LASIK eye surgery is the best known and most commonly performed laser refractive surgery to correct vision problems. Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) can be an alternative to glasses or contact lenses.
During LASIK surgery, a special type of cutting laser is used to change the shape of the cornea. The cornea is the dome-shaped clear tissue at the front of the eye.
In eyes with typical vision, the cornea bends — or refracts — light precisely onto the retina at the back of the eye. But with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, the light is bent incorrectly. This incorrect refraction causes blurred vision.
Glasses or contact lenses can correct vision, but reshaping the cornea also provides the refraction needed to correct vision.