Horizon Eye Specialists & Lasik Center

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Archive for the ‘Lasik Information’ Category

iLasik vs. Traditional Lasik – Know The Differences

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Intralase Lasik procedure (also called “iLasik”) is considered among the most advanced LASIK surgical procedures in the field of ophthalmology today. Other names for this procedure are All-Laser LASIK or Bladeless LASIK. As the names suggest, the procedure is performed without using a surgical blade (microkeratome) to create the corneal flap. In a traditional LASIK procedure, microkeratome, a hand-held blade, is used to create the flap and an excimer laser is used to reshape the tissues underneath. But with an iLasik procedure, Intralase laser is used in creating the flap and then a VISX laser reshapes the tissues underneath. At Horizon Eye Specialists & Laser Center we always ensure to test and adopt the most advanced vision correction technologies for the benefit of patients in the Phoenix, AZ area.

The Intralase femtosecond laser can cut the corneal flap more precisely in comparison with a blade in traditional LASIK surgery. With the use of femtosecond laser, the chance that any distortions will occur during the creation of the corneal flap is considerably less than that of the traditional LASIK procedure. The iLasik procedure is a fully customized vision correction as it consists of two advanced technologies of LASIK that are adjusted to match the unique characteristics of each patient’s eyes. The iLasik procedure can correct a great variety of vision disorders so that more people can enjoy excellent vision without using contact lenses or eyeglasses. The use of two advanced lasers, precise measurement and 3-D mapping makes iLasik superior to the conventional LASIK procedure, both in terms of vision outcomes and overall safety.

In an IntraLase LASIK procedure, accurate measurements of the eye will be taken with help of the most advanced computer-guided technology. The VISX Wavescan Wavefront technology enables our doctors to create a three-dimensional map of each eye and use it to diagnose and understand even minute imperfections of each patient’s eye. After taking the measurement of the eyes and making preparations for surgery, the IntraLase laser is used for the creation of a corneal flap which is then folded back gently. This creation of corneal flap using the laser provides excellent results as it more frequently provides 20/20 vision or more to patients along with better night vision.

The CustomVue laser is then used to correct the vision of the patient according to the specifications obtained through the 3-D mapping. This advanced laser provides excellent precision to the procedure which results in highly accurate outcome. The iLasik procedure reduces complications like partial flaps, irregular flaps, incomplete flaps, infections and perforations. Patients who underwent this procedure report not to experience pain and felt comfortable during the short operation (for the creation of corneal flap, the Intralase laser works for less than one minute) that is often completed within ten minutes.

Recovery after an iLasik surgery is much faster, when compared with the traditional LASIK procedure. The chances of inflammation and infections in the eyes are very rare and are lower than in a traditional LASIK because the Interlase laser is more sterile than a microkeratome. If you would like to learn more about iLasik, contact our offices in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria and Goodyear, or call us at 602-horizon.

Arizona Lasik Surgeon Dr. McCulloch Presents Intralase-Enabled Keratoplasty

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Dr. Robert McCulloch was the first Lasik surgeon in the Phoenix, Arizona area to perform Intralase-Enabled Keratoplasty (IEK), on April 13, 2011. Intralase-Enabled Keratoplasty is a bladeless, all-laser procedure for corneal transplants. The procedure is usually performed on individuals suffering from chronic corneal damage or disease.

Corneal transplants offer hope for thousands of people in the Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and Goodyear areas who suffer from partial or complete loss of vision. Eye banks provide donations of corneas which are used to replace the patient’s damaged cornea and restore his/her vision. One part of the procedure, the creation of corneal incisions, can now be done using the advanced IntraLase Femtosecond Laser. “This is a great achievement in the field of corneal transplants, perhaps the most important technological advancement in the last 50 years”, announced Dr. McCulloch after he completed the first surgery using this technology. It is the first laser used in the U.S. to create corneal incisions as part of the corneal transplantation process. Dr. McCulloch is an expert Lasik surgeon in Arizona who has been using this ultra-fast, safe Intralase laser ro create precise corneal incisions. The accurate shape of each incision enables the Lasik surgeon to transplant the tissues perfectly into the patient’s eyes. Replacing Traditional Surgical blade with Laser Traditional corneal transplants were performed using a handheld blade known as trephine, a surgical instrument that has straight and vertical edges and was used to create a circular incision on the cornea. After making the incision using this traditional blade, a simple and plug-shaped corneal tissue graft is created. In this treatment, the corneal graft required more sutures than in the new Intralase assisted procedures and these sutures  used to remain within the eyes for one or more years. Patients often did not obtain full recovery of their vision for at least one year after the procedure due to increased astigmatism of the eyes. It All Changed Overnight.. In IntraLase-Enabled Keratoplasty, Dr. McCulloch will program the IntraLase Femtosecond Laser to make percise, interlocking corneal incisions on the transplanting tissue as well as on the diseased cornea of the patient. After creating the corneal incisions using a Lasik procedure, the infrared light ray of the laser focuses accurately on the cornea and microscopic bubbles are formed. Complex incisions which were impossible to make wuth a trephine can now be made with the help of the Intralase technology.  A corneal graft that is created this way provides faster recovery and it is considered more stable due to the interlocking design of the corneal incisions. Some of the benefits IntraLase-Enabled Keratoplasty offers are fewer sutures, which can be removed faster than in the traditional method, faster recovery of patients’ vision and significantly lower risk of graft displacement.