LASIK Surgeons
Bladeless LASIK is also called blade-free LASIK, all-laser LASIK, IntraLase and iLASE. To be clear, it’s all about the flap. In traditional LASIK, the flap is created with a blade. In bladeless LASIK, the flap is created with a femtosecond laser. The adjustments made to the cornea are made with an excimer laser in all types of LASIK. Bladeless LASIK reduces the chance of flap complications. Bladeless LASIK is an option for some patients who are not good candidates for traditional LASIK and for those whose careers formerly prohibited LASIK.
Benefits of Bladeless LASIK
Bladeless LASIK gives your surgeon more control when creating the corneal flap. This reduces the chance of complications during and after surgery. Bladeless is a safer option for many patients who are not good candidates for traditional LASIK.
Benefits of bladeless laser eye surgery include:
- The flap is created with greater precision
- Your surgeon has better control over flap depth
- The edges of the flap are smooth and even, reducing the risk of astigmatism
- The edges are vertical, rather than tapered, improving healing and reducing the risk of epithelial in-growth
- Thicker flap edges are less likely to tear
- The flap seals in place faster and better
- The flap can be tailored to each eye
- No “buttonhole” flaps
- Decreased risk of contamination or infection
- The risk of dry eye is reduced
- The chance of the need enhancement surgery is reduced
- You have a better chance of 20/20 vision or better
- Bladeless makes LASIK an option for more patients
Bladeless LASIK is even safer and more precise when it is wavefront-guided. Your LASIK surgeon can perform wavefront mapping of your eyes to determine if you need wavefront-guided LASIK to treat or prevent worsening of high order aberrations that can cause vision quality problems such as halos, glare, and difficulty with night vision.
Bladeless LASIK is Not for Everyone
Although bladeless LASIK is more and advanced and the safer option for most LASIK patients, it is not the best choice for everyone. If you have glaucoma, or are at risk for glaucoma, traditional LASIK may be a better option for you. In bladeless LASIK, suction it applied to the eye for a longer period of time and the suction is stronger. Some LASIK surgeons feel that this is an increased risk for glaucoma patients. Others prefer all-laser for their glaucoma patients.
To learn more about the benefits of bladeless LASIK, please search this directory for a list of LASIK surgeons near you.
