iLASIK Surgery
What to Expect Are You a Candidate? Risks Consent Form
iLASIK eye surgery (laser assisted intrastromal keratomileusis) is a computer-assisted surgeon-controlled procedure that improves vision (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) by permanently changing the shape of the cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) with cool excimer lasers (ultraviolet light). The procedure takes about five to ten minutes per eye depending on the type and amount of correction required, and is performed on an outpatient basis at Horizon Laser Vision Center. The surgeon determines the amount of the treatment (vision correction) required with the help of WaveScan® technology and programs the patient's unique corneal shape and refractive error (glasses prescription) into the computer prior to the procedure.
View movie: What is LASER EYE SURGERY
View Movie: Creating the iLASIK Flap
iLASIK eye surgery is performed with two main instruments. One is the IntraLaseTM Femtosecond Unit, a groundbreaking, blade-free method to create your iLASIK flap. The other is the FDA-approved VISX Star S4TM Excimer Laser System. This laser system includes a large machine with a microscope and a computer screen attached to it. The VISX Star S4 Laser also includes an eye tracker that follows and compensates for any eye movements during the procedure.
Immediately preceding the procedure, numbing drops are placed in the eye and the area around the eye is cleansed. A small instrument called a lid speculum holds the eyelids open to prevent blinking.
Using the IntraLaseTM Femtosecond Unit, tiny pulses of laser light, a quadrillionth of a second each, pass harmlessly through the outer portion of your cornea and form a uniform layer of microscopic bubbles just beneath the surface of your eye.
The exact dimensions of this layer of bubbles are determined by your doctor based on what’s best for your eye, and are computer controlled for maximum precision – things that are not possible with a hand-held blade. The IntraLaseTM flap creation process takes about 15 to 20 seconds per eye. The doctor lifts the flap, folds it back on its hinge, and dries the exposed tissue ready for the laser treatment. This step takes 15 to 20 seconds per eye.
To position the eye for the procedure, the patient is asked to focus on a light within the machine. When the eye is in the correct position, the doctor starts the laser. While looking through the microscope, the surgeon uses the excimer laser to reshape the cornea. This is achieved by vaporizing an ultra-thin amount of the exposed corneal tissue. This step takes ten to 60 seconds.
When iLASIK is complete, a flap created using the IntraLaseTM Method is uniquely able to “lock” into place. Your eye begins to rapidly heal. Generally, keeping the flap in position requires no stitches (sutures) because a natural suction mechanism within the cornea holds the flap in place. A thin scar will form around the edge of the flap increasing the adhesion. Because this healing is in the periphery of the cornea, it does not affect vision.
Proper pre-surgery preparation and post-surgery eye care are key to the success of this procedure.
iLASIK resembles PRK in that both procedures use the excimer laser to change the refractive error. However, because the surgeon creates the flap, iLASIK preserves the corneal surface. As a result, the surface of the eyes treated with iLASIK heals faster than those treated with PRK. Most patients achieve reasonable vision the day following the surgery. Furthermore, patients experience less discomfort with iLASIK post-operatively than with PRK.
Additional information on LASIK eye surgery is available from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.