What is the Difference Between LASIK and iLASIK?

Are you considering a vision correction procedure? While glasses and contact lenses help bring your world into focus, they do have limitations. 

Glasses fog up all the time and can easily break. On the other hand, contact lenses are easy to lose and can easily dry out and irritate your eyes.

Procedures like LASIK permanently correct your vision and give you the freedom you desire from prescription lenses. LASIK has come a long way. 

It was FDA approved in 1995, and since then, there have been significant advancements like iLASIK. iLASIK, also called IntraLase, is a bladeless LASIK procedure.

Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and iLASIK and the difference between the two procedures!

What is LASIK?

LASIK is a vision correction procedure that corrects refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. During traditional LASIK, your surgeon will create a flap in your cornea using a microkeratome, which is a small, hand-held blade. 

The flap is then moved to the side but remains connected to your eye. The corneal flap allows your LASIK surgeon to access the layer underneath or stroma. 

Then using an excimer laser, the surgeon permanently reshapes the stroma to correct your vision. Once complete, the flap is returned to its normal position, where it begins to self-adhere.

LASIK is generally a very safe procedure. However, there’s a tiny margin for error because your flap is created manually with a microkeratome.

What is iLASIK?

iLASIK is a leading-edge procedure that combines different technologies, including IntraLase technology and iDesign wavefront analyzer. iDesign wavefront technology creates a detailed three-dimensional map of your eye. 

It collects more than 1,250 data points, measuring the unique characteristics of your eyes. With the aid of this data, your surgeon can develop a fully customized iLASIK vision correction procedure for you.

During iLASIK surgery, the surgeon creates a corneal flap using IntraLase. IntraLase is a computer-controlled laser guided by your surgeon.

Next, the surgeon uses an excimer laser to gently reshape your cornea and correct your vision. Finally, the flap is put back in place and left to heal on its own.

iLASIK Vs. LASIK

iLASIK utilizes laser technology to create a corneal flap, making it non-invasive. The flap made using IntraLase, a computer-assisted laser guided by your surgeon, is far more accurate than the human hand can create.

An IntraLase flap significantly lowers complications linked to the microkeratome flap. Since the laser used in iLASIK is more precise than the microkeratome, iLASIK outcomes are much more predictable.

iLASIK’s WaveScan technology creates a 3-D map, showing corneal imperfections unique to your eyes. The data is then used to reshape your cornea. 

The unmatched level of accuracy has helped many patients attain better than 20/20 vision with iLASIK than with traditional LASIK.

If you’re not a good LASIK candidate because of thin corneas, you may be able to still have your vision corrected with iLASIK.

iLASIK personalizes your treatment to your unique eyes and combines two advanced computer-guided lasers. As a result, it’s more reliable and safer than LASIK in a majority of cases.

Achieve the Best Vision Possible with iLASIK

VisionFirst Eye Center provides iLASIK, a 100 percent blade-free, life-changing vision correction procedure. The skilled and experienced doctors at VisionFirst have successfully performed thousands of iLASIK procedures that have helped many patients see better than ever without glasses or contacts.

Are you interested in finding out if you may be a candidate for iLASIK? Schedule your appointment at VisionFirst Eyetoday to find out if iLASIK is right for you.

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