Blade-Free LASIK
When LASIK first arrived as a laser vision correction procedure, a microkeratome was used to create the corneal flap. Over the years ophthalmologists have found that when complications arise from LASIK they are typically from a poorly created corneal flap. Unlike mechanical instruments, the blade-free LASIK technology is uniquely able to program the dimensions of your flap based on what's best for your eyes. Then a femtosecond laser creates your flap from below the surface of the cornea-without ever cutting it. This process is done in a series of steps:
- Ultra-fast pulses of laser light position microscopic bubbles at a precise depth predetermined by your doctor.
- The laser light passes harmlessly through your cornea. Then the laser creates rows of these bubbles just beneath your corneal surface as it moves back and forth across your eye in a uniform plane.
- Next, the femtosecond laser stacks bubbles around your corneal diameter to create the edges of your flap. These bubbles are stacked at an angle that is determined by your doctor 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 doctor then gently lifts the flap to allow for the second step of your LASIK treatment. When treatment is complete, the flap is gently put back into position and the healing process begins.
Advantages of Blade-FREE LASIK include:
- Faster LASIK procedure time, increasing patient comfort
- Stronger, more secure LASIK flaps
- Improved corneal sensitivity
- Fewer dry eye symptoms