Epi-LASEK

Bladeless Surgery Safety is Our #1 Priority

Afraid of LASIK Surgery?

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) has no vibrating blade, no deep corneal flap and no vacuum suction ring which differentiates it from LASIK.

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) is a form of surface ablation where only 30 microns (much less than in traditional LASIK) of corneal thickness (epithelium) are moved aside and the resulting bed is lasered, before the epithelium is replaced. This allows for better visual rehabilitation and less discomfort than the old form of surface ablation. A bandage contact lens is put over the eye in the operating room to allow the epithelium to heal quickly. The contact lens is then removed after about a week.

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) provides excellent results without the risk of deep corneal flap complications, and can be done over previous RK and LASIK and on those who have had previous cataract surgery. There is also no vacuum pressure ring used (as would be used in LASIK), which triples the pressure in the eye and can lead to complications such as retinal detachment.

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) eliminates the chance of an incomplete flap, button-hold flap, or thin flap because there is no deep corneal flap incision made as there is in LASIK. There is no risk of infection, inflammation or wrinkling under the flap, which can cause problems as can be found after LASIK. The cornea is left thicker and therefore stronger with less chance of late corneal irregularities and late ectasia (corneal bulge). Ectasia is a very serious late complication of LASIK which can occur months or years later with no predictability. Ectasia causes blurry vision, which can sometimes be corrected with special contact lenses, additional surgical procedures, or even corneal transplant. We feel the results of Epi-LASEK (LASEK) are at least as good or even better than traditional LASIK. The complication of ectasia associated with LASIK is the reason that Dr. Grandon stopped doing LASIK, and performs only Epi-LASEK (LASEK) at this time.

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) does not cut through the corneal nerves, therefore there is a decreased chance of dry eyes following surgery, which is especially helpful to people with current dry eye tendencies who may have had problems wearing contact lenses.

Epi-LASEK (LASEK) is especially great for people with thin corneas or those who have other eye conditions and may not have been candidates for traditional LASIK.

Although Epi-LASEK (LASEK) was developed over ten years ago in Italy, it is actually a form of surface ablation which has been done worldwide for over twenty years, with an established record of safety and stability. There have been recent breakthroughs in the medications used with this procedure that makes it the preferred refractive surgery at the Eye Surgery Institute.

In the beginning, steroid drops were used for three months after surgery to reduce corneal haze. Now the fantastic advances in new medications have decreased the need for long-term steroid drops and also decreased the chance of corneal haze. Restasis decreases the inflammatory response of the cornea, improving the healing process. This is the same type of medication used in heart and kidney transplants. Mitomycin (an antimetabolite), which is used during surgery to correct higher amounts of refractive errors and those with previous refractive surgery (such as RK or LASIK), reduces the chance of corneal haze which occasionally occurred with older methods of surface ablation. We are giving patients Preservative Free Acuvail drops after surgery for several days, which reduce or practically eliminate post-operative discomfort. In a ten year study, patients who underwent surface ablation were found to have good long-term stable results with less chance of late irregular astigmatism. Dr. Grandon has been involved in ongoing studies of Epi-LASEK (LASEK) algorithms (determining the amount of ablation to do for each individual case), which he presented at the International Refractive Society Meeting. He is also involved in ongoing studies of safety and efficacy for patients who have had previous Radial Keratotomy and subsequent Epi-LASEK. LASIK can not be done after RK or previous LASIK because of increased risk.

If you are interested in learning more about our Epi-LASEK Procedure, call 877-393-3326 today to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Surgery Institute has been serving Dearborn and the surrounding community for over 60 years.