If you are considering LASIK surgery, you should know that there are many different types. There are distinct merits to Traditional, Custom Lasik, iLASIK and PRK surgeries. Each is performed in a unique manner and has specific advantages. The Lasik surgery that is appropriate for you will depend on your individual nuances and desires.
Traditional Lasik Surgery
Traditional LASIK involves the measuring of the patient’s prescription in the same manner that is conducted when determining a contact lens or eyeglasses prescription. The information gleaned from these measurements allows the doctor to reshape the cornea of each eye. The procedure alters the manner in which light moves through the retina (the back section of the eye) to allow light rays to focus with more precision. As a result, the eyes’ focusing abilities improve, resulting in clearer and sharper sight. This procedure is ideal for treating “lower order” aberrations like astigmatism and myopia. The primary advantage of Lasik over PRK is that the patient enjoys a pain-free experience. He experiences very little or no discomfort during and after the procedure. The patient’s vision is perfectly clear within hours. The efficiency of this procedure is truly remarkable, especially compared to PRK, which requires the patient to wait days for his vision to become clear.
Custom Lasik Surgery
Also known as wavefront-guided LASIK, custom LASIK is performed according to the patient’s unique optical aberrations. An aberrometer is used to record a “fingerprint” of the eyes’ aberrations and refractive prescriptions. A high-tech computer-operated laser then corrects the vision in each eye. Unlike conventional LASIK, custom LASIK does not use an eyeglasses prescription as the foundation to correct vision. Additionally, custom LASIK treats both low order and high order aberrations. This includes glare, halos, and starbursts. The procedure significantly minimizes spherical aberrations thanks to its incredible precision.
PRK Surgery (Also known as advance surface treatment or ASA)
PRK/ASA employs high-tech analysis to accurately measure the light that moves through the eyes. Wavefront analysis is incorporated in excimer lasers that identify and correct the patient’s vision errors. Laser energy is used to modify the cornea to return the patient’s vision to perfect clarity. There is an abundance of data that suggests PRK helps to decrease the chances of post-LASIK night glare and upholds contrast sensitivity.
iLASIK Surgery
iLASIK is a blade-free laser vision correction that is fully customized to the characteristics of the patient’s eyes. It can correct a remarkably wide range of vision shortcomings. NASA and all United States military branches have approved this method of laser eye surgery. The procedure is very safe and the vast majority of patients enjoy 20/20 vision or even better. iLASIK surgery takes only a few seconds to correct the vision of each eye and the operation is almost completely painless. The procedure starts with a measurement of the eyes that generates a highly detailed 3D map. Once each eye’s imperfections are detected, the surgeon customizes the treatment, applies an IntraLase laser to generate a flap in each cornea and folds them back to perform the iLASIK procedure.
LASIK Surgery at Fichte Endl & Elmer
LASIK surgery has come a long way in the past two decades. We were the very first practice in Western New York to do LASIK and we are the ONLY doctors in the area to offer iLASIK Today’s procedures are quick, nearly painless and highly precise. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the Lasik procedures described above, please contact us for more information. We invite all interested parties to attend our monthly Evening Vision Solutions Open House events at our Amherst office. These meetings will allow you to see our facilities, meet the doctors, and ask any questions you may have. You can also follow our Facebook page to see regular Facebook Live Surgery Events.
