There are three different to use when doing eye surgery; all of them with almost the same name: LASIK, LASEK and LASAK. The three surgery methods can be combined with two extra methods to give an even better result. The names of the two treatments are: Wavefront and Aspheric.
LASIK is the most popular of the methods. It is fast, effective and gentle. And complications using this laser surgery method are very rare. For most people, LASIK surgery will be a good method to improve their sight.
LASIK surgery is almost painless, and the sight has improved only a few hours after the operation. The side effects are few; dry is the most common. LASIK can help most people; long-sightedness until +3 and near-sightedness until -12.
LASEK (also called E-LASIK and ELSA) is a great eye surgery method, if you only are a little short-sighted or long-sighted (from -2 to +2).
Because the operation is made on the surface of the corneas, the LASEK surgery is especially good, if you have thin corneas. It is also better, if you suffer of dry eyes.
The newest type of laser surgery is called LASAK. The flap, which is cut off, is thinner than when doing LASIK surgery. That saves the corneal tissue and is therefore a better method for people with thin corneas.
LASAK do also have a shorter healing time than the other operations. There is no pain after the surgery and the risk of complications is very low. The eyes will not be as dry as with the other operations, and the sight will be steadier.
The surgery result can be improved even more, if the methods are used in combination with the Wavefront method. The irregularities on the corneal are measured with a special instrument, and a kind of topographic map is constructed. Finally a computer calculates the correct settings for the laser surgery based on the specific eye.
With Wavefront the treatment will be unique, which gives a better result. The night sight will also be better. Finally astigmatism in the eyes will be corrected better.
Aspheric treatment is the newest step in eye surgery; and is used in combination with LASIK, LASEK and LASAK. The treatment takes into account that the cornea is not ball-shaped; but aspheric.
Using the normal surgery methods the eye will be more ball-shaped, which might give a bad night sight and reduced contrast ratio. Using the Aspheric treatment the surgery will create a larger curve in the central part of the eye. The result is better sight; which in some cases can be even better than when using glasses or contact lenses.
Martin Elmer is the editor of Laserbehandling. Here you can also read about Oejenkirurgi.