LASIK is one of the best types of corrective eye surgery. LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. This procedure can permanently reshape the cornea, which is the clear covering of the front of the eye with the help of a laser. LASIK is performed on millions of people every year. There are a wide variety of different optical lasers. This procedure can be used to correct near and far sightedness as well as astigmatism.

Before you can get LASIK surgery done you need to get your eyes examined by a doctor to see if you are a good candidate. If you wear contacts, you will have to stop using them for a few weeks before the Lasik surgery and only wear your eyeglasses. This is to allow the cornea to return to its original pre-contacts shape, or else the measurements of your eye may be wrong, resulting in poor results after surgery. These measurements help the doctor decide how much tissue is to be removed from the cornea, and have to be redone a week after your first evaluation as well as before the LASIK surgery, to make sure the eye has not changed.

Common LASIK is not the only game in town anymore and it is not the best procedure for every candidate. Find an eye surgeon who is comfortable and experienced with several other procedures, like LASEK, CK, PRK, HD LASIK and clean lens replacement, including some of the latest technologies. If you find out that your eye doctor is knowledgeable about these other procedures, you should feel safe in his or her choice as to which one is right for you.

Most patients do not report any problems after the laser surgery. The number of problems is less than 1%. The surgery is done on an outpatient basis for nearly everyone. You can usually return to work the next day.

Side effects can happen with any type of surgery.

After the surgery, the number one complaint for candidates is dry eyes. The reason for this is the laser eye surgery decreases the lubrication amount for the eyes. The severity of dry eyes can vary from serious to very serious. These problems can be solved by using artificial eye drops commonly found in any drug store.

Undergoing LASIK surgery or any other type of laser vision correction can be a daunting task. Does the reward of having freedom from glasses or contacts make it all worthwhile?