Refractive Surgery

LASIK

LASIK is a laser surgical procedure intended to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contacts. LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser.

A mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) or a laser keratome (a laser device) is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced.

PRK is also a laser surgical procedure intended to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contacts. PRK is performed with an excimer laser, which uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the surface of the cornea in order to reshape it. When you reshape the cornea in the right way, it more precisely focuses light into the eye and onto the retina providing clearer vision than before. Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from PRK.

The primary difference between PRK and LASIK is that there is no flap made with PRK.

STAAR® ICL – Intraocular Phakic Lens

Patients seeking vision correction now have an exciting new option--the Visian™ Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), or commonly called the implantable contact lens. This refractive surgery option is ideally suited for very nearsighted people who want an alternative to glasses or contact lenses, and are not ideal candidates for Standard or Custom LASIK.

The unique Collamer composition of the Visian ICL greatly reduces the occurrence of glare and halos and provides a high quality of vision.

To learn more about Diabetes and Diabetic Laser options, click on the eye animation below:

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