The Excimer laser is a form of ultraviolet chemical laser, and is the key element that has made laser eye surgery possible. Though Excimer laser was originally used in semiconductor manufacturing in the 1970s, its use in eye surgery is now fairly widespread. While working at the IBM research laboratories in 1982, Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasin and his research team discovered the potential of the Excimer laser in interacting with biological tissue. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Steven Trokel, explained its connection with the corneal tissue. And this was how LASIK eye surgery came into existence.
There are several types of lasers, but excimer is the preferred choice when it comes to corrective eye surgery. This is due to the fact that excimer is the most technologically advanced laser type. The excimer laser is, literally, a cool laser. That is, it precisely removes the desired part of the corneal tissue, without heating up or damaging the adjacent tissue. Quite amazingly, the excimer laser is so precise that it is capable of removing 0.5% of a human hair’s width at a time. That fact itself is enough for patients to believe that excimer-assisted eye surgery is not a gimmick, but a true technology leveraged procedure.
With the computer technology at its disposal and the precision offered by the laser, LASIK surgery has emerged as the number one choice for patients with refractive error. Since the excimer laser emits cool, minute beams that make precise incisions on the surface of the cornea, a dedicated technician operates the machine while the ophthalmologist performs the surgery.
Your eyes are your window to the world and your sight is the most important of the five senses. Hence, it is all the more imperative that, if need be, you go for an eye surgery that is reliable and has minimal side effects. With the high-precision technology of the excimer laser and the overall reliability of the procedure, LASIK is the most prevalent of corrective eye surgeries.