LASIK

LASIK is a refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea with an excimer laser to reduce nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It creates a thin corneal flap before removing tissue from the underlying cornea.

Cornea: The transparent, curved front surface of the eye that helps focus incoming light. LASIK changes its curvature to alter how the eye focuses light.
Refractive error: A focusing condition in which the eye does not bring light to a sharp image on the retina. LASIK reshapes the cornea to reduce these focusing errors.
Refractive surgery: Surgical procedures that alter the eye’s optics to reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is one technique within this broader group of vision-correcting procedures.
Dry eye syndrome: A condition in which the eyes lack adequate tear quantity or quality, causing discomfort or visual fluctuation. Temporary nerve disruption after LASIK can reduce tear production and worsen dryness.
Clear lens extraction: Removal of a clear natural lens followed by implantation of an artificial intraocular lens to correct refractive error. Unlike LASIK, it changes the eye’s internal lens rather than reshaping the cornea.
Excimer laser: A pulsed ultraviolet laser used to remove microscopic amounts of tissue with high precision. Its pulses reshape the exposed corneal tissue during LASIK.
Myopia: A refractive error in which distant objects appear blurred because light focuses in front of the retina. LASIK can flatten the cornea to reduce myopic focusing.
Photorefractive keratectomy: A laser refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea after removing its surface epithelial layer, without creating a flap. PRK can suit some corneas or lifestyles for which a flap is undesirable.
Night vision: Vision under low-light conditions, when the pupil expands and visual performance can decline. Glare, halos, or starbursts may be more noticeable after LASIK in dim light.
Phakic intraocular lens: An artificial lens implanted inside the eye while the natural crystalline lens remains in place. It corrects refractive error without removing corneal tissue.

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