Types of Laser Surgery

Posted in Laser Eye Surgery on September 23, 2008

Most eyesight problems are temporarily handled by wearing spectacles or contact lenses. However, people are not always keen on wearing them forever. Hence they want eyesight correction by way of laser surgery.

For patients with short sightedness the laser is used to reduce the thickness of the cornea. This brings the focus of the light rays on the retina properly to be able to see objects clearly. There are three main types of laser surgery. The latest and the most popular is LASIK. In this procedure, a laser is beamed onto the cornea and a thin layer of cornea is sliced off to create a flap. This will enable the laser beams to target the tissue under the flap. The flap is replaced and it grows back naturally. In this case, vision is restored immediately after the procedure.

The other option is EPIFLAP or LASEK surgery. In this procedure the epithelium or outer layer of the eye is partially removed to reveal the cornea. The cornea is then reshaped or corrected by laser.

The third method is PRK. It involves the complete removal of the outer layer of cells on the eye.

Due to fast strides in technological advancement, the operation has become safe and fast since no blade is used to perform the surgery.