For people considering Laser Eye Surgery, there is no doubt that the medium itself is somewhat controversial. Some people simply refuse to countenance the idea of having a laser beam anywhere near their eye – which is understandable – while others wonder about the long-term effectiveness, and still others have questions to ask about which kind of Laser Eye Surgery they should have. There are, after all, numerous different types of surgery you can have. Which type of Laser Eye Surgery you should have depends very much on yourself. Both LASIK and LASEK have their advantages and their disadvantages, and it is important to consider these before having the surgery.

While LASIK surgery is, without a doubt, the more popular of the two methods, it is not the right method for everyone. It will depend very much on the make-up of your eye (no, not mascara – the physical composition of the organ). For some people, they will find after the initial consultation that there is not enough corneal tissue to make the LASIK procedure viable. That being the case, they will need to make the trade-off between the more immediately painful LASEK surgery and its benefits of greater versatility – and, for that matter, less haze in the immediate aftermath of the surgery.

Of course, if you have LASEK surgery you will take longer to recover your full potential eyesight. It is inadvisable to drive, for example, for about a week after LASEK, whereas LASIK patients are freely advised and able to return to the driving seat within three days of the surgery. LASEK is also the newer surgery, and there are many people who will have their doubts about it based upon that – doubts which may be inaccurate but nonetheless difficult to avoid.

Then there is the fact that LASEK is the cheaper form of surgery. While many people will feel that you “get what you pay for”, this does not mean that LASEK eye surgery will condemn you to poorer results than LASIK. Overall, the results will be no worse – they will simply take longer to resolve and might be less comfortable in the short term. Ask your doctor and think about your finances before making a final decision.