Author (brunohill). Submitted on Thu, 25 Aug 2011
Are you a candidate for laser eye surgery? Then you should know that there are five common types of laser eye surgery which your surgeon may discuss with you during consultations. These include PhotoRefractive Keratectomy or PRK, Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileusis or LASEK, Epi-LASEK, Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis or LASIK, and Custom Vue LASIK.
PhotoRefractive Keratectomy or PRK involves manual scraping away of the epithelium and reshaping of tissues located on the underlying (stromal) surface of the cornea using excimer laser. This is an option for patients with thin corneas in which case the creation of a cornea flap by cutting is detrimental. It does not entail creation of a cornea flap using microkeratome blade which carries the most risk. PhotoRefractive Keratectomy, however, requires longer recovery period, and there is more discomfort during healing.
Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileusis or LASEK is the offshoot of PRK which uses alcohol to soften and remove the epithelium. After reshaping the stroma using excimer laser to correct the vision, epithelium is then replaced. Unlike PRK, healing process after LASEK procedure is accelerated without the use of a cutting blade in creating a cornea flap.
Epi-LASEK is a kind of laser eye surgery Houston that uses a "separator" to maintain a living layer of epithelium. Such layer is usually replaced after the excimer laser reshapes the stroma. Epi-LASEK offers reduced discomfort and faster healing time than LASEK. Other types of surgery such as LASIK and Custom Vue LASIK involve creation of corneal flap by cutting using either blade or laser.
Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis or LASIK is the most commonly advertised laser eye surgery Houston procedure. It requires the use of a microkeratome metal blade in cutting the cornea flap and an excimer laser to reshape the tissues of the eye. The flap is returned to its position after the procedure which is painless for most patients. Vision is immediately corrected though some blurriness may be present for the first 24 hours. Vision will improve in the succeeding weeks.
Custom Vue LASIK is a laser eye surgery Houston procedure that uses the same tools as LASIK. The difference, however, lies with the use of software called Wavefront which guides the excimer laser. Patient’s vision is measured through mapping the optical system using technology that works 25% more accurately than traditional methods.
If you have questions, please visit us at www. ecot.com for complete details and answers.