Eye Refractive Surgery – Laser Corrective Eye Surgery Procedures

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Numerous technological advancements have since helped in making eye refractive surgery safer and more effective than it has ever been. Here are some of the novel technological advancements that are currently being used in eye refractive surgery:

MICROKERATOME VS. LASER

One of the major improvements in the procedure, specifically in laser eye surgery, has been the use of the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is currently being used as a possible replacement of the microkeratome for use in the creation of a corneal flap. The femtosecond laser is used to shoot holes into the cornea at a preset depth. Compared to the microkeratome, the femtosecond laser is able to create the flap more accurately. Certain studies have shown that the use of the femtosecond laser has resulted in more predictable outcomes and decrease in visual aberrations, chirurgia refrattiva migliore such as halos. On the downside, use of the femtosecond laser remains to be more difficult for the ophthalmologist and also more expensive. Visual acuity after the surgery using the femtosecond laser produces similar results as eye refractive surgery that uses microkeratome tehcnology.

TRACKING DEVICES

The use of tracking devices during has also made surgery significantly safer for the patient. Tracking devices are used to follow the movements of the eye during the operation. At present, 2 types of trackers are being used, namely laser radar tracking and video tracking. Although the use of these tracking technologies has significantly made the ophthalmologist’s job easier, they still have certain limitations. Video tracking of the pupil has a slight lag time, while laser radar tracking requires a specified amount of pupil dilatation for it to work. However, both kinds of trackers are currently being employed and have resulted in good results.

THE FUTURE

At present, a number of different lasers aside from the excimer laser are being tested in several studies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The various lasers will first have to prove their efficacy and safety before they can be publicly used. When undergoing eye refractive surgery, it is important to make sure that the laser that will be used on you is FDA-approved or is part of an FDA-sanctioned clinical trial.