Laser vision · SuperLASIK
SuperLASIK: surface laser, no flap
Reviewed by Rajesh Khanna, MD
SuperLASIK is Dr. Khanna’s surface laser protocol. The thin surface layer of the cornea is gently loosened with a dilute alcohol solution or an epikeratome, an excimer laser reshapes the cornea, and a bandage contact lens protects the eye while it heals. There is no flap, and a comfort protocol eases the first days.
How it works
What SuperLASIK is
SuperLASIK belongs to the advanced surface ablation (ASA) family, like PRK and LASEK. Instead of cutting a flap, the surface layer is loosened, the excimer laser reshapes the cornea, and the surface grows back under a bandage lens.
What sets Dr. Khanna’s protocol apart is comfort. A bandage contact lens protects the healing surface, and anti-inflammatory drops, steroid and antibiotic drops, preservative-free tears and oral medicine are prescribed as needed for the first days.
Candidacy
Are you a candidate for SuperLASIK?
Final candidacy follows corneal mapping, thickness and tear testing at your VIP consult.
Often a good fit
- Corneas that are thinner, or where a flap isn’t ideal
- Contact sports, military or impact-prone work
- A stable prescription
- Told you’re not a LASIK candidate because of corneal thickness
May not be right, or not yet
- You can’t take a slower first week
- Keratoconus or progressive corneal thinning
- An untreated eye-surface problem
- Pregnancy or nursing
Procedure day
What treatment day is like
Map and plan
Corneal maps and thickness measurements set your treatment.
Loosen the surface
After numbing drops, the surface layer is gently loosened with dilute alcohol or an epikeratome.
Laser reshaping
The excimer laser reshapes the cornea to your prescription.
Protect
A bandage contact lens goes on, and you go home with your comfort plan and a driver.
Recovery
A slower first week, then steady sharpening
Surface treatments heal more slowly than LASIK in the first days. Your comfort plan and written schedule cover drops, screens, driving and activity.
First days
Light sensitivity and grittiness are common. Rest, use your drops and wear sunglasses.
Around days 3–5
The surface closes for most people, and the bandage lens comes out once healing is complete.
Following weeks
Vision keeps sharpening. Driving, swimming and sports wait for Dr. Khanna’s clearance.
Call the surgical team right away for increasing pain, sudden vision loss, marked redness or discharge.
Benefits and risks
The honest version
Why people consider SuperLASIK
- No flap, so no flap complications
- An option for thinner corneas and contact sports
- A comfort protocol for the first days
- Fine-tunings and enhancements included
What no one can promise
Discomfort and light sensitivity are expected early, and recovery is slower than LASIK in week one. Dryness, halos, glare, delayed surface healing or corneal haze can occur.
Infection and scarring are rare but possible. We cannot promise perfect vision.
Your surgeon
The technology is advanced. The judgment is personal.
Rajesh Khanna, MD is a UCLA clinical instructor with 25+ years in practice and 25,000+ vision procedures.
At your visit, Dr. Khanna decides whether surgery is the right choice, which procedure fits your eyes, and how to manage the result. The aim is the safest path to the vision that matters in your life, not the newest procedure for everyone.
"I've operated on my own mother, my wife and my son." (Dr. Khanna)
About Dr. KhannaCost and financing
Cost
Your SuperLASIK price is given in writing at your VIP consult. Our procedure prices include all exams, measurements, surgeon’s and anesthetist’s fees, implant fees where applicable, 24 months of follow-up, all fine-tunings and enhancements, dry eye care, YAG where applicable, and the drops needed for surgery.
We have dropped, and will continue to drop, HMO and optical (vision) insurance plans. For questions about a specific plan, call (310) 482-1240.
Vision questionnaire
Take the 2-minute vision quiz
Four quick questions point you to the options Dr. Khanna will look at first. No name, email or phone needed, and your answers stay on this page.
SuperLASIK questions
Is SuperLASIK the same as PRK?
It is a surface treatment in the same family. The surface layer is loosened with dilute alcohol or an epikeratome rather than scraped, and a comfort protocol eases the first days.
Does SuperLASIK hurt?
Expect a few days of discomfort while the surface heals. The bandage lens, drops and prescribed medicine make it manageable for most people.
Why choose surface laser over LASIK?
No flap is made, which suits thinner corneas and people in contact sports or impact-prone jobs. The tradeoff is a slower first week.
How much does SuperLASIK cost?
Your price is given in writing at your VIP consult, and financing is available for qualified applicants.
VIP consult
Request your VIP consult
Your first visit is a VIP consult: more time with each patient, and enough time with the surgeon, Dr. Khanna. Candidacy is decided there, and the answer may be a procedure or no surgery at all.
- VIP consult for SMILE Pro, SMILE, LASIK, EVO ICL, PIE, PRK and LASEK
- A surgery consultation, not a full eye exam
- In-office or virtual, as offered
Beverly Hills: Monday and Thursday · Westlake Village: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday · 8 AM–5 PM, last appointment 4 PM. Saturday by arrangement only: please call.
Sources
Medically reviewed by Rajesh Khanna, MD (review pending before launch). This page is educational and does not replace an exam. Eligibility, risks, benefits, alternatives and recovery are reviewed with your surgeon. Results vary.