Lasik vs. Lasek

Do you just hate your glasses or contacts? Does Lasik surgery look more and more promising to you but you are confused about Lasik and Lasek. Is it just a typo or are they two different surgeries?

Well, both surgeries are just that, surgeries, cutting a flap in the cornea to correct its shape. Lasek with an “e” stands for laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy and cuts only the outside surface of the cornea. Lasik with an “i” is the acronym for laser in situ kertomileusis and involves a deeper cut into the cornea. Lasik can come with potential flap problems avoided in the Lasek approach, but your recovery will be quicker and less painful.

Which is better? A recent study compared over two hundred surgeries of both procedures and concluded both are safe and do what they are supposed to do. If your vision is at issue, call your ophthalmologist for a conversation as to whether lasik or lasek is the answer.