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Lasik Plus Procedures

LASIK is an acronym for Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis. It is a type of eye surgery that uses laser refraction designed to change the shape of the cornea. This reduces or eliminates the need for glasses and contact lenses. Everyone is not eligible for LASIK eye surgery, but the surgery has maintained its popularity for nearly 20 years and is no longer considered "experimental" by insurance companies.

  1. Radial Keratotomy or Photorefractive Keratectomy

    • Before LASIK, RK or PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) was the eye surgery of choice. RK involved making small spoke-like incisions in the cornea of the eye, and PRK involved scraping the surface cells of the cornea before using laser to correct the shape of the eye. RK is no longer used, though some patients do still opt for PRK, though it has a longer recovery time and both eyes cannot be treated at the same time.

    LASIK and IntraLASIK

    • Though the LASIK concept had been around since 1970, the LASIK procedure was first developed in 1990 by doctors Ioannis Pallikaris of Greece and Lucio Buratto of Italy. They discovered that eye surgery patients could recover faster and experience less discomfort if a thin flap of the corneal outer layer was lifted up using a handheld oscillating razor. The inner layers could then be laser-treated and the flap returned to its original position to serve as a bandage for the eye. With IntraLASIK, the corneal flap is created is treated using a computer-guided high-precision laser called IntraLase™. With LASIK, both eyes can be done at the same time, and the entire procedure takes about 20 minutes with minimal discomfort and recuperation time.

    LASIKPlus

    • The LASIKPlus company is a brand name currently owned by LCA-Vision, which began in Cincinnati in 1991. LASIKPlus is not a different type of procedure, but a branding mechanism meant to identify specially-certified LASIK centers and providers around the nation. The LASIKPlus centers specialize in this type of vision corrective surgery and it is all they do.

    Reshaping the Cornea

    • Three treatments are used to reshape the eye's cornea. The traditional standard treatment method, the wavefront guided treatment, and the wavefront optimized treatment. The reshaped cornea treats nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism (lower order aberrations), and helps to reduce halo and glare. These procedures may also help sharpen and correct distorted vision over and above what glasses can do.

    LASIKPlus Lifetime Satisfaction Plan

    • The Lifetime Satisfaction Plan comes with free enhancements for life, and free unlimited post-operative checkups for one year. The Plan also guarantees patient assistance at no additional charge if they experience any deterioration in their vision. Some patients may not be eligible for coverage under this Plan, so check with the vision center before deciding to have LASIKPlus surgery.

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