Don’t just Lasik, Intralasik!

Don’t just Lasik, Intralasik!

I wanted to see for myself what Lasik was all about. I discovered there were several kinds of the vision correction procedure. After sitting down with a renowned Lasik physician, I decided that the bladeless surgery was the best for me. Intralasik or Intralase was my choice not so much for technical reasons, but more because of psychological ones.

The different between the traditional Lasik procedure and Intralasik is that in the latter, the actual laser is used to make the flap in the eye and not a tiny blade. All Lasik procedures involve creating this flap in order to allow the excimer laser to shape the cornea of the eye. Traditional Lasik uses a microkeratome which they explained as being a tiny blade, not scalpel. Whatever, the fact is that there is a sharp object approaching the eye with cruel intentions.

Technically speaking, there is the (still in debate) argument that using a laser to cut the flap is safer. It is said that using the laser would decrease the possibility of error by not reaching the cells underneath the flap. I do not profess to being an expert on the subject, which is why anyone considering the procedure should have a long talk with a Lasik physician beforehand. This is so you get an idea of all the available Lasik options and also their varying costs.

Before going into the details of my personal procedure, let me take a minute and rate how I did as a Lasik candidate - magnificent. Honestly, I had all the traits of a good candidate. I was in general good health, my mid-thirties, I had moderate nearsightedness and mild astigmatism and turned out healthy enough eye-wise (all exams showed that I had a thick cornea, no eye scarring, no recent eye infections, etc.).

I first went and got two separate medical opinions from two independent surgeons. I wanted to know how good I was a as a candidate for the procedure and also about the services they provided. One of them is part of the staff at the medical school in a major metropolitan area, so I felt assured that their opinions were well-grounded.

As for the surgery, that day I came in, paid the first installment and got my eyes rechecked. All advice about how to take care of my eyes after the surgery was explained to me. This included how to use the eye drops, getting sleep right after the surgery and not exercising, I wasn’t in a hurry to exercise though. They gave me a sedative and then we stepped into the surgeon’s office.

The Lasik chair was fitted with padded pillows to keep the head comfortable and in place; there was a teddy bear available for those who wanted to cuddle. A clamp held my eyes from being shut, then there was a suction ring and the vision in one eye got a little dim. The first laser made the flap; I was to focus on a small light while the second laser made its changes to the cornea. I was told afterwards, that this whole chain of events took less than half a minute.

I do recall clicking noises and feeling some pressure, but there was no pain or real discomfort. The eye flaps were then put back in place and I stayed in a recliner for about twenty minutes, just resting. My vision improved instantly but I was warned against testing my eyes. It was more important to rest them and concentrate on the healing aspect for a number of days.

I have to admit that I was surprised it went so well. I am really pleased with the way things turned out and my advice to you is, if you’re going for Lasik, then Intralasik.