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Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago compared the safety, success and consistency of these two kinds of laser eye surgery. Ultimately, the researchers found no clinically significant differences between the different procedures. The study was first reported in the December issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

"Although there have been many studies of the safety and efficacy of both types of laser surgery, there has not been a large study directly comparing the outcomes of the two procedures," said Dr. Dimitri Azar, field chair of ophthalmologic research and professor and head of ophthalmology and visual sciences at UIC.

The researchers matched cases that had undergone laser eye surgery that had the same measurements for visual acuity and astigmatism. They were able to compare 122 LASIK procedures against 122 LASEK cases from a total of 2,257 records of eye surgeries that were preformed by Azar.

"We found that although there were some differences in the visual and refractive results that favor the LASEK procedure, the differences were not clinically significant," said Azar. "These results are in line with previous smaller studies that we reviewed comparing the procedures."

LASIK surgery was first used in the mid 1990’s which replaced the older surgery photorefractive keratectomy procedure (PRK). PRK had problems with postoperative pain with slow recovery. The LASIK surgery would make a flap on the top of the cornea layer and a laser would reshape in the underlying cornea. The flap would be replaced once the procedure was complete. There have been some complications reported with the flap with LASIK.

LASEK surgery first treated with alcohol and then the cornea layers is peeled back to reshape the underlying cornea. This procedure helps to avoid the complications of the flap when compared with LASIK. In bother LASIK and LASEK surgery the recovery time is faster with less postoperative pain when compared to PRK.

"Both procedures seem safe, effective and predictable for the treatment of low to moderate myopia (near-sightedness)," Azar said.

By Mark Barone
Best Syndication Health Staff Writer