Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is actually the most popular refractive surgery. LASIK causes less afterward pain and offers quick vision recovery. A microkeratome or a laser can be used to create a thin flap during LASIK. After lifting the flap, the surgeon removes some corneal tissue with an excimer laser. Both hyperopic and myopic patients can get visual correction from LASIK through reshaping the cornea. LASIK flattens the too-steep cornea in myopic people and creates steep cornea for hyperopic patients.

A surgery of laser vision correction can reshape the cornea using a cool beam of light, improving visual acuity. The laser performs in several ways, flattening the cornea, steepening the cornea or smoothing out corneal irregularities. Laser vision correction methods LASIK and PRK are two types of laser procedures. Most LASIK surgeons correct both of the patient’s eyes at the same visit, while PRK always treats the two eyes with a proper interval.

While calculated at per eye, the cost of LASIK can be quite different from one surgeon to another. If the patient wants to have two eyes corrected, the cost doubles. In addition, LASIK involving new technologies such as wavefront and bladeless also requires higher prices.

Strabismus needs early treatment because it is hard to recover misaligned eyes with a perfect result. Children above 6 months are too late for perfect strabismus treatment. Sometimes two or more strabismus procedures within a decade can be more effective.

As a new variation of PRK, laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) have some fundamental differences from LASIK and PRK. LASIK cuts a thin flap into the eye’s surface with a microkeratome cutting tool or a special laser and applies laser energy to the eye under the flap. PRK involves no thin flap and applies laser energy directly to the eye’s surface. PRK reshapes the cornea by removing the epithelium of the eye.

Although the reported satisfactory rate of LASIK surgery receivers reaches as high as 95%, there are still patients who can not achieve crystal-clear, 20/20 vision after only one procedure. Complications and other variables can affect the refractive outcome. In these instances, a LASIK enhancement is needed to get sharper vision.

Even if performed by experienced surgeons, LASIK may cause rare complications. In fact, LASIK is only one of the refractive surgeries. Others include LASEK, PRK and implantable lenses. Since inappropriate candidates carry higher risks of LASIK complications, it is overwhelmingly necessary to take a candidate evaluation. On the other hand, experience and skill of the surgeon are also importance in decreasing risks.

Some patients may suffer floaters after a cataract surgery. In fact the procedure itself never causes floaters. These people actually have floaters before the surgery, which only become noticeable once the cloudy cataract is removed by the procedure. More obvious on a light background or the blue sky, floaters are harmless and usually settle out over time. Some one want to remove a floater surgically because of it can disturb the central vision in an annoying way. However, surgical removal of a floater involves significant risks.

LASIK always costs a few thousand dollars per eye, which is somewhat unaffordable for low-income individuals. Fortunately, various financing options help these people receive LASIK, insuring best visual treatment. The monthly payments of different financing plans vary from $127 to $420. In general, there are three types of financing options: health care financing company, financing through a LASIK surgeon and a flexible spending account (FSA).

As a new form of laser eye surgery, Epi-LASIK combines some features of both LASIK and LASEK and also addresses some visual problems that are beyond these two procedures. In general, Epi-LASIK differs in operation devices and eye parts.