Epi-LASIK

Epi-LASIK is a refractive surgery technique designed to reduce a person's dependency on eyeglasses and contact lenses. Invented by Dr. Ioannis Pallikaris (Crete, Greece), the technique is basically an automatic LASEK without alcohol:

# a device similar to a microkeratome (called epi-keratome) slides over the surface of the cornea, just underneath the epithelial layer of cells while suction is applied
# the result is a hinged sheet of epithelium that is at least partially viable
# it is reflected out of the way so that the ablation can take place
# the sheet is repositioned and a bandage soft contact lens is placed on the eye

The first cases outside Greece were performed in September 2003.

Complications

Although relatively uncommon, the following are some of the more frequently reported complications of Epi-LASIK [http://www.complicatedeyes.org/complications.htm] :
*Over/undercorrection
*Visual acuity fluctuation
*Halos around light sources
*Starbursts around light sources
*Decentered ablation
*Corneal Haze
*Epithelium erosion
*Loss of epithelial flap

ee also

*Eye surgery
*LASIK

External links

* [http://www.agingeye.net/lasik/lasik.php LASIK, Epi-LASIK & LASEK: Eye Digest Reviews]
* [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12954295&dopt=Abstract Epi-LASIK: comparative histological evaluation of mechanical and alcohol-assisted epithelial separation]
* [http://www.slackbooks.com/excerpts/66364/66364.asp LASIK Complications: Trends and Techniques 3E ch4]
* [http://www.eyeslasering.com Everything about Lasik eye surgery]