Laser diffuses an ultraviolet light that can make localized ablations of corneal tissues. It is used to change the shape and the retractile power of the cornea.
This surgery enables you to get a good visual acuity, thus to get away from the constraint to have to wear glasses or contact lenses.

Am I a good candidate for vision correction by laser?
You could consider it if you are:
Myopic with a myopia degree between –1 and –10 diopters
Astigmatic with an astigmatism degree between –6 and +5 diopters
Hypermetropic with a hypermetropia degree between +1 and +6 diopters

Conditions required :
To be 21 years old minimum
A 1-year steady ametropia with a good corrected acuity.
The cornea must be thick enough (that will have to be determined by the “pachymetry” test)
Lack of chronic disease like glaucoma, uveitis
Not having been operated for a retinal detachment
Not to suffer from autoimmune diseases like syndrome, lupus….
Not to be currently expecting
To stop wearing hard contact lenses for a week prior to the surgery, and three days for soft contact lenses.

How is the surgery performed?

The Lasik vision correction is done in two steps:

Step 1: the consultation

During this consultation the following tests are carried out:
-Precise measure of the refraction (determines the correction needed for the glasses)
-Cornea test to check for any current infection, corneal scars, infections or traumas.
-Check up of the ocular tonus that has to be less than 18 mmhg.
-Test of the eye background to eliminate a diabetic or infectious retinopathy, and check up of the periphery to eliminate a fragile retina that could lead to a retinal detachment.
-The compulsory and legal medical tests are:
 - Corneal topography to eliminate a potential keratoconus.
 - Pachymetry to determine whether the cornea is thick enough.

Depending on the test results, the surgeon will come up with the right type of surgery.

Step 2: the surgery

     Picture 1             Picture 2              Picture 3              Picture 4
 
Picture 1: A succion ring is placed on the eye to keep it still during the surgery. The Microkeratome (automated machine) is used to cut a circular flap off the cornea, equal to 20-25% of the cornea’s thickness (160 um) that will stay linked to the cornea thanks to a joint.
Picture 2: The flap is moved but stays linked to the cornea.
Picture 3: The laser process is now going to re-shape the cornea central surface while the patient keeps the eyes fixed on a red dot.
Picture 4: Once the laser reshaping procedure is over, the flap is put back into place by the surgeon. No stitches are necessary because the cornea heals naturally almost instantly (2 to 3 minutes)
The surgery is then over.

Type of Anesthesia

It is a local anesthesia, with drops of powerful collyrium 1 or 2 minutes prior to the surgery that removes all sensitivity from the cornea.

How long does the surgery last?

The procedure only lasts about 5 to 6 minutes per eye.

Hospitalization Time

No hospitalization is required; the patient can leave the clinic an hour after the surgery.

My recovery
 
The surgery does not cause any postoperative pain. No wound dressing is necessary.
For myopia: recovery is almost complete in 12-24 hours after the surgery. Visual acuity improves in the first few days following the surgery, and is total and stable after a month.
For hypermetropia: visual recovery is almost complete in 12-24 hours after the surgery. Right after the surgery, the patient is momentarily myopic. He/she can recover really quickly his/her shortsighted vision. Farsighted recovery will be obtained progressively, it will be more comfortable after 10 days and total within a month.
For astigmatism: during the first few days, the patient might be bothered by a feeling of sand grains in the eye. Vision can stay blurry during the first few weeks after the surgery. A veil (or haze) can appear within a few days or weeks but disappears quickly. The patient has to prevent any contact with UV and sun rays (wear sunglasses). 

  Follow-up care

• in the country where the surgery is performed
        When the patient is in the hospital, it is obviously taken care of by the surgeon and the medical staff who monitor to ensure there is no complications, and by a check-up visit the day following the surgery. The patient will thus have to stay overnight at the hotel.
The patient’s satisfaction rate in the postoperative step is of 96%.
The surgeons will keep you informed of the risks of complication as well as the side effects that could appear, even the least likely, during your contacts, and when they hand you over the “mutual agreement contract” that comprises all the information relative to this operation.

Your surgeon will inform you of all the risks involved during your first discussions but also every time you will have a question. You will be then asked to sign a consent form which contains all the details of the whole surgery procedure.
Among the potential complications, we can list these (apart from the ones directly linked to anesthesia):

- Risk of cornea infection (extremely rare)
- Blur or haze effect
- Lowering of the upper lid
- Dry eye
Without over-estimating the risks, it is necessary to fully understand that even a simple surgery is dependant on a certain amount of unpredictable factors.
Choosing a qualified ophtalmologist ensures you that he/she has the required education, skill and experience to avoid these complications or to efficiently treat them when necessary.