More Laser Vision Correction
Serving Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, WA
ASA
ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation) eye surgery is used for those involved in contact sports, those with dry eyes, and for people whose cornea may be too thin to allow for the creation of the corneal flap required for LASIK eye surgery. During ASA eye surgery no flap is created. Instead, a small area on the corneal/epithelium (surface cells) is gently polished away to give access to the layer below, where the reshaping is done. The laser then reshapes the cornea in exactly the same way as for LASIK surgery.
Since no flap was created, a bandage contact lens is applied and worn for a couple of weeks afterwards. This protects the corneal surface while it regrows. It also makes the recovery period longer and somewhat uncomfortable, but on the other hand, it avoids all the potential complications of a flap, such as flap wrinkles, infection beneath the flap, a too-deeply-cut flap, etc.
LASEK
LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis) is also called epithelial LASIK or e-LASIK. It is a safer technique for people with corneas that are too thin or too steep for LASIK. Unlike ASA, it does include flap-creation, but does it differently so as to make it a thinner flap in accordance with the thinner cornea. An instrument called a trephine is used to mark the flap’s outline. Then a diluted alcohol solution is used to weaken the cellular connection in the corneal epithelium. This makes it easy to lift the flap without going too deeply into the thin cornea.
In the case of people with steep corneas (severe myopia), a microkeratome (used for a traditional flap) would not be safe as it could not accommodate the steeper curvature and might cut the flap too deeply.
EPI-LASIK
Epi-LASIK (Epipolis Laser in Situ Keratomileusis) is another technique for people with thinner-than-average corneas, or very steep corneas. The flap is made using a different implement called an epikeratome, which is able to cut a thinner flap.
The advantage of cutting a flap is that it serves as a natural bandage after the laser reshaping is done. All LASIK variant procedures create a flap in one way or another except ASA (also known as PRK).
We will be happy to answer all your vision correction questions if you would like to email our laser vision correction staff, or call to schedule your initial consultation. We serve the entire Seattle, WA. area and we hope to meet with you soon.
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