Understanding Refractive Surgery #:2 Surface, Flap & Lenticule Techniques Explained

Welcome back to Insight Ophthalmology! This is Part 2 of the Refractive Surgery Foundations series. In this video, we break down the three major categories of corneal refractive surgeries: 🔹 1. Surface Ablation Procedures PRK TransPRK LASEK Epi-LASIK You will understand how these procedures remove the epithelium, preserve corneal biomechanics, and why they remain the preferred choice for thin or trauma-prone eyes. 🔹 2. Flap-Based Procedures LASIK (Microkeratome and Femtosecond LASIK) Topography-guided and Wavefront-guided LASIK We look at how corneal flaps are created, the role of the excimer laser, and how customized treatments improve visual quality. 🔹 3. Lenticule Extraction Procedures SMILE SILK CLEAR SMART Sight Learn how these flap-free procedures reshape the cornea using femtosecond lasers and why they have become the next generation in refractive surgery. This is a foundational roadmap video aimed at residents, fellows, optometrists, and anyone wanting a structured understanding of how refractive surgery really works. If you find this helpful, let me know in the comments and I’ll make a full video on how to choose the best refractive procedure for each patient and the pre-operative evaluation pathway. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCgorR4a_gth3qGrM6O_hag/join