Laser Vision Correction: An Overview

The Arrival of the Excimer Laser

The excimer laser was first used on human eyes in the late 1980s. The laser technology marked a significant advancement in the science of vision correction; the excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet beam of light to vaporize tissue-that is, break up the molecules-with exacting precision and without harming adjacent tissue. Each pulse of the excimer laser removes a mere 1/100,000 inch of tissue.