According to the surveys, approximately 2 million refractive eye surgery (RES) procedures were performed in the United States during 2004 and 2005.

To put it nicely: RES is used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The most common methods today use lasers to reshape the cornea. Successful refractive eye surgery can help to reduce such common vision disorders as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.

Several different LASIKs eye surgeries are available today.
Many still prefer the original laser eye surgery (PRK, Photorefractive keratectomy). Custom LASIK surgery (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, also known as wavefront LASIK or wavefront-guide LASIK) uses 3-dimensional measurements of how your eye processes images to guide the laser in reshaping the cornea. It is performed for a wide range of nearsightedness. The surgeon uses an instrument called a microkeratome to cut a flap of corneal tissue, opens the flap like a hinged door, removes the targeted tissue in the corneal stroma beneath it with the excimer laser, and then replaces the flap. Some variations don't use a microkeratome but cut the flap with a laser: IntraLase Bladeless LASIK.

While LASIK is a relatively low risk surgery, bladeless LASIK eliminates the one area where most complications arise, the metal blade. Aside from the fear it strikes into the heart of those who fear traditional surgery, it still has a very human error rate in a very difficult low-percentage situation.

While many people who are rejected for LASIK are rejected for thin corneas, bladeless LASIK offers these people a second chance. IntraLase lasers offer a more controlled environment in the bladeless LASIK surgery. Instead of cutting through with a blade, the laser is guided by computer technology.

The IntraLase laser allows for more curvature during the bladeless LASIK surgery, reducing the margin for error. The fact that it is a laser and not a blade also lends to the idea of avoiding infections or contaminations. Bladeless LASIK prevents long-term recovery that accompanies most surgeries.

Prior to LASIK a lot of people had unsafe or imperfect surgeries to correct vision that eliminated them from the opportunity to try LASIK. With bladeless LASIK, these potential customers get a second chance because of the near 100% success rate of the procedure.

Some patients follow traditional LASIK with follow-ups to make other corneal flaps or reduce eye-irritation. Bladeless LASIK with InterLase appear to have reduced the possibility of this happening.

The natural reaction to the thought of bladeless LASIK is that it eliminates the need for a practiced and season doctor to perform the surgery. While it may be true to a point, the fact is that bladeless LASIK requires a good deal of knowledge in physics and engineering.

While surgeons may have only been required to have knowledge of medicine and anatomy in the past, they now must be computer savvy. The advantages of bladeless LASIK seem to boil down to two basic ideas, a higher success rate and less chance of follow-up procedures.

Article Source: http://www.healthyfad.com

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Rosehill Publications

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