Laser eye surgery is a relatively new procedure, but one which is quickly becoming incredibly popular. The purpose of this procedure is to aide one’s vision and to reduce their dependency on glasses or contact lenses. One of the best features about this surgery is that it is so quick and has such a short recovery time.

Most people are not aware of this, but there are actually a few different types of laser eye surgery to choose from. It is therefore absolutely imperative, especially if you are considering the procedure yourself, to learn about these different types of laser eye surgery, so that you can select the particular type best suited to you and your condition.

The Types of Laser Eye Surgery

One of the most basic and commonly recommended types of laser eye surgery is known as radial keratotomy, and this is one which involves the cutting of spoke-like incisions into the eye, in order to flatten its surface.

Although it is primarily used to treat nearsightedness, it is virtually able to treat all sorts of vision problems, and only your doctor will be able to properly determine whether or not this is the right option for you.

Another of the most well recognized types of laser eye surgery is Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis, better known as Lasik. In this procedure, a thin flap is made on the eye’s surface, and there is a pulsing of a tightly-focused beam of light onto the surface, and by carefully controlling the size and number of laser pulses, the attending surgeon is able to control how much of the cornea is removed.

The amount of cornea removed will vary from one procedure to another, depending on how serious your vision problem is.

There are, however, certain risks and complications that can arise from these and other vision correction procedures, and in particular, undercorrection and overcorrection are liable. With undercorrection there was not enough tissue removed during the procedure, and in the case of overcorrection, there was too much tissue removed.

Wrinkling is also a common problem resulting from vision correction surgery, namely Lasik, and this occurs when the corneal flap has a small fold or wrinkle in it when it is replaced, and this is usually not noticed until it is too late, and so if you are not satisfied with it afterwards you will have to have another procedure for the surgeon to attempt to fix it.