Laser-In-Situ Keratomileusis, is similar to ALK, however, the excimer laser is utilized for improved precision.

The surgeon uses a microkeratome (an automated microsurgical instrument similar in design to a carpenter's plane) to create a corneal flap, as in ALK. The cool laser beam then gently reshapes the cornea, and the flap is closed.
LASIK is an extremely effective outpatient procedure that is suitable not only for higher prescriptions but also patients with moderate to low prescriptions. It can be used to correct even the most severe 1% of prescriptions, and has generated significant excitement in the eye care community around the world.

LASIK dramatically reduces your recovery time (versus PRK) and decreases the chance of many of the procedural risks (compared to ALK). The procedure itself takes only a few minutes to complete and involves minimal discomfort. LASIK requires more technical skill and training than other laser procedures. Surgeons have performed thousands of LASIK procedures with impressive results.

With both PRK and LASIK, the greater your prescription, the longer your procedure takes. Even the most severe prescriptions require only about one minute of laser time and utilize only a topical anesthetic in the form of eye drops.
Although no procedure is perfect, excimer laser technology allows for an unparalleled degree of precision and predictability. This makes laser vision correction, in our opinion, the best procedure available for suitable candidates.
Each pulse of the laser can remove 39-millionths of an inch of tissue in 12-billionths of a second. This enables surgeons to achieve remarkable accuracy while maintaining excellent control throughout the procedure.