How is Intralase LASIK different than PRK or Epi-LASIK/Lasek?
In order for the LASIK laser to be able to reshape your eye, the middle portion of your cornea needs to be made available. During LASIK and Intralase LASIK, a flap is made to access this inner portion of your cornea. PRK or photorefractive keratotomy is a procedure in which the surface cells of your eye are removed instead of making a flap. These cells grow very quickly and heal within 1-2 weeks for most people. The disadvantage of the procedure is that the healing can be slower than with Intralase all laser LASIK. There may be mild discomfort during the procedure. Vision tends to fluctuate more initially after PRK. Epi-LASIK is actually a modification of PRK. Instead of removing the superficial cells of your eye, an attempt is made to keep them together in a sheet like fashion and then replace them onto your eye. It is done as an attempt to bridge the slower healing of PRK but can often have slow visual recovery times. How fast is flap creation with the blade free IntraLASIK system? T
