Advances in LASIK

Presented by The American Refractive Surgery Council

with Dr. Eric Donnenfeld

Overview

• LASIK was once off-limits to people with thin corneas, dry eye and prescriptions in higher ranges

• Advances in technology and technique, many of those once ineligible for LASIK may now benefit from the popular vision correction procedure

• This presentation will walk you through some of these significant advancements in technology

Opening the Door for New Candidates

• Improved tools, such as new, more precise lasers and more advanced techniques, mean LASIK achieves better outcomes than ever before and can be performed on many people who once were not candidates

• While there are still people whose medical conditions and vision issues make them poor candidates for LASIK, that population is shrinking due to improved technologies and therapies

Seeking a LASIK Consultation

• If you have been considering LASIK – or if you have been disqualified in the past – it’s worthwhile to consult with your surgeon to see if you are among the growing group who might benefit

Personalized LASIK Map of Eye

• Wavefront technology creates a microscopically-detailed map of the eye– The result is a personalized, high-definition measurement

unique to the patient that details minute irregularities on the surface of the cornea that contribute to quality of vision

– This ‘surface map’ guides the excimer laser, making optimized and customized corrections possible and increasing the percentage of patients seeing 20/20 and better

Ultra-Precise Femtosecond Lasers

• The femtosecond laser replaces the surgical blade used to create a flap in the cornea in the first step of LASIK– The precision of the femtosecond laser for flap creation

makes it possible to create very thin flaps– Studies have shown these thinner flaps also reduce the

incidence of dry eye post LASIK, making it appealing to those patients with a tendency for pre-operative dry eye

– This allows some patients with thin corneas to take advantage of LASIK

Advances in Excimer Lasers

• Next-generation excimer lasers that can address a broader spectrum of prescriptions than early generations– The result is that a wider range of vision correction can be

achieved with LASIK– Today’s LASIK technologies, as opposed to first generation

lasers, can benefit those patients with more extreme vision prescriptions

Advanced Diagnostic Equipment

• New diagnostic equipment allows clinicians to evaluate both the front and the back surface of the cornea– Allows physicians to evaluate patient candidacy

and improve results

Other Advances

• New drug therapies and treatments to help with such conditions as dry eye

• Wavefront, topographic and pachymetric measurements give physicians precise measurement and individual blueprints of the eye

Concluding Thoughts

• There are many myths about who is and isn’t a candidate for LASIK– Some of these were once true, but they’re not anymore,

thanks to steady improvements in technology and technique• While not everyone is a good LASIK candidate, more

people can benefit now than ever before • If you’re considering LASIK – or you’ve considered it in

the past – it’s a good idea to talk to a surgeon and see if you’re among the people who were once poor candidates but are now good ones

For More Information Please Visit: www.AmericanRefractiveSurgeryCouncil.org