lasik day

I still marvel at the technological advancements that have made this procedure, LASIK, better than ever. A femtosecond laser, that is called IntraLase, is used to etch a thin layer on the surface of the cornea. The goal is a flap that can be raised but is also hinged. This allows the Excimer Laser to remove tissue from the cornea and reshape it. I used to create the flap with a metal blade. Now, the laser creates the flap by separating layers of the cornea with air bubbles. Then a side cut is made with the laser to allow the layer to be lifted.
The advantage of the laser is precision and safety.
The excimer laser is driven by a wavefront measurement. Essentially, a measurement of the eye's optics is taken before the procedure, then transferred to the laser via a flash drive. The measurement is done bouncing a light beam off the back of the eye, and capturing the wave of light that exits the eye. This wave has been bent by the optical elements within the eye. Transferring the information from the wave of light to the excimer laser allows the laser to correct the refractive error of the eye. Essentially, this allows me to use an objective measurement of the eye, rather than the subjective refraction done in the office.