Which LASIK Procedure Is Right for Me?

Are you tired of dealing with the daily hassles of common vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism? LASIK is a type of laser eye surgery designed to treat those common vision problems, and may help lessen your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. LASIK eye surgery is an outpatient procedure, takes only about 15 minutes for both eyes, and may be an option for adults interested in an effective treatment for the most common vision problems. Since there are a number of LASIK surgery options available, it’s important to work with your laser eye surgery specialist to discover which LASIK procedure is the best fit for your unique needs.

Traditional LASIK Surgery

Traditional LASIK eye surgery is the procedure that has been available for the longest, and it has become a popular option for people dealing with nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. The traditional LASIK procedure relies on the excimer laser, an ultra-violet laser that your laser eye surgery surgeon uses to gently reshape the cornea and correct vision problems.

• The traditional LASIK procedure takes just 15 minutes for both eyes, in part because much of the preparation is done ahead of time during your pre-surgery visits with your LASIK specialist.
• Your LASIK surgeon will create a thin flap in the cornea, in order to address vision problems at the correct level of the eye, after applying numbing eye drops. The LASIK flap also helps to promote healing when the procedure is complete.
• Traditional LASIK may be an option if you are over 18 years of age, in good overall health, and have had a steady vision prescription for at least one year.

Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK Eye Surgery

At The LASIK Vision Institute, we rely on the WaveLight® EX500 laser system for Custom Wavefront LASIK procedures. The system allows your laser eye surgery surgeon to further customize your procedure to fit your unique needs, based on a comprehensive map of your eye. The Custom Wavefront Optimized map allows for a more precise look at the structure of the eye, and the cause of vision problems.

• For the patient, Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK feels much like traditional LASIK. The procedure lasts about 15 minutes for both eyes, and it is performed on an outpatient basis.
• The key advantage of Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK is the level of precision that the WaveLight® EX500 system provides when analyzing the structure of the eye, and the imperfections that lead to vision problems
• The detail afforded by the WaveLight® EX500 system allows for a level of precision in correcting vision problems that simply isn’t possible with glasses or contacts, and may also help minimize side-effects during the healing process.

Topography-Guided LASIK

Like Custom Wavefront LASIK, topography-guided LASIK offers tools for enhancing the personalization of laser eye surgery. At The LASIK Vision Institute, we rely on the Contoura Vision topography-guided LASIK system, which provides our surgeons with the tools to measure the unique characteristics of each patient’s eye in greater detail. The key difference between topography-guided LASIK and other laser eye surgery procedures is that topography-guided LASIK addresses both the shape of the eye, and the surface of the cornea. In addition to offering enhanced personalization, topography-guided LASIK may be an option for people who are unable to have other types of laser eye surgery.

PRK Laser Eye Surgery

While PRK surgery shares similarities with other types of laser eye surgery, there are also key differences. The biggest difference is that PRK doesn’t require the creation of a flap, but the excimer laser is still used to address vision problems by reshaping the cornea. For some laser eye surgery patients, the lack of a flap with PRK may make the procedure the best fit. Your laser eye surgery specialist can help you decide whether PRK laser eye surgery is the right fit for your unique needs.

Are you ready to meet with a laser eye surgery specialist to learn more about your LASIK options? Our team is here to help. Schedule your free LASIK consultation with a quick form on our website, or by contacting your local LASIK Vision Institute location.