How does the cut for the corneal flap differ when comparing between blade and bladeless LASIK, and what impact does this have on the risk of dislodgement of the flap?

Current options available for laser vision correction include corneal flap-based procedures like LASIK, and also no flap, Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) methods like TransPRK. During LASIK, the doctor will have to cut your cornea to create an external flap using either a blade or a Femtosecond laser (bladeless LASIK). Whether using a blade or the laser, there will still be a cut corneal flap and this will result in cut corneal nerve endings, increasing the risk of procedure-induced dry eyes. This, together with flap complications, are the main disadvantages of LASIK.

Corneal collagen crosslinking with LASIK or SMILE is relatively new, and the true beneficial effects, if any, may not be quantifiable or known for some years yet. In essence, after the cornea has been reshaped (through LASIK or SMILE), vitamin B2(riboflavin) is applied to soak the cornea, and then ultraviolet light is shone on the soaked cornea. The entire crosslinking process adds about 3 minutes to the entire refractive procedure. We do know that after crosslinking, the cornea becomes stiffer (stronger in a way). There is no other extra effect known to be caused by the crosslinking.