The Latest Advance in Laser Eye Surgery | Medical & Health …

A new technology known as IntraLASIK was recently approved by the United States Foods and Drugs administration. This technology may change surgical performance on your LASIK procedure. The initial flap uses the conventional LASIK procedure and utilizes a mechanical device. The IntraLASIK procedure employs precision laser devices. This procedure does not use a surgical blade to create a flap.

LASIK is the acronym for Laser in-situ Keratomileusis’. It is a painless procedure that involves the creation of a flap on the cornea. It utilizes an instrument known as a microkeratome. The instrument makes a thin flap on the cornea. Once created and drawn back, laser surgery is done on the corneas’ deeper layer. Once the surgery is complete, the flap is folded back and may not require stitching. Patients who undergo this procedure have little or no post surgery discomfort. They have less chances of having corneal scarring and develop clear vision rapidly. Research shows that over 90 per cent of patients develop clear vision a day after the surgery. The main hurdle though is the expertise in creating the corneal flap.

Advantages of the IntraLASIK Procedure

This procedure uses accurate laser technology to produce the initial flap that is required during LASIK procedures. Some of the advantages this procedure boasts of are as follows:

· It is ideal for patients who have thin corneas, and
· It is accurate in creating a flap.

The IntraLASE Laser Technology

This technology was the first laser procedure to be endorsed by the United States. It involves the formation of LASIK flaps.

How the IntraLASIK Procedure Works:

The surgeon first determines the thickness and size of your flap. This collected data is fed into the laser device to allow the surgeons customize the procedure to suit your visual requirements. It is vital that a patient gets a nod from his or her eye doctor before undertaking this procedure. The doctor will discuss the potential risks associated with this procedure and advice accordingly.

What is PRK?

PRK stands for photorefractive keratectomy. It utilizes the excimer laser to treat eye conditions such as hyperopia, and myopia astigmatism. A laser beam commanded from a computer accurately removes a section of the corneal tissue. This procedure treats up to 12 diopters of myopia. This procedure normally takes about two minutes to accomplish. The eyelids are drawn back and the eye anesthetized. The PRK procedure is done, and then a contact lens placed on the eyeball for stability.

What is LASEK?

LASEK, on the other hand, involves loosening of the epithelium using a mild alcohol solution before laser surgery. The epithelium is then carefully returned to its original position after the surgery. A moderate discomfort usually occurs two days after the procedure and can be contained using oral or topical medication.

Other Eye Surgery Procedures:

Astigmatic keratotomy-

This is a surgical procedure done on the cornea to eliminate or reduce astigmatism. This is achieved by making one or two incisions on the cornea. This procedure can be merged with other laser procedures such as LASIK or PRK to accomplish better results.

Conductive Keratoplasty-

Popularly referred to as CK, this procedure employs radio frequencies to treat between 0.75 to 3.0 diopters of farsightedness. CK channels this radio frequency energy to a segment of the cornea to correct hyperopia. This procedure was approved in April 2002 by the Foods and Drugs Association for the correction of this eye condition. The first surgeon to perform this procedure was Edward Manche of the United States of America. He was by then the Foods and Drugs Association’s clinical investigator.

Intraocular Contact Lens-

This is a non surgical procedure that involves the placement of contact lens on the eye to correct or completely eliminate farsightedness or nearsightedness. 

Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis-

This procedure, as mentioned earlier, is a technique used to loosen the epithelial flap using an alcohol solution of low concentrations before surgery. This procedure reshapes the cornea. This procedure is an advanced form of traditional PRK. After loosening the flap with a spatula, it is detached and folded away from the target section of the eye. PRK is then employed to remove cataracts or clouds. The flap is then placed back on the cornea to conclude the procedure. Patients who are treated using this technology have a rapid rehabilitation period and experience little or no post-surgical discomfort.