How Did Lasik Come To Be?

As popular as Lasik eye surgery is today, it is very difficult to imagine it not being around. But surprisingly, Lasik hasn’t been around very long. Just to give you a better point of reference, a Colombian surgeon named Dr. Jose Barraquer actually developed the microkeratome in 1960 (this is the tool used to cut the cornea). While other forms of eye surgery were developed beforehand (mainly PRK and RK), Lasik was not fully demonstrated until the late 1980s. Even then, the Food and Drug Administration did not conduct clinical trials of the excimer laser until late 1989. Luckily, as you can imagine, the FDA approved the use of the excimer laser and Lasik become a popular alternative to the more painful eye surgery procedures available at that time.