By adjusting the depth and placement of incisions, a surgeon could correct varying amounts of nearsightedness or astigmatism. Since 1992, the Phillips Eye Institute has used the excimer laser to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism in a procedure called keratectomy. It is a type of refractive surgery and works by sculpting or reshaping the cornea and does not involve incisions in the cornea. Possible risks and benefits of this procedure should be explained to you prior to consent for the procedure. In the Excimer laser, a powerful electric current is passed through a tube.
Energy is produced by emitting a uniform light beam.
When focused through a system of mirrors with lenses, this beam produces changes in the corneal tissue. By controlling the size and energy of the laser beam the doctor is able to remove thin layers of corneal tissue. The Excimer laser procedure takes a total of approximately 15 minutes. The laser is used for only 20-90 seconds. You should plan to be at the Phillips Eye Institute for one to two hours.