LASIK MD Laser Eye Surgery – History of LASIK surgery
Although
LASIK eye surgery only formally began being performed in 1992,
its roots date back to the 1960s when Dr. Jose Barraquer of
Colombia developed a technique called keratomileusis to correct
vision deficiencies. During this vision correction procedure, an
instrument called a
microkeratome was used to shave off a thin cap of corneal
tissue. This cap was treated similarly to a contact lens – it
was removed, reshaped, and finally replaced onto the eye. This
procedure was the precursor of
LASIK and followed the same principles of removing tissue to
reshape the cornea to correct optical errors.
In the late 1970s, the arrival of the
excimer laser allowed refractive surgery to take a new turn.
Although it was first developed by the computer industry for the
etching of computer chips, this
precise laser was the long-awaited tool that was needed to take
refractive surgery to the next level. The
excimer laser was capable of producing exact, clean cuts
without thermal damage to surrounding structures. This led to the
arrival of a new technique,
Photo Refractive Keratectomy (commonly referred to as
PRK).
During the
PRK laser procedure, a laser eye surgeon first removes the
front surface of the cornea, called the epithelium, and then
reshapes the corneal bed with the
excimer laser. In order to reshape the cornea, the laser beam
vaporizes predetermined tissue away, without burning or affecting
any other part of the eye. This tissue bed does not regenerate
itself. However, the outer layer replaces itself over time.
The first international use of the
excimer laser on the human eye to correct myopia occurred in
1987, and the laser was approved by Health Canada for the treatment
of myopia and astigmatism in 1990. It was during that year that
several centers across the country began to use it.
PRK is still performed used to correct
nearsightedness (myopia),
farsightedness (hyperopia), and
astigmatism in individuals who cannot safely undergo
LASIK and it gives similar long term results to
LASIK.
In the early 1990s, Dr. Buratto of Italy and Dr. Pallikaris of
Greece combined techniques, keratomileusis and
PRK surgery, thereby creating the basic concept of
LASIK surgery. In contrast to
PRK surgery, a laser eye surgeon uses a specialized and precise
flap-making instrument, called an automated
microkeratome, to cut a thin flap of corneal tissue. This flap
is raised and laid back while still attached to the cornea. The
surgeon then uses the
excimer laser to remove a pre-determined amount of corneal
tissue from the exposed bed of the cornea. The amount of tissue to
be removed is calculated based on the
pre-operative determination of the refractive error of the eye.
The flap is replaced and within minutes, natural forces hold the
flap down onto the cornea. Within a few hours, the surface
epithelium of the cornea begins to grow over the cut edge of the
flap to seal it into position.
In comparison to PRK laser vision correction, LASIK eye surgery is a comfortable vision correction procedure characterized by less complications and significantly faster visual recovery. Just like PRK laser eye surgery, LASIK laser vision correction is used to correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism.
