LASEK: Alternative to LASIK
Not everyone will be a good candidate for LASIK since every patient’s situation is unique from the others. But there are other alternative procedures that are available to correcting vision, and one is LASEK.
LASEK stands for Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis. It is a procedure done to patients who have think or flat corneas and who are poor candidates for LASIK surgery. LASEK procedure is combination of the PRK or Photorefractve Keratectomy and LASIK or Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The main goal of the LASEK procedure is to keep the corneal epithelium. In LASIK surgery, the flap is created in the cornea. In LASEK however, since the patient has a thin cornea to start with, the flap is created only in the epithelium, then alcohol solution is applied to loosen the flap’s edges.
This is a relatively new procedure, and not a lot of surgeons yet are skilled or trained enough to do the procedure. If you’re not a good candidate for LASIK, you don’t have to worry because other procedures might be appropriate for you.
This doesn’t mean that one procedure is better or more effective than the other. It just shows that patients have different and unique situations and a lot of other options are surfacing to meet these needs.
