| LASIK is a surgical procedure that has changed | | | | Complications during LASIK are very rare, but |
| the lives of many people in need of vision | | | | when there is a complication, it frequently results |
| correction and is intended to reduce a person's | | | | from a poorly created corneal flap. Using the |
| dependency on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK | | | | IntraLase Laser instead of the microkeratome |
| actually stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ | | | | reduces the chance of any complications. |
| Keratomileusis and permanently changes the | | | | The IntraLase laser works by emitting quick little |
| shape of the cornea, which is the clear covering | | | | bursts of light that shine through the eyes' |
| of the front of the eye. LASIK, in the past, used | | | | surface to a predetermined microscopic depth. |
| a surgical blade called a microkeratome to cut the | | | | Each pulse of light creates a bubble below the |
| flap in the cornea. But with advanced technology, | | | | surface, and the bubbles accumulate to cover the |
| the procedure has changed quite drastically, and | | | | entire treatment area. Your surgeon will separate |
| now there is blade-free LASIK surgery. | | | | the corneal tissue and fold the flap back out so |
| Choosing to have LASIK surgery for vision | | | | your LASIK treatment can be finished. |
| correction is not the same as it was ten years | | | | IntraLase Advantages |
| ago. At that time, the options for LASIK surgery | | | | Patients and eye care professionals have found |
| were not very extensive. There was really only | | | | the advantages to IntraLase Laser surgery to be |
| way LASIK was performed and that involved a | | | | numerous: |
| small mechanical blade called a microkeratome | | | | · IntraLase creates a very smooth |
| being used to create a flap on the cornea, after | | | | surface for the laser to work on whereas the |
| which a conventional excimer laser was used to | | | | microkeratome moving back and forth creates a |
| reshape the tissue underneath so that the cornea | | | | roughened surface. |
| would be able to focus light directly on the retina. | | | | · The blade-free approach allows for |
| Now, technology is much more advanced, and | | | | more precise customizing of the corneal flap, |
| options for vision correction surgery are more | | | | which allows you to achieve the desired LASIK |
| numerous. | | | | result. |
| IntraLase Method of Vision Correction | | | | · People with thin corneas are not good |
| The IntraLase Method of LASIK surgery is | | | | candidates for traditional LASIK surgery. The |
| becoming very popular with patients and eye care | | | | IntraLase laser is more precise than the |
| professionals alike. The IntraLase Method is also | | | | microkeratome. |
| known as "All laser LASIK" because instead of | | | | · After IntraLase laser surgery, the |
| using the microkeratome to create the corneal | | | | corneal flap settles back into position more |
| flap, the eye care professional uses the IntraLase | | | | smoothly and typically heals with no wrinkles or |
| laser. | | | | other complications. |
| The Procedure | | | | · IntraLasik allows more people to achieve |
| The first step in any LASIK procedure is creating | | | | 20/20 vision than previous methods. |
| the corneal flap. Correcting your vision actually | | | | · Patients experience less trouble seeing in |
| involves working with the corneal tissue that's just | | | | dim lighting conditions with IntraLase Laser. |
| beneath the surface of the cornea. Access to this | | | | More than 600,000 procedures have been |
| tissue is created by making a surface flap and | | | | performed safely and effectively using the |
| folding it back. Creation of the flap is crucial to the | | | | IntraLase Laser Method. The process is not painful |
| success of your surgery. The flap must be the | | | | and the results are excellent. In a clinical survey of |
| exact correct thickness and in the exact right | | | | LASIK patients who had their corneal flaps |
| place. After the LASIK procedure is finished, the | | | | created using a microkeratome in one eye and |
| flap is folded back into its position and acts as a | | | | the IntraLase Method in the other eye, the vision |
| bandage of the surgical area. | | | | in the IntraLase eye was preferred 3-to-1. |