PRK,
or photorefractive keratectomy, is one of the first corrective eye
procedures that was developed. During this procedure the upper layer
of cells which cover the cornea, the epithelial layer, are carefully
removed. Once this layer of cells is removed the surgeon uses an
excimer laser to shape the cornea. How much tissue on the cornea
is removed for this reshaping process depends on how bad the person’s
eye sight was. PRK is different from the LASIK procedure in that
a corneal flap is not created, and so less of the cornea is altered
during PRK surgery. This surgery is often used on people who cannot
get LASIK because they have very thin corneas.
Custom
Wavefront LASIK utilizes some of the latest
technology to improve surgical corrective eye procedures. This type
of procedure uses Wavefront technology to customize a person’s
LASIK correction procedure. The advantage of this technology is
that a patient is able to have their cornea mapped down to the smallest
detail. The surgeon can then achieve a finer level of correction
when the cornea is reshaped. The results of Wavefront LASIK are
reportedly an increased quality of vision, reduction in night vision
difficulties, and a reduction in halos and glare. The procedure
used to correct the cornea is the same as the original LASIK surgery.
Epi-LASIK
is an advanced LASIK procedure that was developed in order to address
some problems that arose from LASIK procedures. Original LASIK corrects
the cornea by cutting a flap within the cornea itself; this procedure
can sometimes lead to visual disturbances such as halos, and people
with thin corneas who are unable to undergo a regular LASIK procedure.
Epi-LASIK is a procedure that corrects vision by lifting up the
upper epithelium layer from the top corneal tissues, and then the
cornea is sculpted. No flap in the cornea is produced, and the epithelium
layer grows back in 3-5 days. Epi-LASIK procedures can be performed
on patients with thin corneas and patients with high degrees of
myopia.
LASEK,
or Laser-Assisted Sub Epithelial Keratectomy, is a corrective eye
procedure that has been performed since 1996. This procedure was
developed from PRK and LASIK procedures, and was created in order
to address complications and problems that arose from PRK and LASIK
procedures. The LASEK procedure uses a fine trephine blade and a
20% alcohol solution to gently lift the upper epithelial layer off
the surface of the eye and fold the layer back. The cornea is then
reshaped with an excimer laser, and the epithelium layer is laid
back down and left to heal. The PRK procedure does not preserve
the epithelial layer, and the LASIK procedure uses a thicker blade
to cut deeper into the cornea.
IntraLase
"Bladeless" eye surgery is a corrective
eye surgery that uses a laser, instead of a blade, to create a flap
in the cornea. This is the only ‘bladeless’ corrective
eye surgery technique available at this time. The IntraLase laser
works by creating a tiny layer of bubbles just below the surface
of the cornea; this layer of bubbles allows the surgeon to gently
lift the flap back without using a blade, and then the cornea is
reshaped. The flap is folded back down after the surgery is performed
and left to heal. The bladeless IntraLase procedure reduces possible
complications that can occur from cutting into the cornea.
Presby
LASIK, also known as Multifocal LASIK, is a
corrective eye procedure which is used to address the eye condition
called presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition which normally develops
in many people between 40 to 50 years of age. This condition is
characterized by the inability to focus at all distances; multifocal
glasses are used in these cases to correct the vision. The Presby
LASIK procedure uses a laser to reshape the eye into a design that
works just like a multi-focal lens. Often a ‘peak’ is
left on the cornea, and then the sides are gradually smoothed down.
The end result is the ability to focus on near and far distances
at the same time. This procedure has not yet been approved by the
FDA; the only way to receive Presby LASIK in the United States is
to join a clinical trial.
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