LASIK is a 15 to 20 minute procedure that corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea, the transparent membrane that covers the front of the eye. When successful, this procedure allows a person eliminate or reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses. When successful, this procedure allows a person to enjoy life without glasses or contact lenses. LASIK may well be the fastest growing surgical procedure. It is estimated that 500,000 to 750,000 Americans will have this procedure each year.

Anatomy and Physiology

There are two eyes. The eyes lie in bony casings within the skull called orbits. Each eye is globular in shape and about one inch in diameter. Light entering the front of the eye passes through the cornea, anterior (front) chamber, iris, lens and vitreous and finally is focused on the retina, the film of the eye. (Figure 1,2)

Figure 1 Cross-sectional anatomy of the eye. See text for descriptions.	Figure 2 Normal eye. An object is focused on the retina.