What is epi-LASIK?
Epi-LASIK is a surface treatment in which a mechanical blade separates the outer corneal layer before the laser is applied, instead of using alcohol or the laser itself. The clinical aim is the same as PRK: reshape the surface and leave no flap.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- PRK & TransPRK
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- PRK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Branded names for surface techniques multiply because each device maker named its own version of the same idea. When a clinic quotes a name you have not heard, the useful questions are which layer is being removed or replaced, and whether the treatment is on the surface or under a flap.
What this answer depends on
- What the clinic’s device actually does
- Whether the eye has signs of surface disease
- Whether the surgeon performs the technique often
Related guides
People also ask
The questions readers move to next from this one: the closest subjects first, from either question bank.
Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision correction & laser eye surgery in PRK & TransPRK . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure LASIK
- Procedure Femto LASIK
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
- Place LASIK in Dubai
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Comparison of clinical outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE
A comparative study of three commonly used refractive procedures, including a summary of proposed advantages of each.
Used for The procedure comparison page, particularly the PRK discussion.
Link checked 22 September 2026