What is LASIK?
LASIK is a surgical treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism that reshapes the cornea to improve visual focus.
All LASIK procedures begin with the creation of a flap on the surface of the cornea, followed by a laser treatment that takes place under that flap.
First, the surgeon uses a microkeratome (a precise surgical instrument) to create a flap of corneal tissue. The flap is folded back, then an excimer laser’s high-energy microsecond pulses remove microscopic layers of tissue to reshape the underlying cornea to an improved curvature. Once the laser treatment is completed, the flap is folded back to its original position and begins the rapid healing process. No stitches are necessary because the two layers of the cornea adhere naturally to each other. The entire procedure generally takes less than 20 minutes.
Bladeless LASIK at Del Negro & Senft Eye Associates
What is Bladeless LASIK?
Bladeless LASIK is a surgical treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism that reshapes the cornea to improve visual focus.
All LASIK procedures begin with the creation of a flap on the surface of the cornea, followed by a laser treatment that takes place underneath that flap. The difference between the traditional method vs. the “All-laser” method rests in what technology is utilized–– blade vs. femtosecond laser.
What to Expect During Your Bladeless LASIK Treatment
Instead of the traditional microkeratome, a surgical instrument with an oscillating blade, Drs. Del Negro & Senft’s advanced treatment option utilizes Ziemer’s femtosecond laser to create a precise, uniform flap of corneal tissue. No blade is used in this process. Once created, the flap is gently folded back, then the excimer laser’s high-energy microsecond pulses remove microscopic layers of tissue to reshape the underlying cornea to an improved curvature.
Once the laser treatment is completed, the flap is then gently folded back into its original position and immediately begins the rapid healing process. No stitches are necessary because the two layers of the cornea adhere naturally to each other.
The entire procedure generally takes less than 20 minutes.
State-Of-The-Art Technology
It is the right time to consider Refractive surgery. “All-laser” LASIK technology is now available, replacing the traditional hand-held microkeratome blade method used to create the flap during the procedure. This advanced technology is:
- Safe
- Quick
- Precise
Bladeless LASIK, is just as its name implies, an “all-laser” surgical treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism that reshapes the cornea to improve visual focus.
How Bladeless LASIK Differs from the “Traditional” Method
The most common method of creating a corneal flap involves a device that uses a blade, but Bladeless LASIK technology makes it possible to create a more precise flap by using a femtosecond laser for this important first step of the procedure. Only a Bladeless LASIK procedure can be called “all-laser”.
Bladeless LASIK is Safe
Greater precision translates to improved safety and results. When compared to the microkeratome (blade) method, the femtosecond laser offers more control, allowing Drs. Del Negro & Senft to create a thinner flap with consistent thickness.
Drs. Del Negro & Senft Use the Most Advanced Technology
Bladeless LASIK has proven advances when compared to the traditional method:
- SAFETY: LASIK has proven to be a relatively safe procedure, with most LASIK complications related to the creation of the corneal flap. Bladeless LASIK makes LASIK surgery safer than ever by replacing the blade commonly used for corneal flap creation with a femtosecond laser. More than one million Bladeless LASIK procedures have been safely performed without a single sight-threatening complication reported.
- UNPRECENTED ACCURACY: Bladeless LASIK is the most sophisticated and precise technology available for creating a corneal flap. Drs. Del Negro and Senft utilize the specific measurements from each patient’s corneal map to tailor the positioning of the flap on the cornea. The laser also creates consistent flaps, which prevent the deviation in thickness that exists between the flaps created in both eyes from the microkeratome.
- SPEED: When it comes to Bladeless LASIK, faster is better. The Bladeless LASIK method creates the corneal flap in only 20 seconds per eye, making it possible to perform the entire procedure in approximately 10 minutes.
- RESULTS: With Bladeless LASIK, more patients achieve 20/20 vision.
- PATIENT SATISFACTION: Bladeless LASIK patients enrolled in a clinical study had the flap for one eye created with a microkeratome and the flap for the other eye created with Bladeless LASIK. Three out of four patients preferred the vision in the eye treated with Bladeless LASIK.
Bladeless Lasik Exceeds Expectations
Clinical Studies confirm that patients see better following Bladeless LASIK-initiated LASIK than following a traditional LASIK procedure.
- More patients achieve 20/20 or better vision with Bladeless LASIK.
- Patients preferred the post-operative vision of their Bladeless LASIK-treated eye 3 to 1 over the vision of their eye treated with traditional LASIK.
- Bladeless LASIK creates fewer high- and low-order aberrations, thought to be associated with glare and halos at night.
- Bladeless LASIK patients have a reduced incidence of post-operative dry eye symptoms.
- Bladeless LASIK patients require fewer enhancement procedures following LASIK.
- The precision of the Bladeless LASIK flap significantly reduces the incidence of post-operative induced astigmatism, as compared with a traditional LASIK Flap.
Precision & Stability = Peace of Mind
Bladeless LASIK uses the precision of a beam of light to create a flap without traveling across the cornea, virtually eliminating the possibility of undesirable complications.
Precise flap thickness is critical to a successful LASIK outcome, and Bladeless LASIK flaps feature a consistent thickness from edge to edge. This degree of accuracy is unprecedented in flap creation technology.
Flap stability is also an important factor, as the consequences of flap slippage can be problematic. The beveled edge created by the femtosecond laser during the Bladeless LASIK procedure provides added assurance and peace of mind for many patients.
Seal of Approval
The United States Navy and NASA recently tested and approved Bladeless LASIK technology for naval aviators. Previously, LASIK vision correction was off-limits for these pilots due to concerns with vision quality following the procedure. According to the Navy’s studies, Bladeless LASIK delivered better quality vision and faster visual recovery time. After the Navy’s approval, NASA followed suit, approving Bladeless LASIK for astronauts.
Are you a candidate for Bladeless LASIK?
LASIK laser vision correction is not for everyone. Certain factors, such as corneal thickness or the strength of your eyeglass prescription, determine whether or not you may be a candidate. This is why we ask anyone who is interested in the procedure to contact us to schedule a LASIK Evaluation. A detailed examination will be conducted to determine your candidacy starting with your medical history. You will also be screened for glaucoma. In addition, a computer-generated map of the surface of your cornea will be created to highlight all imperfections and measure its thickness. Your vision correction treatment will be based on this highly-detailed map.
Contact us at 732-774-5566 x239 to schedule a complimentary LASIK Evaluation to determine your candidacy for the procedure.
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