Laser Vision Correction at University Hospitals
Refractive surgery is the surgical alteration of the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. There are different types of refractive surgery, each with a specific purpose:
• Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is the most common laser procedure that corrects all levels of nearsightedness. During LASIK, a flap is created in the cornea and a thin internal layer of corneal cells are removed. [See Diagram]
• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a laser procedure that flattens the central portion of the cornea by removing a thin layer of cells from the corneal surface. PRK is effective in reducing mild to moderate levels of nearsightedness.
PRK or LASIK can treat farsightedness by removing cells from the peripheral corneal surface to lengthen the central portion of the cornea.
Custom Wavefront-Guided LASIK is customized for your unique eyes, giving you the most effective vision correction available. Your eye is as unique as your own fingerprint, with its own special shape and complex characteristics that make it unlike any other. Going one step further, your left eye may differ slightly from your right. Therefore, the best treatment is one that is customized for your eyes. The Bausch & Lomb Technolas® 217z Zyoptix® System offers personalized vision correction that has given more patients 20/20 vision than any other similar system.