Laser Eye Surgery At Visualase
How Laser Eye Treatment Works
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Lasers used in vision correction produce precise pulses of UV light energy which are delivered accurately onto the cornea. This energy weakens the bonds between atoms in the cornea so that microscopic amounts of tissue are removed in a process called cool ablation. Since little or no heat is produced, no damage is done to the adjacent tissue allowing the computer guided laser to generate a new corneal profile as it sweeps back and forth across the eye. Myopic eyes are given a flatter profile, hyperopic eyes are given a steeper profile and astigmatic eyes have their profile made more uniform.
Three Types of Laser Eye Surgery:
- LASIK Eye Surgery - laser in situ keratomileusis
- LASEK - laser epithelial keratomileusis
- Epi-LASIK - epithelial laser in situ keratomileusis
The names of the treatments are all very similar and can be quite confusing. This is one of the advantages of meeting your treating ophthalmologist at your consultation who will be able to talk to you at length about which of these treatments is going to be the best one for you.
LASIK Eye Surgery is by far the most popular treatment due to the speed of visual recovery. In LASIK, an instrument called a microkeratome is used to form a flap on the surface of the eye which is thinner than a human hair. The laser treatment is applied to the exposed corneal tissue and then the flap is repositioned (see Figures 1, 2 & 3). The cornea has amazing bonding properties and almost immediately the flap adheres to the underlying tissue and begins to heal.
In LASEK the surface layer of cells known as the epithelium are displaced and then the laser treatment is applied. The displaced epithelial ‘flap’ is then put back in place and a plain contact lens put on the eye to help with the healing process. This contact lens stays in place until we remove it approximately three/four days later.
Epi-LASIK is a process that combines some of the advantages of LASIK and LASEK. In Epi-LASIK the surface epithelium is lifted from the underlying corneal tissue using a high precision separator. The laser treatment is then applied. As in LASEK, a contact lens is put on the eye to help with the healing process and stays in place until we remove it approximately three/for days later. Both LASEK and Epi-LASIK are known as ‘surface’ treatments.
