LASIK, as discussed in the article "What Is LASIK?" is a laser eye treatment that focuses on nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. It involves cutting a corneal flap to expose underlying corneal tissue, and the use of an excimer laser to reshape the cornea to correct the problem.

Like LASIK, but generally for people with thin or flat corneas, usually people who would not benefit well from LASIK are recommended to LASEK. The surgeon cuts into the epithelium only, where in LASIK the surgeon will cut into the epithelium and the stroma, to, and then will soak the edges of the incision with alcohol to lift and create a flap and expose underlying corneal tissue. As in LASIK, an excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea. Healing times are generally longer, and afterward discomfort is greater than in conventional LASIK.

Generally the same as LASEK except instead of using a blade to cut a corneal flap, a tool called and epikeratome is used to separate the thin layer of the corneal flap, also alcohol is not involved in the process and results in substantially less pain.

PRK is the "original LASIK", except there is no cutting of the cornea or involvement of making a corneal flap. An excimer laser is used to directly remove tissue from the surface of the cornea, this ablation reshapes the cornea and reduces the vision problem, and generally takes less than one minute for each eye.

Although traditional LASIK methods are highly effective, in some cases, a more precise procedure may be needed, or other times, patients may prefer the highest possible outcome/benefit from their procedure. In these cases Custom LASIK is required to meet the needs of these particular patients.

With Custom LASIK, a Wavefront system is used to create a 3-Dimensional diagram or 'map' of your eye to see exactly how your eye processes images. The information gathered from this 3-D diagram is then used to tell the laser how to reshape your eye's cornea so that any visual irregularities may be corrected/eliminated.

Custom LASIK makes it possible to see even better than 20/20 vision, and the odds of achieving this are greater than traditional LASIK. Also, your chance of losing your best-corrected vision is greatly reduced.