Laser Refractive Surgery

Dr. David Almeida

MD, PhD

Ophthalmologist

Erie, PA

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Ophthalmologist

London, ON

Ophthalmologist

Kitchener, ON

Book Online Appointments

Ophthalmologist

Kitchener, ON

Laser Refractive Surgery

LASIK or Lasik, commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK is considered by most refractive surgeons to be the gold standard of laser eye corrective surgery.
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True/False - Quiz: Do You Understand PRK?

Quiz: Do You Understand PRK?

Test your knowledge by answering the following questions:

Questions

True

False

0

PRK can be an effective treatment for patients with astigmatism.

Explanation:

PRK can correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

1

During PRK, the ophthalmologist removes the epithelium.

Explanation:

During PRK laser eye surgery, the ophthalmologist removes the epithelium (the surface of the eye) and applies an excimer laser to resurface, blade or vaporize the tissue on the surface of the cornea.

2

LASIK has the longest recovery time, followed by PRK and SMILE.

Explanation:

There’s a longer recovery time after the PRK procedure compared to SMILE or LASIK. It can take six to eight weeks for your vision to fully recover.

3

You'll need to wear a bandaged contact lens after PRK.

Explanation:

Patients require a bandaged contact lens following the procedure, because the epithelium has been removed.

4

Dry eyes are a side effect of LASIK but not PRK.

Explanation:

The side effects from PRK can include dry eyes and glaring halos at night.

SMILE Eye Surgery for Vision Correction

SMILE is a laser refractive surgery procedure that involves reshaping the cornea by using a femtosecond laser, which is a cutting laser, to create a little wafer of tissue within the cornea. And then that small little wafer is removed through a two-millimetre incision.

So unlike LASIK there’s no flap created, and the tissue is removed through cutting, not ablation.