While in the past bad eyesight meant you were finished; this is the case no longer. To end the use of glasses, laser eye (LASIK) surgeons kept on trying to find a way to fix the eyesight problem - and soon made LASIK.

LASIK means Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, a form of laser eye surgery. Even though contact lenses allow those with poor eyes to see without glasses, LASIK surgeons fix the eyes forever. Nowhere is that more evident than in the state of Texas.

Previous generations used a metal blade to make the corneal flap, today's LASIK surgerons use a laser- which is faster and less painful. The laser used today is the excimer laser; discovered by Dr. Bhaumik in May, 1973.

Ever since an ultraviolet excimer laser was discovered capable of altering tissue while giving no thermal damage to the surrounding area, scientific discoveries were made for the use of the excimer laser by LASIK surgeons, meaning the process today is far less complicated than the one of the past. While dozens of problems were found in the past, they have since been few and far between and almost no problems today are had with LASIK eye surgery.

Even though LASIK is a way to change poor eyesight by straightening out the cornea, it is not as hard to perform as normal surgery. LASIK is done in two spells; and as it is so simple the patient does not have to be unconscious (although a sedative like Valium is sometimes used).

In the first spell, a corneal flap of tissue is formed using a laser; for the second spell, the cornea is fixed in order to solve the bad eyes. Due to the laser being used, the cornea is "fooled"; it does not realise it has been altered and so a lot of the old problems (such as corneal haze) are removed.

You should weigh the risks and benefits of the surgery and determine if this is for you. Once you qualify, you can collect information from your eye doctor and read educational materials on this procedure so you can make an educated decision. You can then schedule an appointment with your eye surgeon and he or she will discuss the procedure with you.

The surgery is computer guided for precision and accuracy. Numbing drops are placed in each eye and a mild sedative is given to the patient prior to surgery. A cornea flap is made and the cornea tissue is ablated or reshaped to correct refractive error. The surgery has little if any discomfort both during the surgery and after the procedure. If pain occurs, an over the counter pain medication should be all that is needed.