Eye Correction -Traditional vs. IntraLasik
The bladeless Lasik procedure, for those of you who are interested in the Lasik vision corrective surgery, is a Lasik technique that is different from the traditional Lasik surgery. IntraLasik or IntraLase, as it is often called, differs from the usual surgery in the first part of the procedure. Anyone who has had the procedure, or even for those of you who are considering it, should know that the first part involves making a flap in the eye in order for the laser to get through to the cornea and reshape it. Using a blade is the traditional way, using laser to cut the flap is the IntraLase way.
The point of this article is to get you to make your mind up about which way you prefer based on the cons and pros I highlight here. One important point to keep in mind is that the risks of using the traditional blade are well documented since it has been used for many years now and so there are millions of patients’ accounts in the database.
It is remarkable that over 90 percent of all Lasik patients do not suffer from any permanent side effects or even slight temporary ones. Of those that do develop complications, a significant amount of those problems are a related to the flap incision made with the microkeratome blade (tiny scalpel). Of course, a lot of time has gone into researching better methods to further improve this aspect of the entire Lasik procedure.
This utilization of a laser in the Lasik operation to perform the slit is hitherto unheard-of. The technology uses the laser alongside advanced software techniques to instruct the machine exactly how deep and where to make the flap before it begins. A soft suction ring holds the eye in place as the laser works. This does not cause any discomfort to the Lasik patient. For the short duration of treatment of the eye being worked on, there is a dimming of vision experienced by the patient in that eye.
The entire process of creating the flap takes about a minute, during which, the eye is well protected. The laser creates tiny water bubbles and carbon dioxide. This helps conserve the cornea from any damage by acting as a sort of buffer between the flap and the cornea.
So the advantage of using the laser to cut the flap is that the laser is precise and exact in that it creates a flap of the right size and depths making sure that the cornea is not intruded upon. This is all due to the pre-programmed laser operation using the Lasik software. Also, the perfect edges of the flap that are the result of using a laser signify quicker healing. It also helps in the off-chance that the eye gets bumped or rubbed during the healing process; it does so by lowering the chances of the flap slipping or wrinkling.
There aren’t that many disadvantages to using the laser to make the flap during Lasik. One main disadvantage is that it takes longer to make the flap than a microkeratome blade; it takes about a minute. Another problem, only for about 5 percent of patients, might be redness of the eyes that goes after a few days and this isn’t even the result of the laser but of the low level suction. The last reason is that it is more expensive but hopefully, as time goes by, that won’t even be a factor.
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