Types of Laser Eye Surgery: Complete Guide to Vision Correction

Understanding The Different Types of Laser Eye Surgery: Your Complete Guide

Laser eye surgeries have made huge advances in recent years and reduce our dependence on glasses or contact lenses. They help correct different vision issues, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, allowing many patients to see better.

In this post, we will explore the most common types of laser eye surgeries helping you understand the differences and make an informed decision.

Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery refers to surgery that involves using laser to correct your vision problems. It may help in improving eyesight and overall eye health.

People with poor vision have misshaped cornea causing distorted or blurred vision. Laser eye surgeries is used to reshape your cornea and restore the vision.

Types Of Laser Eye Surgery

There are different types of laser eye surgeries available to correct vision problems.

The common types of laser eye surgery are

LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis)

LASIK is one of the most popular laser eye surgeries available as it has the quickest recovery and least discomfort. It is done as a day procedure

It uses two lasers to reshape the cornea.

The first femtosecond laser creates a flap in the superficial cornea and the second laser reshapes the cornea under the flap.The flap is replaced afterwards.

Benefits: Quick recovery time, minimal discomfort, and high success rate

Cons: Not suitable for individuals with thin corneas

Suitable for: Individuals with mild to moderate myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism.

PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy)

Photorefractive keratectomy is a type of laser eye surgery where your opthalmologist uses a laser to change the shape of the cornea. Unlike LASIK, PRK involves the removal of the outer layer of the cornea, thinning of certain areas of cornea by laser, and placement of bandage contact lenses.

Benefits: No risk of flap complications, highly accurate in correcting many cases of myopia

Cons: Mild discomfort, longer recovery time, and need for glasses

Suitable for: Individuals with myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism.

LASEK (Laser Assisted Sub-EPithelial Keratomileusis)

LASEK is similar to PRK but it involves the loosening of the corneal epithelium with an alcohol solution before reshaping the cornea with a laser. The epithelial layer is then moved back into place.

Benefits: Preferable for people with the thin cornea and has less risk of flap complications.

Cons: Longer recovery time, more pain and discomfort

Suitable for: Individuals with myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism.

SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction)

SMILE is relatively new and a minimally invasive procedure. It uses one small precise laser to remove a lenticule from inside the cornea to adjust to the refractive error of the patient.

Benefits: No corneal flap is made and requires smaller incision

Cons: Recovery is slower than LASIK, more discomfort

Suitable for: Individuals with myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Individuals in contact sports

Epi-LASIK

Epi-LASIK is similar to PRK which makes use of a mechanical tool instead of alcohol to separate the epithelial layer of the cornea and then the cornea is reshaped using a laser.

Benefits: Less invasive than PRK, suitable for individuals with thin corneas.

Cons: Recovery is slower than LASIK.

Suitable for: Individuals with high myopia and astigmatism.

ASLA (Advanced Surface Laser Ablation)

ASLA is a type of laser eye surgery that is similar to PRK. Unlike LASIK, it does not involve creating a flap, instead laser is directly applied to the outer layer of the cornea after it has been temporarily removed.

Benefits: Less risk of flap complications, suitable for individuals with thin corneas

Cons: Longer recovery time, risk of scarring, and higher risk of infection

Suitable for: Individuals with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Types of laser eye surgery	Indications	Flap creation	Best for	Recovery
LASIK	Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism,	Yes	People with thicker cornea	Fast
PRK	Myopia, Astigmatism, Presbyopia	No	People with thin cornea, no flap	Gradual
LASEK	Astigmatism, myopia, and hypermetropia	No	People with thin cornea	Gradual
SMILE	High myopia and astigmatism	No	People with myopia and contact sports	Gradual
Epi-LASIK	Astigmatism, presbyopia, and myopia	No	People with thin or irregular cornea	Moderate but slower than LASIK
ASLA	Myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism	NO	People with mild refractive errors	Gradual

Table: Comparison between different types of laser eye surgeries

About Surya Eye Hospital: A Leader In Vision Care

Surya Eye Hospital is committed to providing personalized care with world-class technology and equipments. It is a pioneer in routine eye exams and check-ups to cutting-edge laser eye surgeries providing comprehensive care for all your eye needs.

If you are thinking about laser eye surgery and have some questions, you may consult Surya Eye Hospital today to schedule an appointment for your vision problems.

Conclusion

Laser eye surgeries are often performed to correct vision problems and there are many types available. Each of these procedures has its strengths and is suited for different patients depending on the eye health, severity of refractive errors, and their preferences.

It can be challenging to choose the laser eye surgery suitable for you. So, it is recommended to consult with your eye care professional to determine which procedure is suitable for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are laser eye surgeries safe?

Laser eye surgeries are well-documented and generally safe. But in rare instances, it may cause infection, delayed healing, under-correction or overcorrection, worse vision, excess corneal haze, and regression. Few surgeries may cause flap damage.

Who can get laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery is best performed for individuals in the age group of 18-40 years. It may not be suitable if you hae autoimmune disease, diabetes, rheumatic conditions, keratoconus, and a history of herpes. Also, your ophthalmologist may avoid or delay surgery if you are pregnant, have dry eyes, or other vision problems.

What is the recovery period of laser eye surgery?

The recovery period of laser eye surgery may vary depending on the type of laser eye surgery you have. It is preferable to consult your ophthalmologist to determine the recovery period and specific restrictions during your recovery period.

How much laser eye surgery cost?

The cost of laser eye surgery may vary depending on the type of surgery performed and location of the hospital. Surgeon’s expertise and the severity of the patient’s refractive errors may also add to the overall cost of the laser eye surgery.

Is YAG surgery same as LASIK?

No, YAG (Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet) is a type of laser eye surgery used for therapeutic purposes particularly for complications following cataract surgery. It is not used for refractive errors like LASIK which reshapes the cornea to treat vision problems.

Different Types of Laser Eye Surgery