The results of a recent Mayo Clinic study have revealed that LASIK eye correction surgery using conventional microkeratomes and the more advanced femtosecond lasers are equal in effectiveness. According to the study, six months post-surgery, the visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and perception of stray light (or glare) of eyes treated with both types of LASIK surgery were similiar.

So, with a short term comparison compiled, which would you choose? Well, for me, I’d go with the microkeratome. After all, the time taken for a surgeon to create a flap using a microkeratome is much shorter compared to that taken by a surgeon using a femtosecond laser. This implies a shorter period of discomfort during surgery.

But as with all surgical methods, what’s important is the long term impact, and the Mayo Clinic researchers responsible for this study have acknowleged that and have made this the ultimate goal of their research. As such, the results recently presented are merely the first six months of their findings.

[News via Medical News Today]