IntraLase Vision Correction and LASIK

IntraLase® vision correction is a form of LASIK surgery that received FDA approval in 2001. The procedure goes by many names; you may have heard it referred to as IntraLASIK, bladeless LASIK, blade-free LASIK, or all-laser LASIK.

How Standard LASIK is Performed
In order to see how IntraLase® bladeless LASIK differs from conventional LASIK, it's important to understand how the latter procedure is performed. In standard LASIK, the first step involves creating a thin flap of tissue in the cornea (the outer layer of the eye) using a highly precise bladed instrument called a microkeratome. After the corneal flap is made, the surgeon delicately folds it out of the way and sculpts the underlying tissue with a laser. Once the treatment is complete, the flap is placed back into its original position so it can re-adhere naturally.
 
What Makes IntraLase® LASIK Different
Both conventional LASIK and the IntraLase® procedure involve the same basic steps of creating a corneal flap, reshaping the underlying tissue, and then replacing the flap. The primary difference between the two procedures lies in the way they create corneal flaps. Whereas traditional LASIK involves the use of a microkeratome to create the flap, the IntraLase® procedure uses a laser.

In creating a corneal flap, the IntraLase® system emits bursts of laser energy that form a series of connected bubbles in the inner layer of the cornea. The bubbles, which form the edge of the flap, are positioned at a depth and diameter determined by the surgeon prior to the procedure.

Because the IntraLase® system allows the thickness of the corneal flap to be pre-determined, patients who are not candidates for conventional LASIK due to thin corneas may be suited for the IntraLase Method™. Surgeons who use the IntraLase® laser often claim that the device is superior to the microkeratome because it causes fewer complications. However, this view is highly debated among ophthalmologists.