What Can LASIK Do For Me?
Poor eyesight is generally caused by two things: having a too-long or too-short eyeball; and by having a too-steep, too-flat cornea, or irregular shaped Cornea. Research has shown that changing the size and shape of the eyeball itself is impractical and ineffective. Therefore, the development of lasers for use in eyesight correction has been directed toward changing the shape of the cornea. LASIK is one of the newest methods of refractive surgery and shares many of its fundamental ideas with previous laser-based techniques.
LASIK surgery has advanced steadily over the years; the technology used to measure your visual error prior to surgery has become more powerful and corrections can be optimized to your needs. Until the IntraLase Method, however, the creation of the corneal flap was the one step that lacked the technological sophistication of the rest of the LASIK procedure. As it turns out, that step is an important one in terms of providing you with the best possible LASIK experience.
If you were not eligible for LASIK surgery performed with a Microkeratome due to steep, flat, or thin corneas, you may now be a candidate with the IntraLase Method.
What Is IntraLase?
With IntraLase, a beam of laser light is used to create your corneal flap, which is then, lifted so the second step of LASIK- the reshaping of your cornea-can is performed. When your LASIK treatment is over, the flap is securely repositioned into place. This bladeless, computer-guided technology is 100 percent more accurate than most of the mechanical microkeratomes.
IntraLase has been used successfully on hundreds of thousands of eyes and the surgeons at Specialty Eye Institute trust this advanced technology to deliver exceptional results. Our commitment is to provide you with the ultimate in comfort, safety, and outstanding vision. LASIK with IntraLase can help you achieve all of this –while it delivers the added assurance of knowing you are being treated with the most advanced technology there is.
How IntraLase Works
Unlike mechanical instruments, IntraLase technology is uniquely able to program the dimensions of your flap based on what is best for your eye. Then the IntraLase laser creates your flap from below the surface of the cornea-without every cutting it. How?
- IntraLase uses ultrafast pulses of laser light to position microscopic bubbles at a precise depth determined during your exam.
- The Laser light passes harmlessly through your cornea. Then the laser creating rows of these bubbles just beneath your corneal surface as it moves back and forth across your eye in a uniform plane.
- Next, the IntraLase laser stacks bubble around your corneal diameter to create the edges of your flap. These bubbles are stacked at an angle that is determined by your surgeon and is individualized to the way your eye is shaped.
- The process takes only about 30 seconds from start to finish- it’s quiet and it’s comfortable.
- Your surgeon then gently lifts the flap to allow for the second step of your LASIK treatment. When treatment is complete, the flap easily “locks” back into position and rapidly begins to heal.
In a clinical study comparing the IntraLase laser to the leading microkeratome, more patients achieved 20/20 vision or better in standard and custom LASIK surgery when IntraLase was used to create the corneal flap.
*Results may vary. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks.
Am I a Candidate for LASIK?
In most cases, LASIK can treat severe degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Candidates must have realistic expectations about their results. LASIK is not right for everyone. The goal of LASIK is to reduce your dependency on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK does not guarantee 20/20 vision, however, most cases are certainly successful in improving one’s visual acuity.
To be a potential candidate for LASIK you must meet the following:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Your eyes need to be healthy; no glaucoma, cataracts or corneal disease
- May not be nursing or pregnant
- Not continuously suffer from dry eyes
- Have any eye infections or injury
- Vision must be stable for at least 1 year prior to procedure date
*Corneal thickness will also play an important role in determining if you are a proper candidate for LASIK. Only an in-depth examination of your eyes, your individual case, your expectations and your lifestyle by an experienced, licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist can determine if you are a candidate for LASIK.
Prior to your LASIK consultation and LASIK procedure, you must be contact lens free for a minimum of 14 days. Situations will vary. The reason for this is to ensure corneal stability prior to the LASIK procedure.
