Small-Incision Lenticule Procedures

The mechanics are different from both LASIK and PRK. Rather than removing tissue from the surface or from under a flap, a lenticule — a thin disc of corneal tissue — is shaped within the cornea and drawn out through a small incision. No flap is raised, and the incision is considerably smaller than the edge of a flap.

The practical limits matter. Not every prescription can be corrected this way, and the treatable range for astigmatism and for farsightedness is narrower than for the older approaches, so plenty of people who ask about it are told it does not apply to them. That is a candidacy answer, and it comes from your measurements.

Ask about enhancements before you commit. If a lenticule procedure needs a touch-up later, it is usually done as a surface procedure rather than by repeating the original approach, so the recovery from a re-treatment can look quite different from the recovery from the first one. Ask what the practice's enhancement policy is and what a second procedure would involve.

What this usually involves

• No flap, and a smaller incision than flap-based surgery
• Treatable prescription range is narrower than LASIK or PRK
• Whether it applies to you is a measurement question, not a preference
• Ask what an enhancement would involve, because it usually differs from the first procedure
• Dryness and night vision still belong in the pre-op conversation

Request a Referral