All Laser Lasik Vs Microkeratome

The refractive surgery community continues to debate whether to use either a blade or laser to create corneal flaps.

All laser lasik vs microkeratome.

The first step of the lasik procedure involves creating a thin corneal flap with either an automated mechanical device called a microkeratome or a femtosecond laser in the case of all laser intralasik. The reality is that lasik is one of the safest procedures in all of medicine with the microkeratome or with the intralase. They treat vision problems like nearsightedness farsightedness and astigmatism. Then the cornea is reshaped using an excimer laser.

Expect to pay approximately 400 more per eye for all laser lasik compared with conventional lasik with a microkeratome flap. Many surgeons prefer this method as it grants more flexibility to plan and carry out a personally customized procedure for the patient. All laser vs microkeratome lasik microkeratome lasik. The surgeon first cuts a thin flap of tissue from the front of the eye.

Also called all laser lasik this procedure uses an intralasik femtosecond laser to create the corneal flap instead of a microkeratome. The improved vision that results from lasik surgery with a microkeratome is achieved in two steps. First the surgeon uses a microkeratome to expose the inner cornea creating a thin flap of corneal tissue. Vance thompson md facs sioux falls s d.

Both lasik and prk use a laser to reshape the cornea the. Microkeratome lasik flaps the keys to femtosecond laser use in my practice are safety and accuracy. Then a laser. In our study the total rms values of hoas and spherical aberrations for both the femtosecond treated eyes and the microkeratome.

As far as clinical significance it can be tough to tell the difference between a well done blade flap with modern microkeratome technology and a well done laser flap. I also use both the femtosecond laser and blade microkeratome technology to create flaps. According to a leading vision care industry analyst the average cost for custom all laser lasik in 2009 was approximately 2 300 per eye including wavefront guided lasik technology. The emergence of femtosecond laser technology has revolutionized lamellar flap creation.

In a non randomized study buzzonetti et al found that corneal high order aberrations were higher after lasik with the flap created by a microkeratome hansatome than after lasik with a femtosecond laser intralase. While individual doctors may have their own preference most objective lasik surgeons agree that both methods can be very safe and consistently achieve excellent results. This article discusses the clinical advantages and disadvantages of the femtosecond laser and mechanical microkeratome for lasik flap creation. 95 percent of my flaps are made with the laser.