Advances in laser eye surgery have benefited patients a great deal. For example, advances in digital mapping technology have allowed LASIK surgeons to perform even more accurate LASIK procedures. This custom LASIK surgery offers many advantages over the traditional LASIK procedure; namely, custom LASIK is able to treat higher order aberrations that traditional LASIK cannot address.
With that in mind, we’d like to shift our focus to another important advance in LASIK technology: Intralase LASIK. When you meet with a skilled Chicago cornea surgeon, you can learn about Intralase LASIK in full detail, but we’d like to briefly cover matters right now so you have a basic understanding.
What is Intralase LASIK?
Intralase LASIK refers to the use of a special laser during the LASIK procedure apart from the laser that reshapes the cornea. This additional laser is used to create a flap in the corneal surface, allowing the LASIK surgeon to reshape the cornea the better known surgical laser (i.e., the excimer laser).
How does Intralase LASIK differ from traditional LASIK?
During traditional Chicago LASIK procedures, the corneal flap was created using an instrument called a microkertome. This was an actual physical instrument rather than a laser. With Intralase LASIK, there is no physical tool used at all for the flap creation part of the procedure.
How does Intralase LASIK work?
It really is as simple as it sounds. Patients are first given numbing eye drops in order to prevent any pain or discomfort during the treatment. Our Chicago optometrists and ophthalmologists will then carefully create the corneal flap using the laser. Once that is completed, the corneal reshaping can commence.
Benefits of Intralase LASIK
Even though traditional LASIK is safe and effective, we feel that the Intralase LASIK procedure provides an additional level of safety to patients. You see, human error is a possibility when a microkeratome is used. Similarly, there is a slight chance of complications due to the use of a microkeratome. (Though again, we stress this was rare and traditional LASIK was still safely performed on hundreds of thousands of people.)
With Intralase LASIK, we can create the corneal flap without any worry of a physical instrument or error. This vision correction technology eliminates human error and replaces it with the precision and safety of computer-guided technology.
Other Issues to Consider and Keep in Mind
Even though Intralase LASIK makes the procedure much safer and free from complications, there is no guarantee that LASIK will be the right answer for all people. Thin corneas, dry eye syndrome, age, and other factors will preclude people from undergoing LASIK in some cases, which is why it’s important to visit our practice to find out if LASIK is right for you.
Contact Our Laser Vision Correction Center to Learn More
As you can see, Intralase LASIK offers a number of advantages over the traditional LASIK procedure of the past. To learn more about Intralase LASIK and if it is the best option for you and your needs, contact our Chicago laser vision correction practice today. The entire team looks forward to discussing your goals and how your vision can be enhanced.
