LASIK surgery has been very popular among people who wear contact lenses or glasses because it has been shown to successfully correct common vision problems (nearsightedness or nearsightedness, farsightedness or farsightedness, and astigmatism) in the majority of LASIK patients. Many studies have been conducted on the results of LASIK and show that at least 90% of LASIK patients achieve a visual acuity of 20/40 or better after LASIK surgery and more than 85% of LASIK patients achieve a visual acuity of 20/20 or 20/25.

However, there is still a relatively new eye surgery that is almost similar to PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), an eye surgery that existed before LASIK. It is LASEK eye surgery. LASEK stands for Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis. The LASEK procedure was developed to reduce the risk of complications after LASIK surgery, which typically occur when the corneal flap is not cut ideally during LASIK surgery: too thick, too thin, too small, or too large in diameter.

In LASIK surgery, an articulating corneal flap is cut with a laser or a scalpel (microkeratome), then laser beams are used to remove the underlying corneal tissue and the flap is repositioned. But in LASEK surgery, an articulating corneal flap is not formed. Instead, the surgeon will use a finer blade (trephine) and an alcohol solution to loosen the edges of the epithelium. After 30 seconds, a small hoe is used to lift the edge of the epithelium and gently fold it back to allow the laser beams to reshape the cornea. The epithelial flap is then repositioned using a kind of spatula.

The results of LASEK surgery are similar to those of LASIK, but according to some LASEK doctors, the recovery time with LASEK is slightly longer than with LASIK. But of course, it can vary from one individual to another.

LASEK surgery is primarily performed on people who have a cornea that is too thin or too flat for LASIK. Therefore, if your doctor suggests a LASEK procedure instead of LASIK, you can ask why.