Laser Eye Surgery

Just as there are different conditions that can be treated with laser eye surgery, there are several different forms of laser eye surgery including but not limited to PRK, Lasik, Lasek, Epi-Lasik, PresbyLasik, iLASIK, Custom Wavefront Lasik and IntraLase bladeless Lasik. The most common of these procedures are described below:

Lasik - With Lasik eye surgery, a thin flap is cut and then lifted from the surface of the eye. A laser beam, or energy, is then appropriately applied to the eye for proper reshaping. The thin flap that was first cut and lifted from the eye is then replaced to serve the purpose of a natural bandage that will speed up the healing process from the Lasik surgery. Ultimately, the replaced flap is thicker in size and is usually created with either a special laser or a microkeratome cutting tool. As a general rule, there are three different types of lasers that may be used for the Lasik surgery - wavefront-guided lasers, spot scanner lasers and slit scanning lasers.

PRK - PRK is known as the original laser eye surgery and unlike Lasik eye surgery, PRK does not require a thing flap to be taken from the eye's surface. Instead, the laser beam, or energy, is directly applied to the surface of the eye. The outer layer of the eye, which is very thin and is known as the epithelium, is completely removed from the laser force. Eventually, this ultra-thin outer layer of the eye grows back. This particular eye surgery may be required for individuals who have thin corneas.

Lasek - This particular eye surgery preserves the thin outside layer of the eye by lifting it up from the surface of the eye prior to any laser force being applied to the surface for proper reshaping. The epithelium is replaced onto the eye once the procedure is complete. A trephine is the name of the cutting tool that is used to create the ultra-thin flap used with this particular laser eye surgery.

With Lasik surgery, you won't have to reach for your glasses at your bedside each morning so that you can see clearly. Instead, you'll see sharply as soon as you open your eyes! It will take some getting used to - living your life in complete focus with crystal clear vision - but it will be worth every bit of it.