Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK) is a refractive surgery procedure used to treat certain types of vision problems, including myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness). ALK was one of the earlier forms of laser eye surgery and involved creating a thin flap in the cornea using a microkeratome (a surgical instrument), followed by reshaping the underlying corneal tissue to correct refractive errors. ALK was eventually replaced by more advanced techniques like LASIK and PRK due to their nhigher precision and reduced risk of complications.
The ALK procedure begins with the surgeon creating a hinged flap in the cornea’s outer layer, which is then lifted to expose the underlying corneal stroma. A second pass with the microkeratome removes a thin layer of corneal tissue to reshape the cornea’s curvature, allowing light to focus properly on the retina. After the tissue is removed, the corneal flap is repositioned to promote healing.
Though ALK was largely successful in reducing dependence on glasses or contact lenses, it had certain limitations. It was less precise than modern laser-based procedures and carried a higher risk of complications, such as irregular astigmatism or flap-related issues. As a result, ALK has been largely phased out in favor of more precise techniques like LASIK, which uses lasers to create the corneal flap and reshape the tissue with greater accuracy.
