Advanced Eye Care and Surgery- Intralase LASIK

After PRK, a bandage soft contact lens is worn for about 5 days. Because the epithelium was disturbed, you may experience blurry vision for three to five days and slight discomfort until the epithelium heals over the treated area. Eye drops, oral medications and a bandage contact lens are usually very effective in reducing this post-operative discomfort. Final visual results may be realized anywhere from several days to a month or more as the surface heals in accordance to each individual’s healing tendencies.

LASIK combines the accuracy of the Excimer laser with the quick healing characteristics of a procedure first performed in 1949 called Lamellar Keratoplasty. Using a Femtosecond laser (Intralase), a thin, protective flap of corneal tissue, attached by a hinge on one side, is precisely created in about 25 seconds. The protective flap is then folded back so the inner tissue of the cornea (stroma) can be treated with the excimer laser. After the tissue is reshaped, the corneal flap is folded back over the treated area where it bonds securely, without the need for stitches. With less surface area to heal, LASIK patients recover very quickly and most experience little, if any, discomfort. Functional vision resumes very rapidly, with the majority of patients seeing well enough to drive in a day or two without glasses or contact lenses. It is estimated that LASIK is the procedure of choice in over 95% of all laser vision procedures performed today.

But to be a good candidate for LASIK, the cornea must have sufficient thickness to allow for the flap to be made and still have enough tissue under the flap to allow for the proper amount of tissue to be removed. If a patient’s cornea is too thin or if they have severe dry eyes, a patient may not be a good candidate for refractive surgery or other forms of refractive surgery may be a better option.

Since only the edge around the corneal flap needs to heal, visual recovery is rapid and patients report little or no post-operative pain. Additionally, there is less risk of scarring or developing corneal haze. There is also less need for post-operative medications with LASIK than PRK.