Blade Vs Blade-Free Laser Eye Surgery
By Dr James Genge
Blade free LASIK represents the pinnacle of laser eye surgery. It has allowed laser eye surgery to reach new levels of accuracy, comfort and safety for patients. In Blade free LASIK, the corneal flap is created with a Femtosecond Laser rather than a Microkeratome (an oscillating blade) that is used in traditional Lasik.
The reasons Blade Free (Femtosecond Laser) LASIK is superior to
Blade (Microkeratome) LASIK are multiple:
1. You get a perfectly created flap every time with Blade Free LASIK; this is not the case when using a blade. A Microkeratome can cause a 'button hole' flap that does not allow treatment to continue and has a risk of scarring. Using a Femtosecond Laser eliminates this risk. A perfect flap equals better vision.
2. The thinner flaps made with a Femtosecond Laser are safer in the long term compared to blade flaps as the cornea post op has greater stability as it's thicker. This reduces the risk of a complication called Ectasia, where the cornea can bulge forward with time, potentially requiring a corneal transplant to rectify.
3. Blade Free LASIK consistently outperforms blade laser in clinical studies looking at quality of vision. The flap profile and smoothness is superior, delivering vision as good as or better than their glasses. A flap created with a blade is thinner peripherally and thicker centrally, this unevenness can blur vision. A Femtosecond laser created flap is a consistent thickness across its entire diameter, reducing the possibility of micro-wrinkles, the perfect flap profile providing the best possible vision in laser eye surgery
4. Blade Free LASIK allows the position of the flap to be made perfect, something that's impossible with a blade. The surgeon has a virtual image of the flap position superimposed over the patient's cornea and before creating it he can manipulate and optimize the flap position so it is perfectly centered every time. This gives better vision and safety.
5. A Femtosecond flap is created with a vertical side cut, again something not possible with a blade or Microkeratome flap. This enormously reduces the possibility of a complication called epithelial ingrowth, where the surface cells of the cornea get seeded underneath the flap. This also allows a superior flap profile as the flap slots back down like a tiny manhole cover.
Laser eye surgery has evolved in an exciting new direction with the introduction of blade-free femtosecond laser flaps; it's finally delivering the promise of the safest and most accurate procedure possible.
1. You get a perfectly created flap every time with Blade Free LASIK; this is not the case when using a blade. A Microkeratome can cause a 'button hole' flap that does not allow treatment to continue and has a risk of scarring. Using a Femtosecond Laser eliminates this risk. A perfect flap equals better vision.
2. The thinner flaps made with a Femtosecond Laser are safer in the long term compared to blade flaps as the cornea post op has greater stability as it's thicker. This reduces the risk of a complication called Ectasia, where the cornea can bulge forward with time, potentially requiring a corneal transplant to rectify.
3. Blade Free LASIK consistently outperforms blade laser in clinical studies looking at quality of vision. The flap profile and smoothness is superior, delivering vision as good as or better than their glasses. A flap created with a blade is thinner peripherally and thicker centrally, this unevenness can blur vision. A Femtosecond laser created flap is a consistent thickness across its entire diameter, reducing the possibility of micro-wrinkles, the perfect flap profile providing the best possible vision in laser eye surgery
4. Blade Free LASIK allows the position of the flap to be made perfect, something that's impossible with a blade. The surgeon has a virtual image of the flap position superimposed over the patient's cornea and before creating it he can manipulate and optimize the flap position so it is perfectly centered every time. This gives better vision and safety.
5. A Femtosecond flap is created with a vertical side cut, again something not possible with a blade or Microkeratome flap. This enormously reduces the possibility of a complication called epithelial ingrowth, where the surface cells of the cornea get seeded underneath the flap. This also allows a superior flap profile as the flap slots back down like a tiny manhole cover.
Laser eye surgery has evolved in an exciting new direction with the introduction of blade-free femtosecond laser flaps; it's finally delivering the promise of the safest and most accurate procedure possible.
Sydney based ophthalmologist and laser eye surgeon Dr. James Genge is an expert in the latest in laser eye surgery. Want to find out more? Visit his website at Laser Eye Surgery Sydney.
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