Microkeratome A.K.A the Knife
Posted by Tom in Blog.
It appears the blade used in Lasik is not a scalpel like instrument at all but a small cutting blade called a microkeratome. The actual surgery breaks down into two parts and should take around 30 minutes.
In the first step, a suction ring is attached to the cornea and the microkeratome is used to cut a flap in the cornea. Then the ring is removed and the Lasik laser is used to burn away the middle part of the cornea to reshape it. A computer controls the laser based on the amount and type of correction needed.
Some people report a smell like burning hair while the laser is in use, eek. That sounds a little surreal, smelling your own eye being burned. But its got to be better then when a dentist drills your teeth and you smell the burning teeth bones. Of my friends who have had Lasik, none have complained about the discomfort like going to the dentist office.
