LASEK laser eye surgery is a newer surgery that combines many of the benefits of older vision corrections surgeries. LASEK laser eye surgery is used to treat astigmatism, nearsightedness or farsightedness. LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) combines benefits of the two most commonly performed eye procedures, LASIK and PRK. It is a relatively new variation of PRK. This is a procedure in which laser energy is applied directly to the eye’s outer surface for reshaping and vision correction. To understand how LASEK works, you must first know the differences between LASIK, PRK, and LASEK.
LASIK is an eye surgery that works by cutting a thin flap in the eye’s surface and lifting it. This allows laser energy to be applied to the eye for reshaping. The flap is replaced after the surgery to serve as a type of natural bandage for quicker healing. PRK surgery does not involve cutting a thin flap in the eye’s surface. Instead, laser energy is applied directly the eye’s surface. The thin, outer layer of the eye known as the epithelium is removed completely by laser energy and eventually grows back.
The LASEK procedure involves preserving the epithelial layer by lifting it from the eye’s surface with a special cutting tool known as a trephine. This is done before laser energy is applied for reshaping. After the procedure has been performed, the epithelium is replaced on the eye’s surface. LASEK is used most commonly in patients whose corneas are too thin or steep for LASIK which requires a thicker cornea in order to cut a flap. LASEK was developed to reduce the chance of complications that occur when the flap created during LASIK does not have the ideal thickness or diameter.
The popularity of LASEK is growing among refractive eye surgeons along with a variation of the procedure known as epi-LASIK. Patients undergoing LASEK procedure generally heal more slowly and have more discomfort than patients undergoing LASIK. For this reason many surgeons prefer to perform PRK rather than LASEK procedures because they find no advantage in the latter surgeries. Anyone considering refractive surgery should discuss their options thoroughly with a refractive surgeon.
