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Lasik: Better vision through laser beams
Lasik eye surgery promises to improve people’s visions within minutes. But first, the patients have to dig deep into their pockets and muster up the courage to go under the laser.
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Open your eyes: Lasik technology allows procedures to be counted in minutes, with the laser process counted in seconds. (JEC/-)
T
he World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.3 billion people live with some form of vision impairment, with one of the most common causes being uncorrected refractive error.
To put it simply, a refractive error is when there is a problem with the focusing of light onto the retina, which can cause objects to look blurry. Near-sightedness (myopia) and far-sightedness (hyperopia) are the two most common issues.
The solutions are readily seen in everyday life: eyeglasses and contact lenses. Far from being a strictly functional tool, glasses and contact lenses have evolved to be part of the ever-cycling fashion trends, with a range of color and styles available.
However, as their wearers should attest, glasses and contact lenses only work when you have them on. Forgetful people would understand the plight, especially those who have slept with their contacts and woken up to an unpleasant surprise.
Clearly, those looking for a more permanent fix would have to turn to surgery. One of the most common surgeries undertaken in modern times is the laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, otherwise known as Lasik.
First introduced on the cusp of the 1980s, over 40 million Lasik procedures have been performed globally since 1991.
Lasik procedures involve the creation of a flap in the corneal tissue, after which a laser reshapes the cornea through ablation.
