I'm nervous about the part where the surgeon cuts into my eye. Can you explain this more?

Cutting into the eye is called creating the "corneal flap". Refractive eye surgery was being performed as early as the 1970's, and back then, the cornea flap was created by literally cutting into the eye with a diamond blade. However, the reason LASIK is called such is because it uses a laser - and these days, it's the laser that creates the corneal flap - no cutting necessary!

The flap is necessary so that the surgeon has direct access to the cornea. Logically, it would seem that creating an incision, whether with a blade or a laser would mean more pain and require more healing, with LASIK, it's actually the opposite. Creating the flap means less pain for the patient, faster healing, and an overall quicker recovery.

For the patient who is still nervous, the use of the laser to create the flap is actually more precise as well. Previously, the blade used to create the corneal flap was a rapidly vibrating blade. While experienced surgeons were still quite apt at handling the blade, the level of meticulousness and precision with the transition to the laser is exponentially greater - resulting in patients with better vision, faster recovery times, and overall greater satisfactory results!