VISION CORRECTION
WITH LASIK or LASER SURGERY

General Description

...Now do you not see that the eye embraces the beauty of the whole world? It is the lord of astronomy and the maker of cosmography; it counsels and corrects all the arts of mankind; it leads men to the different parts of the world; it is the prince of mathematics, and the sciences founded on it are absolutely certain.

It has measured the distances and sizes of the stars; it has found the elements and their locations;. It…has given birth to architecture, and to perspective and to divine art of painting.

Oh excellent thing, superior to all others created by God!...What peoples, what tongues will fully describe your true function? The eye is the window of the human body through which it feels its way and enjoys the beauty of the world.

Owing to the eye the soul is content to stay in its bodily prison, for without it such bodily prison is torture.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

People who need to use eyeglasses in order to see clearly have what in ophthalmology we call “errors of refraction”. These include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, among others. These errors of refraction are usually caused by defects in the cornea (the transparent lens which forms the outer covering of the pupil). The defects in the cornea result in images that do not focus onto the retina properly. The eye can be compared to a camera; if the lens is out of focus, the images projected on film are blurred. Likewise if a refraction error exists, images projected in the retina are blurred. The function of the laser (Excimer laser) is to mold the shape of the cornea to correct any error of refraction that the eye may have. The correction results in the ability to focus the images in the retina clearly. This surgical procedure is known as LASIK.

Benefits of treatment

LASIK is a surgical procedure that is intended to reduce a person’s dependency on eye glasses or contact lenses by permanently changing the shape of the cornea to obtain clear vision. The cornea and the crystalline of the eye must refract light rays properly so that the images are focused on the retina. If the light rays are not focused with clarity on the retina, the images are blurred.

Technical description of surgery

The LASIK procedure is carried out under the effects of topical anesthesia. Anesthetic drops are applied to the eye, this anesthesia is not injected.

The individual patient’s eye information is gathered and recorded before the surgery and is downloaded onto the laser’s computer. The laser has a sophisticated system which recognizes the patient’s eye and a security system which senses the patient’s movement. The procedure will only begin when everything is aligned and recognized. This provides the highest level of effectiveness and precision.


At the present time it is possible to choose between 3 types of procedures:

  1. Standard: in which myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism (known as low order errors of refraction) are treated.
  2. Personalized or Custom: treats the low order errors of refraction in addition to other possible errors known as “high order errors”. The set of all the errors of refraction in the eyes is similar to a fingerprint, in the sense that each eye is unique. Thanks to this treatment the result is highly precise as all the defects are treated.
  3. IntraLase / ilasik®: this is the newest treatment in laser surgery, we use the IntraLase FS technology which together with the VISX4 equipment, can lead to even better results. The blade normally used is replaced by a femtosecond laser, which can improve the results of the flap making by even 100%. This also reduces the possibilities of sight-threatening events and the risk of dry eye and eliminates completely the risks of corneal abrasion.

For more information on Ilasik, you can access http://www.ilasik.com/1030-questions-safety.aspx

The basic criteria we use to determine if you are a good candidate for Lasik / ilasik are:

For prices and more information, please contact us at info@lasik.co.cr