Send to Friend from Loden Vision Center Lasik Cataract Experts
In 1996, Dr. James Loden began performing a procedure called Laser Assisted Stromal In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK). Commonly pronounced as "LASIK", the fundamentals of this vision correction procedure were developed by Dr. Jose Barraquer in Columbia, South America in the mid 1960s. In LASIK, either a laser (INTRALASE® FS60) or a microkeratome are used to separate the cornea creating a "flap" or "cap" of corneal tissue. This flap is folded back, remaining attached at its hinge. The excimer laser is then used to remove a specified amount of corneal tissue, thus reshaping the cornea appropriately. Once the laser treatment has been applied, the corneal flap is repositioned. No stitches are necessary to secure the flap. The advantages of LASIK include the following: 1.) Accurate and predictable results 2.) Almost no post-operative discomfort 3.) Rapid recovery 4.) Low incidence of healing haze. The INTRALASE® laser actually represents a breakthrough in the field of ultrafast laser science. Generating light pulses as short as one-quadrillionth of a second, femtosecond laser technology has opened new fields of scientific study and provided the basis of femtochemistry research that won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The use of the femtosecond laser in the field of ophthalmology was developed by a team of physicists, biomedical engineers and ophthalmologists at the Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences and the Kellogg Eye Center of the University of Michigan. The IntraLase ultrafast femtosecond laser is the first bladeless laser technology for performing Step One of LASIK and the most accurate technology for corneal flap creation available today. The laser uses an infrared beam of light to precisely separate tissue through a process called photodisruption. In this process, the focused laser pulses divide material at the molecular level without the transfer of heat or impact to the surrounding tissue.
- IntraLase creates the flap from below the surface of the cornea, using an “inside-out” process.
- The silent beam of laser light is focused to a precise point within the stroma (central layer of the cornea) where each pulse of the laser creates a tiny 2- to 3-micron bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapor.
- Thousands of these microscopic bubbles are precisely positioned to define the flap’s dimensions, as well as the location of the hinge.
- Bubbles are then stacked along the edge of the flap up to the corneal surface to complete the flap.
- The process from start to finish takes approximately 15 seconds.
- The surgeon then lifts the flap to allow for treatment by the excimer laser. When treatment is complete, the flap is repositioned.
There are two important steps to LASIK eye surgery. In Step One, your doctor creates a micro-thin flap of tissue on the outer layer of your eye, also known as the cornea. The flap is important for rapid healing, greater comfort and better vision. If it is too thick, too thin, or irregular, it could affect the quality of your vision. Although complications with LASIK surgery are rare, when they do occur, they are often associated with the use of a hand-held microkeratome blade in Step One. IntraLase makes LASIK surgery better by replacing your doctor’s hand-held microkeratome blade with a computer-guided laser that delivers micron-level accuracy over 100 percent greater than a microkeratome.* This gives you the greater assurance you need that Step One of LASIK eye surgery will be accurate, safe and a first step towards giving you the best LASIK result possible. In Step Two, your doctor folds open the flap so that an excimer laser can be used on the inner cornea to correct your vision. Your flap is then returned to its original position where it seals without stitches.
Create the corneal flap. | 
Reshape the cornea. |
Corneal thickness, curvature and symmetry are all variables that can dramatically impact flap construction and safety. It is the precision of the INTRALASE laser that allows it to create a flap that matches the specific characteristics of each cornea. As such, the IntraLase laser creates:
- Full 360 degree dissection for greater symmetry
- Uniform flap thickness
- Uniform, dry stromal bed
- Round flap with variable side-cut architecture
- Ideal hinge placement
- Precise centration
- Hand-held microkeratomes have standard deviations of mean flap thickness two to three times greater than IntraLase and are unable to produce the same high degree of uniformity and consistency.
Take The First Step Call us today at 615-859 EYES (3937) to schedule your appointment to find out if Custom Blade Free LASIK is right for you. Loden Vision Centers has four convenient locations in the Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee area. See our Locations page for more details. For the best in Nashville LASIK surgery, turn to Loden Vision Centers - home of Tennessee’s first and only 20/20 LASIK guarantee!