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Types of Corrective Eye Surgery

While Lasik is the most popular type of corrective eye surgery, it’s not the only option patients have. All of the following types of corrective eye surgery use lasers, yet they each differ slightly. Remember: it’s always best to thoroughly research your options before you undertake any form of surgery.

Lasek

Similar to Lasik, Lasek (Laser assisted seu-epithelial keratectomy) surgery is most used to treat patients with a thin cornea. In Lasek eye surgery only the outer layer of the cornea is cut, resulting in the removal of a smaller percentage of the cornea. Corneal nerve regeneration is quicker. However, patients may be required to use drops for an extended period after the surgery and vision tends to remain blurry for a couple of weeks. This eye surgery is still relatively new and is most commonly used to treat astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Epi-Lasik

Epi-Lasik eye surgery uses neither a blade nor alcohol to cut through the cornea. Instead a plastic separator is used to separate the epithelial sheet from the eye. The same excimer laser used in Lasik is used in Epi-Lasik to reshape the corneal tissue. After this corrective eye surgery, a special contact lens is used to keep the epithelial flap in place until it reattaches itself. People can usually see well enough to drive after about a week, however, it may take up to six months before the patient experiences the best results from this surgery.

Bladeless Lasik

Bladeless Lasik, also known as IntraLase eye surgery, is similar to regular Lasik eye surgery except that, as the name implies, no blade is used to create the flap. The obvious advantage is that IntraLase (by using laser energy instead of a microkeratome, the metal blade used in traditional Lasik procedures) appears to enhance the safety of corrective eye surgery.

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

With PRK corrective eye surgery, no flap is made in the cornea at all. Instead, the surgeon skips right to the next step and uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. If you’re nearsighted, the surgeon will attempt to flatten the cornea, which is too steep. If you’re farsighted, the surgeon will attempt to make the cornea steeper.

Although the success rates for these types of surgeries are impressive, no corrective eye surgery is one hundred percent safe or successful. Always do your homework and get the facts when considering laser eye surgery. An informed decision will dramatically increase your odds of a successful surgery.