What
is LASIK?
Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, more commonly referred
to as LASIK, is a two-phase procedure that gently reshapes the
cornea of the eye, allowing light to properly focus on the retina.
By reshaping the cornea, we are often able to decrease or completely
eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses. LASIK is an
outpatient procedure with very little recovery time associated
with it.
Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from the
LASIK procedure. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten
the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people,
a steeper cornea is desired. While this is not widely recognized
by consumers, Excimer lasers also can correct astigmatism by smoothing
an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.
Variations of the procedure include Epi-LASIK,
PRK,
and custom Wavefront
LASIK, in which wavefront technology is used to map the surface
of the eye, creating a custom ablation.
Some people are confused about the purpose of LASIK. It is intended
to improve your ability to see clearly, reducing your dependence
on eyeglasses and contact lenses. It is not a treatment for glaucoma,
cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or other
eye diseases.
The LASIK Procedure
During the first phase of the LASIK procedure, a thin flap of
corneal tissue is created on the surface of the eye. During the
second phase of the LASIK procedure, the corneal flap is lifted
and a cool laser beam of light is used to gently reshape the cornea,
which in turn corrects your vision.
The desired shape of the cornea is determined by extensive testing
and measurements that are calculated for your particular eyes.
Corneal thickness, topography, corneal shape, refractive stability
and severity and general eye health are just a few of the factors
that enter into this decision.
The LASIK vision correction procedure will typically take between
five and fifteen minutes for both of your eyes. Most LASIK eye
surgery patients notice a dramatic improvement in their vision
immediately after the LASIK procedure.
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Epi-LASIK
Epi-LASIK is a relatively new version of surface ablation like
PRK that is more similar to LASIK with some distinct advantages
over LASIK and All-Laser LASIK. A microkeratome with a blunt blade
is utilized to mechanically cleave the epithelium from the Bowman’s
membrane, leaving an exposed area for Excimer laser ablation.
Epi-LASIK preserves the structural integrity of the stroma and
is heralded as minimizing patient discomfort when compared to
PRK and LASIK, shorten the length of time before visual recovery,
and reduce the incidence of corneal haze associated with other
surface ablation procedures, such as PRK and LASIK.
Epi-LASIK attempts to provide the best of both LASIK and PRK/LASIK.
By using a blunt blade to lift the epithelium in a single sheet,
the epithelium is a much more viable entity. The repositioned
epithelium acts as a bandage while the underlying cornea heals.
Although current studies are inconclusive if patient outcomes
are better with Epi-LASIK when compared to PRK or LASIK, many
studies have shown that the surface ablation class of Epi-LASIK,
LASIK, and PRK provides better outcomes than LASIK and All-Laser
LASIK.
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Wavefront LASIK
The Wavefront LASIK technology constructs a three dimensional
digital map of the eye. This map will illustrate the irregularities
in processing of your eyes. With this information, the laser will
be able to determine how to reshape your corneal surface for the
best results. The irregularities in the processing of images in
your eyes will be fixed.
Ordinary defects in your vision can be corrected using eye glasses,
contact lenses, and traditional LASIK surgery. Normal myopia,
hyperopia, and astigmatism can be corrected using these traditional
methods. However, there are irregularities of the eye that can
only be spotted and treated with the Wavefront LASIK technology.
Types of Wavefront LASIK Technologies
Allegretto Wave Laser. This is a product from Wavelight AG. This
product is known to be one of the fastest laser types today. In
order to determine the precision and the speed of the Allegreto,
Perfect Pulse technology is being utilized in order to make sure
that everything is as exact as possible. This kind of procedure
is also safe because it makes sure that the laser beam’s energy
level is just right before it even makes contact with the eye.
In this kind of advanced technology, the position of the eye is
tracked in real time. If the patient’s eye moves, the laser will
stop immediately and resume only when the patient’s eye returns
to its normal position. One of the similar tracking technologies
to this Allegretto Wave laser is the ActiveTrak 3-D.
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Allegro Topolyzer. This instrument has the ability
to track existing irregularities in your eye. It will measure
and generate data in great detail. The resolution is very high.
You will be able to identify keratoconus using this instrument.
A Pentacam camera system is used in order to look at the back
of the eye and in order to create a three dimensional model which
will be later analyzed by the surgeon.
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