How Does Wavefront LASIK Work?
LASIK surgery works by sculpting the cornea in a precise manner to correct refractive error. By changing the corneal shape, light becomes focused on the retina, allowing clear vision.
During LASIK surgery, a very thin flap is created on the front of the cornea. The flap is then folded back, and the laser applied to the underlying corneal tissue in a precise manner that can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism. The flap is then replaced, protecting the reshaped cornea underneath.
This protective flap can be created in two ways:
- Microkeratome - a very fine surgical steel blade, called a microkeratome is used to create the flap.
- Blade-Free/laser - a laser beam is used to create the corneal flap. Several laser technologies can be used to create the blade-free LASIK flap. One of the most common is the Intralase laser.
