Two LASIK surgeries compared

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 4 (UPI) -- Femtosecond, or bladeless, and mechanical microkeratome LASIK surgeries have been found to have equal results six months post-surgery, finds a U.S. study.

LASIK, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, involves treating nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism by reshaping the eye's cornea to alter the way the eye refracts light.

It involves creating a flap, removing a defined amount of corneal tissue by an excimer laser and replacing the flap. In standard LASIK with a mechanical microkeratome, the flap is created by a blade; in bladeless LASIK, the newer type, the flap is created by a femtosecond laser.

"At six months after surgery, there are no differences between the eyes that had bladeless or microkeratome LASIK with respect to visual acuity -- vision as measured by reading an eye chart -- contrast sensitivity -- ability to discriminate bright objects from dark objects -- or in perception of stray light or glare, such as the glare from oncoming headlights," said study leader Dr. Sanjay Patel, a Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist.

The study's findings will be presented next week at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.