For anyone who is considering eye surgery, the main options are Lasik eye surgery and Lasek eye surgery, and unless you see those both written down, they sound pretty much like the same thing. The fact is, despite them sounding so alike, there are differences between them, and more importantly, differences with regards to which patients are suitable for each of them.
Let us start by explaining what those two very similar sounding acronyms, stand for. LASIK eye surgery stands for Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, and Lasek stands for Laser Assisted Sub-Epithermal Keratectomy. Having just typed all that out, and if you have ever tried to say all that, we think you’ll agree whoever thought up those acronyms deserves a medal.
If we start with Lasik eye surgery, it has been around since the 1990s, and it has helped to correct the vision of more people around the world than any other type of laser eye surgery. Literally millions of those who previously had to use glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision, no longer have to wear them.
If you undergo Lasik eye surgery the process starts with anaesthetic eye drops being administered into your eye, and then the surgeon will put a speculum in place to keep your lids open, and a suction ring to prevent eye movement.
The actual laser surgery starts with the surgeon using a calibrated laser to create a flap on your cornea. Then, with you staring at a target ahead of you, a computer-controlled laser will alter the shape of your cornea. This is what adjusts your vision and thus negate the need for glasses or contact lenses.
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