The Fast-Healing Cornea

If you’ve considered LASIK but feel a little nervous about having a procedure on your eye, it’s helpful to understand the cornea and its amazing healing power. The cornea is the outermost cover of the eye. It is durable and smooth, shielding the eye from dust, germs and other harmful material that could injure the eye. The cornea also controls the entry of light into the eye and helps the eye focus, contributing to more than 65 percent of the eye’s focusing power. (National Eye Institute) Even though the cornea is a sensitive part of the eye, it heals quickly. Healthy cells develop quickly, creating a patch that keeps infection at bay and vision unaffected. The same occurs during a LASIK procedure. At our facility, Dr. Kerry Solomon treats the inner cornea with a laser during LASIK. Even though patients need to be careful with their eyes for a couple of weeks, the cornea begins healing immediately and is well on its way to full healing just 24 hours following the surgery. (Photo/American Accreditation HealthCare Commission)