Standard LASIK (LASer In Situ Keratomileusis)

LASIK is a highly automated, computer-controlled procedure which takes just 3-5 minutes, is virtually painless and offers rapid, next-day recovery.

The surgeon creates a thin flap through the top layer of the cornea. The flap is very gently folded over and the surgeon performs the laser treatment on the layer underneath. This usually takes about 2 minutes per eye. The flap is then replaced and left to heal naturally without the need for any stitches.

Closing the flap

The Laser

Creating the flap

Standard LASIK still achieves very good results for many patients – you can see why it’s currently the most popular laser eye surgery in the USA and Europe.

In the USA, 92.3 percent of all eye treatments for near-sight, far-sight and astigmatism are currently done with LASIK, while in Europe, 523,000 procedures were undertaken in 2003, and almost 2 million treatments world-wide.

Zyoptix

Although based on the same technique, Zyoptix is a much more advanced form of LASIK. Specifically, Zyoptix is different because its highly sophisticated technology allows the surgeon to:

  • examine each eye for previously unseen details known as ‘aberrations’
  • plan the treatment that can correct individual visual errors and aberrations in each eye
  • programme a laser with a combination of smaller and larger beams to deliver a precise treatment – a treatment that is unique to each patient.

Zyoptix and LASIK corrections: the big differences

In addition to standard visual errors, Zyoptix also measures and treats small vision errors (higher order aberrations) that scatters light in a pattern that is unique to you. Scattered light errors could, for example, cause shading seen round one edge of a perfectly round light, and certainly they are an important cause of poor quality night vision. About 70% of people could benefit from Zyoptix treatment.

These small errors are detected with wavefront technology and treated by the laser with a combination of smaller and larger beams, allowing the surgeon to deliver a more precise, personalised treatment.