What is the main difference between the two types of surgery, LASIK and LASEK? As we can see from the name of the procedure, the main difference between the two is the different sites of laser cutting of the cornea. As the name implies, the laser ablation site for surface cutting surgery is on the surface of the cornea, while the cutting site for intra-stromal surgery is in the corneal stroma. In LASIK surgery, a corneal flap is created with a corneal lamellar knife or femtosecond laser, and then excimer laser cutting is done in the corneal stroma, after which the flap is reset. The difference between the two types of flaps can be seen in the figure below. The main clinical difference between the two types of surgery: Clinically, both procedures have their advantages and disadvantages; the main advantage of LASIK surgery is that the recovery is fast and the eye can be used normally the day after surgery, but the disadvantage is that there is a corneal flap, which may be misaligned by future trauma. The advantage of surface cutting surgery is that it is safer and there is no need to worry about the possibility of trauma causing the flap to displace. However, the disadvantage is that recovery is slower, and after surface cutting for high myopia, a haze (clouding) of the cornea may occur during the corneal healing process. How do I choose between these two types of surgery? Of the two types of corneal refractive surgery, most patients currently prefer LASIK. However, those who are more likely to suffer from eye trauma due to their own occupational characteristics may be a little safer to choose LASEK. In terms of myopia, surface cutting is more suitable for patients with lower myopia, so that the probability of haze will be a little lower after surgery.