Lasik and Beyond

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, better known as LASIK, is a surgical procedure for reducing refractive error in the eye. In this procedure, a device called a microkeratome is used to shave a thin, hinged flap in the cornea. The flap is folded back to expose the internal tissue of the cornea. Pulses from an excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm are then delivered to this tissue to modify its shape. This wavelength is used because it ablates tissue without extensive collateral damage and because it has low mutagenicity.