Types of Lasik Surgery
Laser eye surgery is a standard procedure these days. People worldwide use laser eye surgery to gain perfect vision and, more importantly, to remove contact lenses and glasses. Every procedure has its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, they are selected by the surgeon based on patient suitability. A physician determines a potential patient’s suitability for laser eye surgery through a series of tests designed to determine if the person is eligible for surgery.
All these surgeries are reliable, safe, and compelling vision correction methods. But which method is best?
PRK
Photorefractive keratotomy, or PRK, was the first laser eye surgery widely used in human surgery. PRK is a laser corrective eye surgery commonly used for people who suffer from near-sightedness, also known as astigmatism, an abnormality in the shape of the eye’s cornea. Surgery is easy. The cornea’s outer layer, also called the epithelium, is slowly removed using manual surgical instruments. Regarding the effectiveness of PRK eye laser surgery, an ophthalmologist’s eligibility criteria are most suitable for patients with abnormal corneal shape, i.e., uneven epithelial surface. It is also recommended for those concerned about dry eyes and those who tend to get tired eyes. An ophthalmologist determines eligibility criteria. The only major drawback to eye surgery is recovery time.
The recovery time for PRK surgery is enormous. It takes over a week for the cells in the epithelium’s outermost layer to fully regenerate. Barring other complications, it will take at least six weeks to regain crystal-clear vision after laser eye PRK surgery.
LASIK
LASIK is arguably the most popular and well-known laser eye procedure. It is also the most commonly used type of laser eye surgery. When most people think of laser eye surgery, they think of LASIK. LASIK eye surgery is the most preferred form of eye laser surgery for a reason. This surgery is used to treat farsightedness, near-sightedness, and astigmatism, an abnormality in the curvature of the epithelium or cornea.
LASIK surgery is straightforward. Surgeons start by cutting a small flap on the corneal surface so that it remains attached to the cornea like a hinge. The surgeon then folds the flap and uses an optical laser to manually reshape the epithelium by removing unwanted corneal epithelial tissue. So surgeons try to correct the errors causing abnormal vision. It is relatively safe and has a short recovery period. However, as with any surgical procedure, you must ensure that you are suitable for LASIK surgery.
For example, a person undergoing LASIK eye surgery must have a thick epithelium suitable for surgery. It is so that the human cornea can withstand the pressure created by the cutting tool. There are very few drawbacks to LASIK. The surgery is extremely safe and has the same success rate. The only drawback is that LASIK eye surgery is very complicated. Created flaps can lead to specific flap-related abnormalities and complications. But the chances of risk are very less.
SMILE
SMILE is the newest eye surgery available today. Very efficient and effective. SMILE entered the international medical scenario in 2012 and was finally approved as an acceptable laser surgery that year. The surgical procedure of SMILE surgery is by no means complicated. Surgeons use a single laser beam for surgical purposes. And this is unlike the other two laser eye surgeries above. Also, SMILE does not use an excimer laser for surgery. The most crucial difference, however, is that SMILE uses an incision technique to terminate the cornea and evaporate the unwanted corneal tissue instead of slitting the cornea or creating a flap-like structure. To correct your eyesight.
The above type of laser eye surgery is a widely used procedure worldwide. They have pros and cons, but overall, the success ratio of laser eye surgery is very high.
CONTOURA VISION
Contoura Vision has changed everything since its inception. It offers all the advantages of SMILE and LASIK and eliminates the disadvantages of both. The US FDA-approved Contoura Vision is currently the safest laser eye treatment in the world. Only correct prescription glasses are used during procedures such as SMILE, LASIK, and PRK. Contoura Vision corrects corneal irregularities while working along the visual axis. They provide much sharper vision, sometimes called superhuman vision, unmatched by LASIK, SMILE, or PRK procedures.
