Comparison of LASIK and Surface Laser (PRK/LASEK) in New Jersey

This page provides a comparison between the more commonly performed LASIK procedure, and the surface laser eye surgery procedures, known as PRK and LASEK. Dr Ed Hedaya is a New Jersey LASEK and PRK New Jersey specialist.

COMPARISON	LASIK	SURFACE LASER
FDA Approved	Yes	Yes
Range of Correction	-Astigmatism -Farsightedness -Nearsightedness	-Astigmatism -Farsightedness -Nearsightedness
Able to Have CustomCornea?	Yes	Yes
Wound Depth	Deeper	Superficial
Risk of Late Corneal Weakness.	Low	Extremely Low
Risk of Late Traumatic Flap Dislodgment.	Possible	Impossible
Risk of Flap Complications.	Low	None
Risk of infection.	Very Low	Very Low
Intra Operative Pain	Low	None
Post Operative Pain	Minimal 12 hours	Mild in 90% of patients 24-72hrs
Risk of Dry Eye	Common, usually mild and temporary (months)	Significantly less common
Risk of Haloes and Glare	Low	Lower
Visual Results Fully Recognized	Majority in 24 hours	Majority 4-5 days
Return to Work	1-2 days	4-5 days
Risk of Complications	Low, more surgeon dependent	Less common
Risk of Central Corneal Scarring	Rare	Rare
Ability to Enhance Before 2 Years	Easy	Easy
Ability to Enhance After 2 Years	Difficult	Easy