What is LASIK?

Learn What Defines This Miraculous Procedure and Discover Exciting Variations You May Benefit From

Q Vision is one of the very few laser eye centers in Phoenix to offer a comprehensive range of vision correction procedures, so in order to be a smart shopper, you need to understand exactly what you are getting.

 

LASIK

This is the standard laser vision correction procedure that everyone is familiar with. It is an incredibly safe, effective and affordable way to restore your vision.

LASIK is accomplished in two quick, easy steps. After eye drops are placed and you receive a happy pill to ensure that you are relaxed and comfortable, your surgeon uses a precise, automated instrument to lift a flap from outer surface of the eye. The laser treatment is then applied underneath the flap to precisely sculpt the cornea, bring it back into round, and make your vision clear again. Recovery after LASIK is very fast, and most patients can see 20/20 or better the next morning.

 

iDesign Custom Wavefront LASIK

This is the most advanced laser eye treatment available today. It produces greater clarity and better night vision than standard LASIK. These advantages have made Custom Wavefront LASIK our most popular procedure, even though it is premium priced.

Custom Wavefront LASIK is accomplished in the same two quick, easy steps that define standard LASIK. The difference is that the laser treatment itself is of much higher definition and more personalized to the individual variations in your vision. 

The iDesign system is very latest in wavefront technology. We added it to our practice in early 2022. 

 

PRK

Whereas LASIK surgery involves creating a flap and placing the laser treatment underneath it, no flap is made with PRK. Instead, a thin clear layer on the surface of the eye (called the epithelium) is gently wiped away and the laser treatment is applied directly to the surface of the eye.

Because the epithelium typically takes 3-4 days to heal back over, recovery from PRK is slower and the discomfort level is more significant. While a few patients experience mild discomfort, most experience enough pain to require medications. Despite its longer recovery period, PRK produces every bit as good of vision as LASIK, and it is also equally affordable.

PRK is often the safest and most effective treatment for patients with corneas that are too thin for LASIK flap creation and for patients whose occupations or hobbies place them at high risk of getting hit in the eye and causing flap trauma, such as boxers, martial artists, prison guards, police officers and military personnel. In addition, some patients simply have a personal preference for a flapless procedure.

 

iDesign Custom Wavefront PRK

Custom Wavefront PRK is the same basic procedure as PRK but the laser treatment itself is of much higher definition and more personalized to the individual variations in each eye. Custom Wavefront PRK produces greater clarity and better night vision than standard PRK, so despite its premium price, it is our most popular flapless procedure.

The iDesign system is very latest in wavefront technology. We added it to our practice in early 2022.

 

Less Common Procedures

Some patients with extreme degrees of nearsightedness or farsightedness don’t qualify for PRK or LASIK, and others may technically still qualify, but an alternative procedure might produce better vision and/or a more stable long-term result. For patients with challenging corrections, we offer the following alternatives:

Implantable Contact Lenses (Visian ICL)

An excellent treatment for extreme nearsightedness. You can read more about the Visian ICL here.

 

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

An excellent treatment for extreme farsightedness. A refractive lens exchange is essentially cataract surgery without a cataract, so you can read more about this type of procedure in our cataract surgery section.

Overall, less than 1% of our patients must consider an alternative procedure.