Eye patients who want to say goodbye to glasses and contact lenses have effective treatment methods they can choose. We can say that laser surgery is one of the most effective treatments here. It should be said that laser surgeries, which generally give definite and permanent results, have become much more diversified with the developing technology. We can say that LASEK is one of the laser treatments that stand out in this diversity that makes it more appealing. So what is LASEK? What advantages does it provide and how is it applied? Let’s take a look.
What is LASEK?
LASEK (Laser-Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratectomy) is a surface laser treatment that uses an excimer laser to create surface ablations on the corneal surface without creating any flaps on the cornea.
Unlike common laser treatments such as LASIK, no flap is created. Only the laser is used to make the necessary adjustments to the corneal surface and the patient’s vision is restored.
We can say that the treatment is used to treat common refractive errors such as myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia.
How is LASEK Surgery Performed? How Does the Process Work?
We mentioned that only laser is used in the procedure. It is necessary to say that there is an installation on this in the surgical process.
Just like the PRK procedure, in the LASEK procedure, the epithelial tissue on the surface of the eye is first treated. Diluted alcohol is applied to the epithelial tissue to loosen the tissue. Epithelial tissue is removed.
Afterwards, the same laser is applied to the corneal surface as in LASIK. The difference here from PRK is that the epithelial tissue is not folded and discarded. After the laser application, the epithelial tissue is placed back into place. This will make the healing process faster.
As with all laser applications, pre-procedure preparations are similar
All other laser applications have pre-procedure preparation stages similar to LASEK. Here, we can summarize the process before the operation as follows.
- First, the patient’s eye condition is examined.
- Checking the condition of the corneal thickness.
- Corneal topography is performed.
- Checking whether there is any other damage to the eye.
All checks are performed. After these checks, if the patient is suitable, a special adjustment is made for the patient’s eye number for the shaping to be applied in the laser. When we evaluate the stages, we can actually say that PRK, LASIK and LASEK processes have very similar preparation processes.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of LASEK Treatment?
Advantages
- There are some prominent aspects that will cause you to prefer LASEK over other laser treatments. We can list these as LASEK advantages.
- It is a laser treatment that can be preferred in patients with thin corneas. Compared to LASIK, it can be applied on thinner corneas as there is no incision.
- The fact that no incision is made and no flap is created is effective in preventing corneal infections. Possible complications are eliminated.
- There is no risk of problems such as flap slippage after surgery.
- It is especially preferred in patients engaged in combat sports, as there is less risk of eye trauma.
Disadvantages
- There are positive aspects of the treatment, but there are also disadvantages compared to other treatments. Let’s make a list of these.
- Pain may last for a few days. The painless process does not start immediately after the operation.
- You may also notice that the feeling of discomfort persists for a while.
- Recovery times may be longer compared to LASIK. It will take a little more time for your vision to become clearer.
- You may experience blurred vision for a certain period of time. However, this is shown as a temporary situation.
Is There a Risk of Dry Eye After LASEK?
We can say that the risk of dry eye after LASEK is less since not much work is done on the cornea and flaps are not created. However, it should not be forgotten that dry eye is not only related to the intervention on the cornea.
Optimizing the eye surface and tear ducts before the operation means that the risk of dry eye is minimized. You can also choose solutions such as Laser PrimeCare to prepare the eye surface. As with similar methods, the main purpose of Laser PrimeCare will be to prepare the person by optimizing the eye surface. You can get detailed information right here.
With all these, we have explained what LASEK is. Remember, your doctor’s guidance is very important when deciding on laser treatment. First of all, you need to be examined by a specialist doctor and learn the best laser treatment for you.