Since its introduction in the early 1990s, laser in situ keratomileusis, better known as LASIK, has become the catch-all term used for all laser vision correction surgeries, despite the fact that it’s procedurally different from other techniques like LASEK, PRK, and ReLEx® SMILE.
In fact, LASIK itself has several variations. All advanced laser corrective eye surgeries offer more precision and patient safety than previous generations, and five-star LASIK surgeons know how to apply these distinctions for customized treatments that make the right fixes for you — instead of simply adapting your vision to a single specialty procedure.
As one of the nation’s premier vision correction specialists, ophthalmologist Dr. Randa Garrana of Advanced Lasik knows that every patient has unique refractive error needs. Here’s what you should know before you decide on a life-changing vision correction surgery.
LASIK surgery is distinguished from other techniques by the use of a corneal flap to expose tissue below for reshaping. This flap can be formed manually with a special instrument called a keratome.
Precision lasers perform the reshaping of the cornea. At least, that’s how it was done in the early days of LASIK. There’s now bladeless LASIK, where a laser also cuts the flap. In other variations, special imaging techniques improve the precision of your procedure by mapping the unique contours and imperfections of your corneas.
In the past, some patients weren’t candidates for LASIK due the anatomical thinness of their corneas. They couldn’t gain the benefits of LASIK because their eyes couldn’t support the flap needed for the process.
Now, there are thin-flap versions of LASIK surgery, a factor that expands the size of the eligible patient pool that previously existed. If you’ve been rejected for LASIK previously, you may have a procedure that works for you today.
There’s also a fortified LASIK procedure to improve the strength and stability of the new corneal curvature and structure following vision correction.
The state of corrective eye surgery today is all about customization. Even with the advanced LASIK options available today, it’s not always the right procedure for your vision needs. Our five-star eye surgeon offers you alternatives when LASIK isn’t your best option.
In fact, the new gold standard in laser vision correction surgery may well be the SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) procedure. A flap-less procedure, SMILE sidesteps many of the drawbacks and side effects of other procedures.
Learn more about your LASIK eligibility — or your eligibility for a different vision correction procedure — in consultation with Dr. Garrana.
Call or click online to schedule an appointment at your nearest Advanced Lasik location today. We have one East Coast office in Midtown East, New York City, and two West Coast offices in Duarte and Long Beach, California.
