Procedure
With femtosecond technology, LASIK at Michigan Eye Institute is a completely bladeless technique. Utilizing the Intralase® FS Laser, this highly precise technology provides a new level of safety and surgical precision for our patients beyond traditional LASIK. The first step is the creation of a thin protective flap on your cornea, and the second is the actual correction of your vision, as a laser beam gently reshapes the cornea. Before femtosecond laser technology, the traditional LASIK flap was created with an oscillating, handheld steel blade. Today, the flap is formed using a computer-controlled laser. The result is a safer, incredibly accurate, less invasive approach to the flap creation step in the LASIK procedure. Patients may feel pressure during this part of the procedure, but do not experience pain. Patients are then asked to look directly at a stable, lit target while the excimer laser meticulously reshapes the cornea. The laser treatment is completed in less than one-minute for most cases. When the treatment is completed, the hinged flap is carefully positioned into place where it will quickly bond to the eye without stitches.
Not only has bladeless LASIK made vision correction more exact and predictable, but its unique level of precision also makes it more accommodating to patients who may not have been candidates for laser vision correction in the past. Through its increased accuracy and safety, this technology allows for correction even in cases of above-average pupil size, thinner corneas and higher corrections.