Anyone that has ever had to deal with the hassles of glasses or contacts can tell you that it's a troublesome routine. With glasses there is always the trouble of adjusting them when they get out of shape, cleaning them whenever they get dirty, and the trouble of finding them in the morning. It is even worse with contacts as they have to constantly be maintained and cleaned.

Then of course there are the problems throughout the day as they start to irritate and dry out the eye. I'm sure at one time or another everyone who has impaired vision has considered the possibility of Lasik. Many however, are driven away by stories of eye damage or even blindness occurring from the procedure. Lasik however, is a very safe procedure that millions of people have successfully received.

LASIK or Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis was first performed in 1989 and has developed into a very mainstream procedure. The procedure itself is done in three steps. The first step involves the cutting of the cornea into a flap to be later shaped. The procedure begins with the administration of a mild sedative to relax the eye.

The eye is then immobilized by a corneal suction ring. A circle over the cornea is the cut leaving a small section as the flap or hinge. The actual cutting of the cornea is done by a mechanical microkeratome or a laser microkeratome. The next part of the procedure involves the use of an excimer laser to reshape the corneal stroma. The excimer (excited dimer) laser is an ultraviolet laser which utilized inert gas and electrical stimulation. The result is the excimer laser which is absorbed by biological matter.

It is used in Lasik surgery because instead of burning or harming the cornea, it disintegrates a very small layer and leaves the area around the laser unharmed and intact. In order to ensure accuracy during the reshaping a computer tracks the position of the eye constantly throughout the whole portion of this procedure. The final step is the refitting of the cornea. The cut flap is positioned back to its original place making sure that no contaminants are on the eye and allow it to heal over. In a few weeks the cornea should heal over and complete eyesight should be regained.

The satisfaction rate of Lasik has been very high as Lasik has become more and more main stream. The safety rate of Lasik surgery is very high as well. It was recently reported that there is a much higher chance of developing permanent complications from prolonged use of contacts as opposed to having Lasik eye surgery. With eye contacts infections can occur which will ultimately need treatment. Even with treatment the possibility for permanent lasting damage is still possible.

Lasik surgery really is not a procedure that should be feared. It is a very safe and effective alternative to correct lenses and can improve daily life. Anyone that has ever considered getting Lasik should take a good closer look as it really is the best alternative to corrective lenses.