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Since the development of Lasik, millions of people have undergone laser eye surgery to correct vision issues they may have been experiencing. Over the years, the technologies involved in laser eye treatment have continued to develop and evolve, so that today there are so many newer options for Lasik patients to consider. To help you to decide which one might be the right one for you, we will discuss each one, starting with conventional Lasik. Conventional Lasik, also called original Lasik, uses a microkeratome blade to cut a flap into the cornea to expose the laser eye treatment area. An excimer laser is then used to burn off corneal tissue. Conventional Lasik laser eye surgery is not customized to any one patient, but was a standard treatment for all eyes, no matter what the vision issue. Today, patients can achieve a more customized result with newer technology. The Intralase version of Lasik laser eye surgery, is also known as a “bladeless” laser eye treatment. Intralase was approved by the FDA in 2001, and it replaces the microkeratome blade that was used to cut the corneal flap in the original Lasik procedure. Intralase can now be used to perform the conventional Lasik procedure, or newer customized Lasik surgeries. While using the microkeratome is still widely practiced, there are some who believe that using the Intralase method has actually improved both the precision of the surgery and the visual results. The Waveform version of Lasik was approved by the FDA in 2003, and is also known as custom Lasik laser eye surgery. Custom Lasik is very similar to conventional Lasik because it uses a microkeratome blade and excimer laser just like the original procedure. Unlike the original, however, Waveform customizes the treatment area and the tissue removal to the shape and thickness of each individual patient’s cornea using Waveform measurement technology. The surface of the eye can be very irregular so that each person’s eye is unique, and each one of your eyes may have a different measurement. By using this technology before the surgical procedure is performed, the surface of the eye is mapped out in 3D, allowing for a more customized surgery to correct vision problems in that particular eye. Using Waveform actually reduces any post surgery issues like halos or night glare. Epi-Lasik is the option for those patients that might not have otherwise qualified for Lasik surgery, because of thin corneas, dry eyes, or other eye conditions. Epi-Lasik does not require the creation of a corneal flap, but instead uses an epikeratome plastic instrument to perform a separation of the outermost layer of the cornea, the epithelium. There is a another procedure that will also work for thin corneas, called LASEK. It uses alcohol to soften the upper layer of the epithelium, so that it can be easily separated from the stroma, the second layer, so that the cornea can be more easily reshaped with the laser. The outer layer is replaced at the end of the procedure. As the technology continues to evolve, more and more options will be available for people looking to have corrective surgery for their eyes. Even now, procedures like Presby are being developed to enable people with certain eye disorders to still be candidates to correct those disorders with laser surgery. The future for this is bright and ever changing, so keep that in mind if you are not currently a candidate. A procedure may be developed down the line for which you will qualify. Author Bio. Thinking about getting a Laser Eye Treatment? Speak with the experts at Visualase for their advice on the right Laser Eye Surgery for you.
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