BLADELESS LASIK: FEMTOSECOND LASER EASES LASIK FEARS
Are you interested in vision correction surgery but are fearful of having a bladed surgical instrument near your eye? If so, then bladeless LASIK may be the solution you are looking for.
In bladeless LASIK – also called blade-free LASIK, all-laser LASIK, or femto LASIK – your LASIK surgeon uses two types of lasers for the vision correction procedure.
FIRST, AN ULTRA-FAST FEMTOSECOND LASER
use to create a thin flap in the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye). Next, an excimer laser is used to reshape the underlying corneal tissue to correct your vision. The flap is then returned to its original position.
The femtosecond laser eliminates the need for a bladed surgical tool (called a microkeratome) to create the corneal flap. No surgical blade of any kind is needed in all-laser LASIK.
Generally, anyone who qualifies for LASIK surgery is a good candidate for bladeless LASIK. Also, some studies have suggested that all-laser LASIK may decrease the risk of certain LASIK complications associated with the use of a microkeratome.
ADVANTAGES OF FEMTOSECOND LASER LASIK
In addition to putting patients at greater ease (knowing that no blade will be used on their eye) advantages of bladeless, femtosecond laser LASIK include:
- More predictable corneal flap thickness
- Decreased risk of corneal abrasions during surgery
- Decreased risk of induced astigmatism after LASIK. Also, in some cases, a femtosecond laser may make it possible to create a thinner corneal flap, which could enable the surgeon to safely correct higher amounts of nearsightedness.
- The femtosecond laser also gives the LASIK surgeon more options in flap size, shape, and orientation, for a more customized LASIK procedure for each patient’s needs.
- Finally, a femtosecond laser can create a corneal flap that has edges that enable the flap to fit more securely in place after the LASIK procedure, potentially reducing healing time and decreasing the risk of dislocation of the flap after surgery.
One potential LASIK complication that usually is specific to bladeless LASIK is a condition called transient light sensitivity syndrome (TLSS). This is characterized by rapid onset of photophobia without changes in visual acuity or other clinical signs.
TLSS typically occurs two to six weeks after bladeless LASIK surgery, and fluorescent lights can worsen the light sensitivity symptoms. But the condition is not sight-threatening and it usually can be successfully treated with short-term use of steroid eye drops.
