Femtosecond laser surgery is the most advanced option when performing a laser refractive surgery operation. This technology achieves the best results and that is why we use it at the Vistalaser Clinics.
In this article we would like to explain what IntraLase means and what the femtosecond laser is used for. This way the patient can better understand what is offered and can better compare the budgets given by the clinics.
IntraLase & IntraLASIK
Originally, IntraLase was the name of a company that manufactured laser technology for eye surgery. Its equipment was used in IntraLASIK treatments, and differed from standard LASIK in that it replaced mechanical blade cutting (microkeratome) with an advanced femtosecond laser.
Over the years, this company has become a division of Abbott Medical Optics, a large specialist ophthalmic supplier. However, given the success it enjoyed at the time, the term IntraLase is still used to refer to femtosecond LASIK treatments.
Femtosecond Laser
The femtosecond, called by some people by mistake the fentosecond, is actually a unit of time. It refers to the speed of the laser we use in Intralaser operations. To give you an approximate idea, you should know that in one second there are a thousand billion femtoseconds. It is difficult to get an idea of what this means, so all you need to know is that it is very fast and effective.
At Vistalaser we perform refractive surgery treatments with femtosecond laser to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Thanks to this technology, the surgeon and the patient have peace of mind and the guarantee that a perfect flap will be created based on the size, thickness, orientation and morphology that has been programmed into the computer.
As a result, the treatments are safer and require less recovery time. Adverse effects are reduced, as well as the symptoms of dry eye. In addition, many of those patients who were previously not candidates for LASIK, because of their low corneal thickness or high refractive errors, are now able to take advantage of it.
LASIK vs LASIK with femtosecond
Femtosecond LASIK, also known as Intralase or Femtolasik, uses two types of very high precision lasers. This laser replaces mechanical devices and blades. The exclusive use of laser equipment makes it the most precise and safe treatment, gradually making other older techniques such as PRK (surface treatment) or conventional LASIK disappear.
In conventional LASIK, a mechanical device called a microkeratome is used. It consists of a blade that makes a surface cut to lift a thin layer of the cornea, which is put back in place after the laser is applied. The next day the patient goes back to normal life.
In LASIK with femtosecond we do not use the microkeratome. Instead a very high precision laser (femtosecond laser) separates the surface layer of the cornea to apply the treatment. The accuracy in the shape, diameter and thickness of the separated layer and the thinness of the same, make it the highest quality ocular laser treatment available, allowing for the treatment of high graduations and very thin corneas.
This treatment is currently the most performed in the European Union, the United States and Japan. Its high efficiency and safety allow the patient to return to normal life within a few hours.
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