In the excimer laser, a powerful electric current is passed through a tube containing Argon and Fluorine gas.
Energy is produced by emitting a uniform light beam.
The excimer laser cuts without producing any heat, and can therefore remove small amounts of tissue without damaging the surrounding cornea. By controlling the size and energy of the laser beam, your doctor is able to remove very specific amounts of corneal tissue thus correcting myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Both use the excimer laser as a microscopic lathe to reshape the cornea in the treatment of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Either procedure takes about 5 minutes per eye, but the laser will actually be activated for only about 20 - 90 seconds. Immediately before the treatment, you will receive anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye.