If you’re considering laser eye surgery, you may not realize that there is more than one option to improve your vision. Sometimes LASIK is used as a blanket term used to describe any procedure that corrects common vision problems including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. And while LASIK is an excellent option for many, ASA (or Advanced Surface Ablation) can act as a great alternative to LASIK while still giving patients the same long-term results.
Both ASA and LASIK correct you vision by changing the shape of the cornea, but they do so in slightly different ways. With LASIK, a laser is used to prepare the cornea for treatment, while ASA is performed by removing the epithelium (outer skin of the cornea) and the laser is applied to the surface of the cornea.
ASA
- Good option for patients who have a thin cornea
- Eliminates risk of corneal flap complications
- Reduces risk of compromised corneal thickness
- Slower recovery than LASIK procedure
- Takes longer to obtain best vision
LASIK
- Faster visual recovery
- Little or no discomfort during healing phase
- Get back to your life sooner
- May experience more dry eye than ASA
If you’re interested in finding out what option is best for you and the health of your eyes, the most important first step is to select your surgeon. Do you research, and choose a surgeon such as Dr. Collins that is fellowship trained in refractive surgery, which is a very focused subspecialty of ophthalmology. This additional training is what enables Dr. Collins to determine not only if a patient is a candidate for vision correction surgery but to also customize the ideal procedure for each individual patient.
Both procedures are very commonly performed and have helped millions of people get the vision they desire. Dr. Collins will personally help you decide which would be the better option for you during your complimentary consultation, so contact Collins Vision by calling 239-316-3777 today.
