deeper layers of the cornea are then reshaped using the excimer laser.		Closing the wound Finally, the corneal flap is folded back into place. It knits itself together again, so the body effectively provides its own "plaster" for the wound.

The advantages of LASIK

• An intervention only lasts a few minutes and is pain free, using eye drops with a local anaesthetic.
• As a general rule LASIK is carried out as an outpatient procedure, i.e. You can go straight home after the operation.
• Even after a few hours you have a good vision and for the most part you can get back to your normal everyday life the next day.
• Since the natural composition of the superficial layers of the cornea is retained, the healing process is pleasant and problem free.

Since its introduction at the start of the 1990s, LASIK has continued to develop further and standardize. It has been used a million times over and today is a recognised procedure for the correction of:
Short-sightedness up to approx. -8 dpt.
Far-sightedness up to approx. +4 dpt.
Irregular curvature of the corneaup to 5 dpt.