What is iLASIK
As technology progresses, so do methods for effective patient care. In recent years, a number of great advances have been made in the field of laser eye surgery, allowing patients to have the safest and most accurate LASIK surgery possible. This new form of LASIK is known as iLASIK. Many people aren’t familiar with iLASIK and what it entails, which is why the team at our Wilmington laser vision correction center would like to take a quick look at it right now. This should give you an idea why iLASIK is so great for patients as well as LASIK surgeons.
About iLASIK
iLASIK combines custom LASIK technology with bladeless, all-laser LASIK technology. This means that Delaware eye surgeons are able to provide patients with the ultimate in vision correction and enhancement. Both custom LASIK and bladeless LASIK go well beyond traditional LASIK techniques, allowing for greater effectiveness of care.
Custom LASIK Technology
Custom LASIK technology refers to the use of advanced digital mapping of the corneas. This allows LASIK surgeons to pinpoint very small imperfections on the corneal surface. This means that both lower order aberrations and higher order aberrations can be corrected during the Wilmington LASIK procedure. Traditional LASIK was only able to effectively and consistently correct lower order aberrations.
Lower Order Aberrations and Higher Order Aberrations
Lower order aberrations refers to the common vision problems related to light passing through the eyes. You know these better as:
- Myopia: Also known as nearsightedness, myopia means that objects that are nearby are easy to see while objects at a distance appear out of focus.
- Hyperopia: Also known as farsightedness, hyperopia means that objects that are distant are easy to see while objects that are nearby appear out of focus.
- Astigmatism: Astigmatism is a general blurriness of vision that occurs when the cornea is asymmetrical. It often accompanies myopia and hyperopia.
Higher order aberrations refers to visual imperfections such as:
- Glare
- Halos
- Starbursts
- Issues with light sensitivity
- Issues with contrast sensitivity
- Poor night vision
All-Laser LASIK Technology
In traditional LASIK surgery, an instrument known as a microkeratome was used to create a flap in the corneal surface. This is the essential first step of LASIK surgery. All-laser LASIK does away with the microkeratome. Instead, the flap is created by using a safe laser.
Reduced Human Error
By removing the microkeratome from the process, LASIK surgeons can now perform refractive surgery that is less prone to human error. It’s true that the microkeratome was used safely for many years, but now simply by using a laser, any chance of surgical errors or infection can be completely avoided.
iLASIK Means Safety and Extremely Effective Care
In addition to reducing the chances of human error and infection, iLASIK also means a safer reshaping of the cornea itself. The information from the digital map of the eye is fed into a computer which will then guide the LASIK laser when it reshapes the cornea. Human error becomes a thing of the past.
Learn More About Laser Vision Correction
If you would like to learn more about LASIK surgery and the many other options out there for enhancing your overall vision, be sure to speak with our ophthalmologists and optometrists in Delaware. By scheduling a consultation with our eye care team, you will be able to get all of the answers that you need to make an informed decision.