While most patients who are over the age of 21 and are in good health with no other eye conditions are generally considered good candidates for LASIK, occasionally there are people who would not receive optimal benefit from a LASIK procedure because of their unique visual imperfections or because of the results of a comprehensive eye examination.

Gailey Eye Clinic offers the following types of vision correction procedures as alternatives to LASIK:

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): PRK is a type of laser vision correction procedure commonly known as “LASIK without the flap.” Instead of making a thin flap in the cornea as is done during LASIK, the laser treatment in PRK is applied to the surface of the cornea removing microscopic layers of the cornea to reshape your cornea to achieve better vision.

Refractive Lens Exchange: A Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) corrects nearsightedness and farsightedness using an intraocular lens implant. Instead of changing the shape of the cornea as is done in LASIK, a Refractive Lens Exchange is a procedure where we remove the eye’s natural lens and replace it with a lens implant. This procedure is actually very similar to a cataract procedure. RLE is often the procedure of choice for patients who are too nearsighted, too farsighted or have corneas that are too thin for laser vision correction. It is also an excellent alternative for those over the age of 40 and for those individuals who may be showing signs of developing cataracts. Because RLE actually replaces the eye’s natural lens with an artificial lens, the patient will never need cataract surgery in the future because the artificial lens does not become cloudy.

Your doctor will discuss which procedure is right for you based on your comprehensive eye exam results.

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