Types of Eye Surgery

Most types of eye surgery procedures are ultimately designed to restore the proper functioning of the eye so that vision is improved. The list of different eye surgery procedures is practically inexhaustible, but some of the most common corrective types of eye surgery procedures employ the latest technology and address the most common vision-deficiency conditions.

LASIK

• LASIK, short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is the most popular form of eye surgery today. LASIK surgery is laser vision correction for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. LASIK is FDA-approved, fast (performed within 15 minutes, according to AllAboutVision.com), and highly effective for restoring patients' vision to perfect or near-perfect. Corneal tissue is removed and/or reshaped from beneath a surgically made flap in the cornea, in order to achieve results. Risks and complications of this procedure are few (success rate is upward of 92 percent, according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery).

PRK and LASEK

• PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, and LASEK, laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy, are two other types of eye surgery that use laser technology. These types are alternatives to LASIK surgery. LASEK is for patients whose cornea is too thin to endure LASIK surgery, and PRK is also suitable for patients who do not qualify for LASIK. Both types of laser eye surgery have the same use, perform the same functions, and aim to yield the same results as LASIK eye surgery.

Lens Implants

• Lens implants are another type of corrective eye surgery. RLE (refractive lensectomy) and CLE (clear lensectomy) are common refractive surgery procedures in which the internal lens of the eye is removed, and the lens implant of a stronger power is inserted inside the eye. Such procedures exchange the eye's natural lens with one that is more powerful. Lens implants are used to resolve cataract formation, which causes cloudy vision, and RLE is used to correct severe farsightedness, and is now also used to correct nearsightedness, despite its many complications. Extreme myopia (the technical term for nearsightedness) can be more effectively corrected with other type of lens implants, such as intraocular phakic and toric implants, according to TrustedLasikSurgeons.com.

Cataract Surgery

• Cataract surgery is a common eye procedure, since the condition is prevalent among adults. It is safe and works similarly to lens implant procedures, since new lens implants have been developed to be inserted during cataract surgery, which takes only 15 to 30 minutes, according to TrustedLasikSurgeons.com. A small incision is made with a needle to break up and emulsify the cataract. This procedure is not only used to cure cataracts conditions, but also functions to correct vision for nearsighted and farsighted patients with the modern lens implants.

Conductive Keratoplasty

• Conductive keratoplasty (CK) is a type of surgery commonly used to treat farsightedness and presbyopia, a condition in which the eye cannot focus. TrustedLasikSurgeons.com reports that this surgery is easy, safe and fast, and that it is the only eye surgery approved to correct presbyopia. It works by using radio frequency energy to alter the cornea into a shape that will allow light to focus properly on the retina, improving vision. CK is performed on one eye at a time, and does not promise perfect vision, but aims to reduce the patient's dependence on glasses.The effects of CK wear off with age, and the procedure may need to be repeated.

Vitrectomy

• A vitrectomy is an invasive, moderately complicated type of eye surgery that is performed to remove blood, unwanted debris and scar tissue from the eye, and to alleviate pulling on the retina--all of which poorly affect vision. This is also one of the only treatments for severe floaters, which are floating specks in the vision. The clear vitreous gel is removed during this eye surgery, and multiple incisions are made to correct problems caused by retinal detachment, injury, eye bleeding, macular holes and eye infections. Often performed in conjunction with other procedures, recovery time varies from several days to several weeks, depending on the condition treated and outcome of surgery.