LASIK surgery is a type of refractive laser eye surgery performed by ophthalmologists for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Many patients choose LASIK as an alternative to wearing corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. The procedure is generally preferred to photorefractive keratectomy, PRK, (also called Advanced Surface Ablation) because it requires less time for the patient's recovery, and the patient feels less pain. Overall, however, there are instances where PRK/ASA is determined to be a better medical alternative to LASIK.
Using advances in laser technology and the technical and theoretical developments in refractive surgery made since the 50's, LASIK surgery was developed in 1990 by Lucio Buratto (Italy) and Ioannis Pallikaris (Greece) as a melding of two prior techniques, keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy. It quickly became popular because of its greater precision and lower frequency of complications in comparison with these former two techniques. Today, faster lasers, larger spot areas, bladeless flap incision, and wavefront-optimized and -guided techniques have significantly improved the reliability of the procedure compared to that of earlier methods.
There are several necessary preparations in the preoperative period before LASIK surgery. The operation itself is made by creating a thin flap on the eye, folding it to enable remodeling of the tissue underneath with laser. The flap is repositioned and the eye is left to heal in the postoperative period. Patients are usually given a course of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops. These are continued in the weeks following surgery. Patients are usually told to sleep much more and are also given a darkened pair of shields to protect their eyes from bright lights and protective goggles to prevent rubbing of the eyes when asleep and to reduce dry eyes. Patients should be adequately informed by their surgeons of the importance of proper post-operative care to minimize the risk of post-surgical complications.
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second most populous city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. The population was 241,167 at the 2006 census estimate. The Lincoln metropolitan area consists of Lancaster County and Seward County, which was added to the metropolitan area in 2003.
Lincoln has an extensive park system, with over 100 individual parks. The largest parks in Lincoln's park system are: Antelope Park (which contains the Lincoln Children's Zoo and the Sunken Gardens), Woods Park, Holmes Park, Oak Lake Park, Pioneers Park, Tierra Park, and Wilderness Park. The parks are connected by a 159 km (99 mi.) system of recreational trails. The MoPac Trail extends through Lincoln. The Lincoln Airport is also among the emergency landing sites for the NASA Space Shuttle, and the top location located within the non-coastal United States.
Lincoln is best known for the University's football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Lincoln's primary venues for live music include: Pershing Auditorium (large tours and national acts), Knickerbockers, Box Awesome, Duffy's Tavern, Duggan's Pub (local/regional acts; smaller venues), and the Zoo Bar (blues). The Lied Center is a venue for national tours of Broadway productions, concert music, and guest lectures.