Lasers are used to reshape the tissues located on the underlying or stromal layer of the cornea, to correct vision. There are two types of corrective laser eye surgery - PRK or Photo Refractive Keratectomy and LASIK or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. Each of these procedures uses a different technique.

Photo Refractive Keratectomy or PRK

In PRK, the epithelium of the cornea is manually scraped away and an excimer laser corrects vision. The epithelium layer grows back later. This method involves a longer recovery period and more discomfort during healing than with LASIK. PRK is less risky when compared to LASIK because it does not involve cutting the cornea.

Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileusis or LASEK

LASEK is an advanced form of PRK that uses alcohol in a solution to first soften then remove the epithelium. After reshaping the stroma with excimer laser, the epithelium is replaced. The advantage of LASEK over PRK is that the healing process is hastened.

Epi-LASEK

This method is a further advancement on LASEK. It uses a separator to preserve a living layer of the epithelium. This layer is replaced after an excimer laser corrects vision. Discomfort and healing time are much less in Epi-LASEK, as compared to LASEK.

LASIK or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis

LASIK uses a microkeratome metal blade to cut the cornea flap and an excimer laser to reshape the eye. After the procedure, the flap is returned to its position. Unlike the PRK techniques, vision is immediately corrected. Some blurriness may be present for the first 24 hours but will improve over time.

Custom Vue LASIK

This method is very similar to LASIK. The only difference lies in the use of an advanced software called Wavefront. In this procedure, the vision is measured by mapping the optical system, using technology that is 25% more accurate than traditional methods. The excimer laser is then guided by the software to make necessary changes to the stroma.

Custom Intra LASIK

In this, a femtosecond Intralase laser is used to make the flap. The excimer laser, guided by the Wavefront software, corrects vision. This is regarded as a far superior method for corneal flap creation. It is also the most expensive type of laser eye surgery.

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The advances in lasers, coupled with the creation of new and safer refractive surgical techniques in the past 10 years, have more people going to ophthalmologists than ever before to have their vision improved. With all the hoopla attached to corrective laser eye surgery, one may ask: what does corrective eye laser surgery mean? What are these surgical techniques? How does it improve one’s quality of life?

Corrective laser eye surgery essentially means, laser eye surgical techniques that will correct your vision.

You’ve probably heard these four most popular corrective laser eye surgery techniques mentioned.

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) recommended for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism eye conditions.

Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK) is similar to LASIK; except the flap is created in the epithelium.

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) for persons who have nearsightedness, mild to moderate farsightedness and astigmatism. The surgeon uses the laser to remove tiny tissue on the surface of the cornea.

CK or Conductive Keratoplasty uses a probe that’s as thin as a strand of human hair, utilizing radiofrequency (RF) energy. The probe reshapes the cornea by shrink small areas of the tissue.

How do these corrective laser eye surgery procedures improve ones’ quality of life? In a survey conducted by The Eye Surgery Education Council (ESEC), the public education arm of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) the following respondents agreed on these facts.

• Ability to see upon waking

• Freedom from glasses and contacts

• Improvement in personal safety

• Increased confidence in personal appearance

• Better participation in sports or fitness activities

This information was collected from approximately 3 million Americans who have undergone the corrective laser eye surgery since 1995.

The most noteworthy finding that emerged from this surgery was the fact that a significant number felt that after undergoing corrective laser eye surgery they began a new lease on life.

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When you decide to undergo laser vision corrective eye
surgery, it’s a pretty important undertaking. You may see a
lot of commercials by doctors’ offices talking about how
they’ve performed thousands of lasik procedures, laser eye
surgeries, and other vision correction procedures. However,
when you go in for your own laser vision corrective eye
surgery, you don’t really care about the thousands of other
patients that have done it - your biggest concern is your
own eyes. So how do you know which doctors to trust with
your own vision correction surgery? Well, there are some
basic tips you should keep in mind as you zero-in on the
best doctor to pick for your own laser surgery.

Insurance Coverage

While a lot of insurance plans don’t provide any coverage
for laser vision corrective eye surgery, some do. Even if
you don’t have insurance that covers vision correction, you
may have a discount medical plan, and these usually
provide some type of discounts on laser vision correction
that you can take advantage of. Although this is not the key
deciding factor for choosing the best laser eye surgeon, you
definitely want to start with a list of the doctors that are
covered by your insurance or discount plan. Once you have
this list in hand, go to the next step.

Location

Next, look for laser eye surgery doctors that are convenient
to you. After your laser surgery, you may need one or more
follow-up visits, and you don’t want to be driving long
distances each time. There are a number of services on the
Internet that help you search for laser vision surgeons, but
they may just be promoting certain doctors. If your
insurance company or employer have websites that help
you locate doctors, those are best. They usually let you
enter your location and easily find a doctor near your home
or work.

Experience

Now comes the really important part. Once you’ve
identified those laser eye surgeons who are covered by your
insurance or discount plan and are conveniently located,
it’s critical to make sure the doctors on your list are experts
in their field and know how to use the latest, up-to-date
technology in performing your laser eye surgery. At this
point, it pays to do some homework. Get on the Internet
and do some searching for new developments in laser
vision correction surgery technology. Read about any local
pioneers in related research and use of new techniques. You
may want to consider those doctors for your own laser
surgery if they are close by. Take a look at the doctors who
are on the list you’ve developed, based on your insurance
coverage and location. Lookup their names on the Internet
to see if they have their own websites. If they do, what do
their websites say about them? Do they seem to use the
latest technologies based on what you’re read elsewhere? If
not, you may want to keep looking.

Background Check

Before you schedule your first visit with a laser surgeon of
your choice, there’s one more thing you need to do. Make
sure the doctors you’ve selected to visit don’t have any
black marks on their records. Go to the website for your
state medical licensing board and see if the doctor has any
complaints against him. Also, do a general Internet search
of the doctor’s name, to see if any malpractice lawsuits or
other red flags pop up. If so, scratch that doctor off of your
list and keep searching. Once you’ve tested your list in this
way, you’re ready for an office visit.

Office Visit

As the last step in your search, pick the best laser eye
surgery doctor on your list based on the factors you’ve
looked at so far, and make an appointment. When you go
for your appointment, pay close attention to what you see
and hear. As you wait in the waiting room, strike up a
conversation with patients who are there for follow-up
visits. See what they say about their experience with that
doctor and their laser eye surgery. Ask them if they had any
surprises or problems. When you see the laser eye surgeon,
be prepared to ask him or her about their experience and
the technology they use. Ask them about new
developments like laser radar tracking technology or
wavefront technology, and see if they know about it. Most
importantly, ask them about your own personal condition.
If you know you have astigmatism, ask the doctor to go
over the details of how laser eye surgery can correct
astigmatism. If you’re myopic, ask how the surgery will
differ for you, compared to other patients who aren’t
myopic. Based on your responses from the patients and the
surgeon, you should have a pretty good feel about whether
this surgeon is a good choice or not. If not, schedule a visit
with someone else. Once you find a laser eye surgeon
you’re happy with, stop searching and start planning with
your doctor for your own procedure.

With the thousands of doctors who offer laser vision
corrective eye surgery, it can seem like an impossible task
to pick the best for your own laser eye surgery. But just
stick to these simple tips, create your list of doctors, and
begin to narrow it down based on the criteria mentioned
above. This will allow you to identify a laser vision
surgeon you’re really happy with, and you’ll have a lot
more peace of mind knowing that you’re in excellent hands
when you have your personal laser eye surgery procedure.

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