Comparison Between iLASIK and
Other Eye Correction Surgeries
| Type | Conventional LASIK | Custom LASIK | EPI-LASIK | iLASIK |
| What is it? | LASIK ( Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) Procedure steps: The surgeon numbs your eye with a topical anesthetic, then makes a hinged flap over the cornea and peels back the tissue. Using a laser, the doctor reshapes the cornea flattening it for nearsightedness or steepening it for farsightedness, so light focuses properly on the retina. Then, the flap is laid back in place to heal. |
This is a more accurate version of LASIK. Wavefront allows the surgeon to create a three-dimensional map of the eye and its distortions and, therefore, a more individualized surgery. Procedure steps are the same as LASIK. |
This procedure is another attempt to improve the first step of LASIK, where the surgeon cuts into the cornea. Procedure steps: Instead of cutting a flap, the surgeon simply separates and lifts a layer of the cornea’s surface cells After correction, clear and protective contact lenses are placed in the eyes for three to six days until the corneas heal. |
iLASIK is the new standard for laser vision correction technology. First, the WaveScan technology is used to capture the unique imperfection in each individual’s eye. Procedure steps: Intralase blade-free technology is used to create a thin corneal flap. This computer-guided laser separates tissue at the molecular level, providing significantly greater accuracy. Finally, Advanced Customvue is used for personalised refractive correction. |
| What are the risks? | Flap complications (e.g corneal abrasions, which usually heal within a few days) Night vision problems (glare, halos or starbursts) occurs and usually go away within a few months, but in rare cases can persist much longer. |
Flap complications Night Vision Problems might occur and usually go away within a few months |
Moderate discomfort for a few days. | Most common side effects after surgery are temporary dry eyes, glare and halos. Recovery is faster, usually will clear up within weeks and do not interrupt your daily routines. |
| Bottom Line | LASIK has been around longer than many other correction procedures, it is widely available and usually the least expensive of all laser vision correction surgeries. But with conventional LASIK, everyone with the same prescription gets the same treatment. |
Because it is customised, it gives better vision without creating new problems. As a result, it is much less likely to create post-operative problems such as glare and halos. | Epi-LASIK is variation of the older, so called surface ablation techniques like PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) | By using iLASIK treatment, surgeons have found statistically and clinically significant differences in the vision patients achieved – better than 20/20 and up to 20/25 vision. The advanced, all-laser LASIK procedure has been cleared for U.S military personnel, including Naval aviators and Air Force pilots. |
References:
1. Graves, Rachel. ‘Fixing your focus’, Body+Mind, November 2005.
2. “NASA approves advanced LASIK for use on Astronauts” Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. 2007.