Overview

Evaluation & Diagnosis

Treatment Options

Frequently Asked Questions

Find a Physician

Locations

Make an Appointment

For Physicians

Treatment Options

LASIK, LASEK and Lens Implants

There are numerous factors to consider when deciding if you are a good candidate for refractive surgery. Is your vision correctable within the range of current refractive surgery technology? Is your pupil the right size? What type of astigmatism do you have? Is your cornea thick enough for the procedure? These are among the issues that must be addressed. A screening examination is needed to evaluate the efficacy of refractive surgery for each patient.

More about LASIK

Anesthetic eye drops are administered to numb the eye for surgery. Then, a vacuum-like suction ring is applied to hold the eye steady. Using a microkeratome, a thin flap is cut from the surface of the cornea. This is called keratectomy. The flap is lifted to expose underlying tissues.

A concentrated beam of energy called the excimer laser precisely reshapes the cornea based on preprogrammed information.

The surgeon replaces the flap to its original position. Then observes the eye for several minutes to allow proper bonding to occur, eliminating the need for sutures.

Most patients can return to work one to three days after surgery. Active sports, swimming or using saunas should be avoided until the eye is fully healed, which takes approximately three weeks.

More about LASEK

Instead of using a microkeratome tool to cut the cornea, the LASEK surgeon uses a diluted alcohol solution or a fine blade to move tissue in order to expose it to the laser, which precisely reshapes the cornea based on preprogrammed information. After the surgery, a contact lens is placed on the cornea for protection and to aid healing for the next several days.

Most patients can return to work one to three days after surgery. Active sports, swimming or using saunas should be avoided until the eye is fully healed, which takes approximately three weeks.

More about Lens Implant Surgery

The eye is numbed, then the surgeon removes the lens using ultrasound and replaces the lens with an implant. The lens implant is positioned in the same place as the previously removed natural lens.

Most patients can return to work one to three days after surgery. Active sports, swimming or using saunas should be avoided until the eye is fully healed, which takes approximately three weeks.

What to Expect

LASIK, or laser in-situ keratomileusis, is the most widely performed laser eye surgery for treating a wide range of common vision errors. LASIK involves cutting a thin flap on the cornea and using the precise, concentrated energy of the excimer laser to reshape the corneal surface so it can better focus the image on the retina.

While the act of reshaping the cornea to improve vision has been around for half a century, LASIK is a relatively new technology (starting roughly in the mid 1990s) that is constantly improving. Similar procedures include epi-LASIK and advanced surface ablation.

LASEK eye surgery, or laser epithelial keratomileusis, is similar to LASIK but without cutting a corneal flap. It is a modified form of the earlier PRK (photo refractive keratotomy).

In addition to LASIK and LASEK, the University of Florida Laser Eye Center also performs lens implant surgery, typically reserved for patients who also have age-related refractive errors. Also called natural lens replacement, this surgery does not reshape the cornea like LASIK and LASEK. Instead, the procedure involves replacing the natural lens of the eye with an intraocular lens to correct vision.

[top of page]