Refractive Surgical Procedures
A brief description of the main refractive surgical techniques available is given below:
 
·         LASIK (Laser in situ keratomileusis) is the most popular technique for correcting myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.  LASIK offers the advantages of treatment of the two eyes at the same time, minimal pain and very rapid vision recovery. The surgeon produces with a precision microtome a very thin corneal, flap that remains attached to one side. The surgeon then lifts the flap to reshape the bed of the cornea with the laser. When the process is complete the surgeon replaces the flap that re-attaches itself to the cornea via a rapid healing process.
 
·         PRK (Photo-Refractive Keratectomy) is the first refractive technique developed for the correction of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism; it is now used in only a minority of cases.  PRK does not require a flap to be made but produces more pain than LASIK and usually only one eye can be treated at the time. In PRK the anterior layer of the cornea (the epithelium) is completely removed and the laser treatment applied. At the completion of the treatment a soft contact lens is placed on the eye to protect its surface and allow the epithelium to re-grow as part of the normal healing process.
 
·         LASEK (Laser epithelial keratomileusis), the newest procedure for the same treatments as PRK; LASEK is quite similar to LASIK, but the flap extremely thin and limited to the epithelium. The procedure does not involve the use of a microtome and the epithelium is lifted as a whole using an alcohol based solution. The laser treatment is applied just on the corneal surface below the epithelium and the epithelium is replaced on completion. The recovery is slightly slower and the pain slightly greater than with LASIK.
 
·         IOLs (Intra Ocular lenses) are used to correct high levels of myopia and hyperopia. An IOL is a small plastic lens that is inserted via a small incision and positioned in front of the natural lens. IOL implantation is a more invasive technique than all the previous one's described and therefore potentially of higher risk.
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