Statistically speaking, the United States has 120 million people who have eye problems (myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism). These eye problems are usually treated through the use of contact lenses or corrective glasses. In extreme cases, surgery is sometimes advised.

Historically, these methods and procedures were not available to the ancient world. Supporting evidences of this are letters where people complained of not being able to read their manuscripts and having to rely on their servants to do the reading for them.

At about 1000 AD, the reading stone was invented. This device made of glass and is used to magnify the letters in reading materials. The Venetians are the first ones to develop what we now call today as eyeglasses.

During the 1800’s surgical means to correct vision problems was introduced by a physician named J. Ball. He claimed that his eye cup could help heal eye problems because it comes with a built-in mallet which would strike the cornea upon contact.

It was in Japan that internal corneal surgery was first introduced by Dr. Tutomo Sato. His surgical procedure included making deep incision in corneas but was proved to be ineffective as the patients soon complained of blurred or cloudy visions.

Today, the modern and leading eye procedure is Lasik. Lasik stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomeliusis (which is a form of refractive laser eye surgery). Opthalmologists are the ones who can perform this type of surgery which, compared to other eye surgeries, requires less time for patient recovery and also less pain!

This would come as good news to all people who have long suffered from eye diseases. And just so you would be convinced that this is not as painful as its other surgical ‘brothers’, here is the exact procedure for Lasik:

1. Prior to the surgery (about 7-10 days before), the patient is advised to stop using contact lenses. A pre-operative step is to have the eye examined with a device called pachymeter (measures the cornea’s thickness) and a topographer (measures the contour of the corneas and will also make a corneal topographic map). With this information on hand, the surgeon is able to determine the amount of corneal tissue that will be removed during the surgery. He will also be able to calculate risks through this map.

2. Lasik does not require the patient to be asleep during the operation. In fact, the patient is mobile and awake during the entire procedure. First, he should be given a mild sedative (such as Valium) and some eye drops (anesthetic).

3. The first step in surgery is to make a flap out of the corneal tissue. Once created, a hinge is left on one side of the flap. After which, the midsection of the cornea is revealed.

4. Corneal stroma remodeling is done next. Laser is used to vaporize tissues. No searing or cutting is required to do this step, of which, the patient would feel just a little disorientation.

5. After the reshaping of the cornea, the flap is repositioned by the ophthalmologist.

6. For post-operative healing, patients are simply given anti-inflammatory eye drops and antibiotics. It is also essential to have dark colored goggles that would protect the eyes from strong light. The eyes should not be rubbed during the recovery period.

Lasik has done wonders to countless lives. Many visions have been saved and restored due to this advancement in the field of surgery, many more are awaiting redemption. And, who knows, one of these lives could be yours.