LASIK (Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) is one of the most amazing technological breakthroughs in eye care in past decades.

Using a cold, high-precision laser beam, the excimer laser is precisely programmed to remove a microscopic layer of the cornea, altering its curvature, to correct your spectacle or contact lens prescription.

To put this into perspective, each laser pulse removes 0.25 microns of corneal tissue or 1/400 of a mm. Because of the laser's precision, damage to healthy, adjoining tissue is reduced or eliminated. Among its advantages are that visual recovery is rapid and it is virtually painless.

The LASIK Procedure

Step 1

As part of the LASIK procedure, the surgeon creates a thin corneal 'flap'. This flap is carefully folded back.

Step 2

The excimer laser is used to reshape the middle tissue layer of the cornea. The exact amount has been pre-programmed into the laser to correct your individual prescription. Approximately 10-12 microns of tissue is removed for each dioptre of myopia treated.

Step 3

The corneal 'flap' is then replaced to its original position where, like moist cling film, it adheres quickly and seals itself without the use of stitches. The flap protects the treated area of your cornea and helps reduce discomfort.

Z-LASIK

The recent development of Z-LASIK has enhanced standard LASIK by making it an all-laser procedure.

Unlike standard LASIK in which the corneal flap is created by a microkeratome using a surgical blade, Z-LASIK is a LASIK procedure in which the corneal flap is created by the Ziemer Femtosecond Surgical Laser. This works by creating a layer of tiny bubbles at a very precise depth in the cornea. The surgeon can then carefully lift the layer of tissue above the bubbles and the excimer laser is applied to reprofile the exposed cornea to achieve the desired refractive correction. However if the flap is not lifted the layer of bubbles disappears and the cornea remains intact.

The advantage of Z-LASIK over standard LASIK is that a much thinner corneal flap can be created with great precision providing a very smooth layer of exposed cornea to which the excimer laser is applied. The great accuracy of the depth at which the Femtosecond Surgical Laser creates the flap ensures the maximum amount of residual corneal tissue is retained for long term stability of the eye. The creation of the flap itself can be performed without the additional potential complications associated with cutting of the corneal tissue with a mechanical blade.

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