Laser eye surgery history has its origin in 1890s when the basic principles of keratotomy (corneal incisions) to correct refractive error were explained by a Dutch professor Lans

A japanese surgeon Sato tried some clinical trials with keratotomy in the 1930s but without great success

A Russian eye surgeon Dr Fyodorov in the early 1970s successfully used the technique of radial keratotomy,using a scalpel to make corneal incisions to improve patients vision His trials and research soon caught the attention of ophthalmic surgeons worldwide

In the late 1970s the use of radial keratotomy spread to the United State where its use became widespread. (my wife had surgery using this same procedure in 1997) However because of some problems with this technique and advances in use of laser technology new means of correcting visual errors evolved.

Initially Excimer Lasers(originally developed for working on computer chips!) were used by reshaping the cornea,removing precise amounts of the corneal tissue,this gave rise to a higher degree of accuracy and less complications.

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) Photorefractive keratectomy made use of the excimer laser by a precise reshaping of the front corneal surface, removing microscopic layers.The laser does not generate any heat and consequently there will be no tissue damage.This technique of laser eye surgery was extremely popular, with millions of operations having been performed worldwide.

Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)LASIK is a new candidate in the history of laser eye surgery. The ophthalmic surgeon uses a blade (microkeratome ) to cut a thin flap of the cornea and then afterwards an excimer laser to remove and reshape tissue underneath the flap. Compared to PRK, this procedure allows the cornea to remain mostly intact. Therefore, the patients who have LASIK often feel more comfortable and recover better and faster after surgery than was the case with previous techniques.

Recent advances in laser eye surgery include the use of wavefront technology to create an individual custom Lasik, Epi Lasik ( or Lasek as it is commonly known) which removes a much thinner layer of corneal tissue, and more recently there has been the introduction of refractive lensectomy which involves implanting a mutifocal lens inside the eye to give a presbyopic patient (usually age 40 plus ) clear vision at all distances.