Types Of Laser Eye Surgery We Offer

Here at London Vision Clinic, we pride ourselves on being pioneers and leaders in Laser Eye Surgery. Thanks to advancements in laser technology and the unique experience of our team of Ophthalmic Surgeons, we offer a range of procedures to address many different and complex eye conditions, including hyperopia (long-sightedness), presbyopia (ageing eyes), myopia (short-sightedness), and very high prescriptions.

From PRK and LASEK, to LASIK and PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision—not forgetting our new, minimally-invasive laser eye treatment pioneered here at the London Vision Clinic, ‘ReLEx SMILE’—we literally have something for everyone.

Our most popular procedures are LASIK and ReLEx SMILE, with 96% of patients receiving one of the two. To better understand why this is the case, let’s look at PRK, LASEK and LASIK.

PRK, LASEK And LASIK

PRK, LASEK and LASIK are all known as types of surface procedures and are just minor variations of the same surgical theme.

Note: The layer on the eye’s surface is called the epithelium, which is replaced by the eye every 7 to 14 days.

The very first PRK procedure was performed in 1988, six years before approval for use in clinical practices in the United States. In PRK, the epithelium of the eye is removed in order to reshape the permanent layer underneath. A contact lens is then applied as a bandage to aid the epithelium in re-growing and re-populating the eye’s surface.

The history of LASEK began in 1996. The procedure is very similar to PRK; however, in LASEK, the epithelium is not discarded, but rather temporarily moved to one side. The layer underneath is then reshaped, and the epithelium is moved back. Much like in PRK, a contact lens is applied to aid the epithelium re-growing.

Around the same time, two European doctors were working on a procedure that would later become known as LASIK. The treatment was approved in the US in 1999. LASIK involves a different method—cutting a flap into the cornea to penetrate down just below the permanent layer. Once the reshaping is complete, the cornea is returned to its original position; In this way, only the edges need to recover and thus recovery time is a fraction of that of PRK and LASEK.

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision is a revolutionary technique that has been on offer here at London Vision Clinic since 2004.

It is often believed that the effects of ageing on the eyes are untreatable, and in some clinics, that is true. But with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision at London Vision Clinic, we can significantly reduce the effects of presbyopia and even eliminate the need for reading glasses, bifocals, or varifocals.

Read more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision.

ReLEx SMILE

ReLEx SMILE is a new flap-less form of surgery that was first offered in the UK here at London Vision Clinic.

Often known simply as SMILE—Small Incision Lenticule Extraction—the procedure can be used to treat short-sightedness and drier eyes and allows for very high myopic prescriptions to be treatable. One of the benefits of SMILE is that because no flap is created, the surgery and healing time is even further reduced.

During this keyhole procedure, the eye is completely numbed, allowing the state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss VisuMax laser to perform a series of pulses into the cornea. The bubbles produced from these pulses—which are less than 1/100th the width of a human hair—outline the tissue that needs to be removed, ready for the surgeon to draw out through a tiny connecting tunnel.

If you would like to book a consultation at London Vision Clinic, or find out more about the different types of Laser Eye Surgery we offer, call us on 020 7224 1005.