Overview
Over the last 25 years, LASIK surgery has been performed on more than 16 million people worldwide. A recent study confirms that LASIK has higher satisfaction rates than any other elective surgery.
LASIK surgery is quick, virtually painless, and can greatly enhance one’s quality of life.
One of the most common concerns people have about laser eye surgery is whether the treatment is safe. There are four aspects of laser eye surgery that contribute to its overall safety:
- Proper patient evaluation before surgery
- Creation of the LASIK flap
- Laser technology
- Proper Post-operative care and follow-up
These topics will be addressed here as an overview, and in greater detail elsewhere in the site.
Pre-operative evaluation
At our center, patients meet with our surgeons at the very first visit. Dr. Kugler or Dr. Schlichtemeier perform a thorough evaluation to determine the safest procedure parameters for each individual eye. Each eye is measured and evaluated with a large array of instruments that provide detailed information about the eye’s optics and health. Based on this information, our surgeons can design a treatment plan that best meets the need of that particular eye and patient.
Our surgeons explain the surgical procedure from start to finish and address any questions that the patient has prior to surgery.
Creation of the LASIK flap
LASIK is performed under a hinged flap of corneal tissue. The flap may be made with either a mechanical blade, called a microkeratome, or by using a precise and sophisticated laser called a Femtosecond laser. At our center, we specialize in creating flaps with a Femtosecond laser. Once the flap is created and folded back, the excimer laser reshapes the underlying tissue to correct any vision abnormalities. The corneal flap is then replaced over the treated area. LASIK patients experience little, if any, discomfort. Functional vision returns very rapidly, with the majority of patients seeing well enough to drive in a day or two without glasses or contact lenses.
Two lasers are used in our bladeless LASIK procedure. The Intralase laser is a femtosecond laser (0.000000000000001 second) that directs its laser beam into a tiny 3 micron (0.003 mm) spot, which is focused to a precise depth within the cornea.
In less than a minute, using computer precision and an extremely high speed of delivery, approximately 1 million pulses are delivered to the exact location desired by the surgeon. Discrete laser bursts create a million tiny bubbles which result in separation of the cornea and creation of the flap.
Several studies suggest that bladeless LASIK is safer and more predictable than LASIK performed with a blade.
Excimer Laser Treatment
The surgeon lifts the flap and uses another type of laser (Allegretto Wave EyeQ) to reshape the eye and correct the vision. This laser technology is discussed extensively here After the excimer laser treatment, the flap is placed back into its original position.
Post-operative care and follow-up
The care that patients receive following laser surgery is just as important as the care they receive before and during the procedure. Customization of post-operative medications, and evaluation of visual quality, occurs at each postoperative visit. At our center, patients see either Dr. Schlichtemeier or Dr. Kugler at every post-operative visit.
The following video provides a good overview of how LASIK has helped the US armed forces maintain a competitive advantage against our adversaries. It discusses the safety and precision of the procedure:
