The laser technologies used during LASIK eye surgery

• Lasik Laser Surgery
• 19 February, 2019
• BY Bajaj Eye Care Centre

What is LASIK eye surgery?

Most of you must be wondering what LASIK stands for. Well it is an acronym for Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, which is in simple terms laser surgery that is done to correct an individual’s vision. A lot of people who wear glasses or contact lenses, want to be free of them completely and consider undergoing corrective surgery for their vision. But before you make your choice and opt for it, you need to know basics about the surgery, so that you are fully aware of what you are signing up for.

The basics of LASIK eye surgery?

To put the entire process into perspective, it can simply be understood as a surgery that is done to reshape your cornea, which is the clear part at the front of your eye you can see, using laser beams, so that your eyes can focus light in an improved manner onto the retina, which is the part of the eye that sends signals to your brain about the image you are looking, making it possible for you to actually see, and see clearly.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that the different types of laser technologies used during the procedure to be tested and meet rigorous standards. Therefore any type of laser device used during surgery needs to prove that it is safe, as well as effective for the purpose it is being utilized. Therefore it is important that you look for FDA approval on the laser technology that is going to be used during your surgery.

During the procedure, surgeons use specialized excimer laser, which is a type of laser that emits cool UV light beams, which will aid in reshaping the cornea, and correcting visual problems like farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. Since it is laser beams which are used in this corrective surgery, it is important for you to know what are the best types of technologies which are available to be used in the market today.

The different types of laser technology used:

Bladeless LASIK Laser Technology:

It is commonly known as the ‘’all-laser LASIK’’, and as the name implies, the entire surgical procedure is carried out with the use of only the laser technology, including the construction of the corneal tissue flap. A type of laser known as femtosecond laser is used to create the flap, and by using this infrared laser for this purpose, it allows the surgeon to work with extra precision and control the depth of treatment so the best tissue architecture can be created. As a result of this, it can be the best option for people who have thin corneas and could not undergo the traditional surgical procedure.

Custom LASIK Laser Technology:

This is also commonly known as Wave-Front Optimized Laser Technology, and is fast becoming popular, because it offers an extensive level of personalization. It offers the necessary degree of vision correction to the individual, while still maintaining some of the most important aspects of the individual’s optical features.

Topography Guided LASIK Laser Technology:

Just like Custom LASIK technology, Topography guided LASIK also offers enhanced levels of personalization to the individual. It uses the latest topography technology in order to exactly gauge the curvature the eye and determine the impact of it on vision. These measurements which are procured through the topographic procedure also gives additional information to the surgeon in order to provide individualized treatment plans, that will target the specific needs of the individual’s eyes.

With numerous types of laser technology available, it can be difficult to choose the correct LASIK technology for you. Therefore you need to discuss this in detail with your surgical team, and make a well informed decision before you proceed.