I am considering having "down-up" LASIK surgery for nearsightedness. I was wondering how safe this procedure is considering that it is not regular LASIK surgery.

Emmanuel

Laser vision correction is a procedure in which a laser is used to reshape the eye's cornea to reduce or eliminate the need for contact lenses or glasses. People who are nearsighted or farsighted may be eligible for the two main laser vision correction procedures: photo-refractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

In PRK, the laser is used to remove a thin amount of the corneal surface. However, the healing process takes many days, and for patients with severe nearsightedness, or myopia, there is a risk of developing corneal haze. LASIK uses a machine to make a hinged flap in the cornea. The flap is lifted, and the laser removes microscopic amounts of corneal tissue. The flap is then replaced, and the cornea heals overnight. It is not uncommon for some patients to have 20/20 vision the next day after LASIK, although for many patients the healing process can take days to weeks. People usually experience mild eye discomfort for a few hours after LASIK, while eye discomfort can last for days with PRK. The bottom line is that both PRK and LASIK produce similar results in patients with similar levels of nearsightedness or farsightedness.

The "down-up" LASIK to which you refer is a new variation of the procedure, in which the hinge is made so that the corneal flap swings upward. For many years, due to the design of surgical equipment, the hinge had been made so that the flap swings downward. To date, no clinical advantages have been demonstrated to placing the hinge above rather than below. So, at this point, "down-up" LASIK is primarily a marketing tool, and only future studies will determine if there are any advantages or disadvantages with this variation.