July 8, 2009 
What if lasik isn’t right for you? You may want to consider one of these vision correction
alternatives…
PRK
PRK (or photorefractive keratectomy) is the second most popular laser vision correction procedure. Like LASIK, PRK uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. But in PRK, instead of creating a corneal flap, the surgeon removes the thin outer layer of corneal cells (the epithelium) and then applies the excimer laser treatment to the surface of the eye, eliminating the risk of flap complications.
LASEK
LASEK (or laser epithelial keratomileusis) resembles PRK in that the surgeon doesn’t create a LASIK-style flap in the first step of the procedure. But instead of removing the outer layer of corneal cells (the epithelium) completely, the LASEK surgeon creates a very thin epithelial flap and replaces it after the excimer laser treatment is completed.
Epi-LASIK
Epi-LASIK is very similar to LASEK. But instead of using a dilute alcohol solution to loosen the epithelium, epi-LASIK uses hand-held device similar to a LASIK microkeratome to create an ultra-thin epithelial flap. After the eye is reshaped with an eximer laser, this epithelial flap is returned to its original position and held in place with a bandage contact lens for several days.
Phakic IOL
The phakic IOL procedure is a non-laser procedure wherein the surgeon inserts a thin lens inside the eye to correct very high amounts of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). This procedure is usually reserved for patients whose refractive error is too severe to be corrected by LASIK surgery or for patients whose corneas are too thin for LASIK or other corneal refractive procedures.
ICL
An implantable contact lens (ICL) is a special type of phakic IOL that’s placed inside the eye between the iris and the eye’s natural crystalline lens. Like other phakic IOLs, an ICL is usually recommended for high amounts of nearsightedness that cannot be corrected with LASIK or for corneas that are too thin for LASIK or other laser procedures.
RLE
RLE (or refractive lens exchange) is another non-laser, internal eye procedure for vision correction. In RLE, the surgeon removes the natural lens inside the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens of a different power for clear vision without glasses. The RLE procedure is very similar to cataract surgery.
NearVision CK
NearVision CK is a non-laser procedure that reshapes the cornea with radio-frequency waves. It is primarily used to correct presbyopia by creating a monovision condition where one eye sees better far away and the other eye sees better up close. NearVision CK can be performed on eyes that previously had LASIK surgery or on eyes that did not need vision correction until they became presbyopic.
Taken from: http://www.lasiksurgerynews.com