At Soll Eye
Associates, Dr. Steve Nissman performs refractive eye surgery (LASIK).
He has been trained to use today's most sophisticated techniques. A
state-of-the-art laser is used to reshape the eye to lessen one's
dependency on glasses. With this laser vision correction, people can
free themselves of glasses, which can literally change their way of
life. Procedures such as the now very popular LASIK are included
under the broad heading of refractive surgery.
Good candidates for laser vision correction are at least eighteen
years of age, in good general and eye health with no diseases
such as cataracts or glaucoma. Although no one can promise patients "perfect" or
20-20 vision, most laser patients no longer need glasses or contacts
to drive, play sports, watch movies or TV or to participate in
careers requiring excellent vision. Even those who are severely
nearsighted, astigmatic and farsighted can be treated-- and achieve
outstanding results.
THE LASIK PROCEDURE
LASIK (Laser-In-Situ Keratomileusis) is currently the most common
type of laser vision correction procedure. It is an extremely
effective outpatient procedure that is suitable for low, moderate,
and higher prescriptions. It can be used to correct severe prescriptions,
and is currently one of the most commonly performed healthcare
procedures in North America.
Although no medical procedure is perfect, the Excimer Laser allows
for an unparalleled degree of precision and predictability. Each
pulse of the laser can remove 39-millionths of an inch of tissue
in 12-billionths of a second. This enables an experienced surgeon
to achieve remarkable accuracy while maintaining excellent control
throughout the procedure.
The Excimer Laser
The Excimer laser is an ultraviolet laser, which utilizes Argon
and Fluorine gas to create a non-thermal, or cool beam, of laser
light, which can break molecular bonds in a process commonly referred
to as "photoablation". A simple way to imagine how the
laser works is to think of it as placing the curvature from your
glasses or contact lenses onto the front surface of your eye, allowing
you to see without corrective eyewear.
The most important aspect of the excimer laser is its remarkable
precision. It is able to remove 0.25 microns of tissue in a single
pulse; that is, 1/200th of a human hair, 1/40th of a human cell,
or 39 millionths of an inch in 12 billionths of a second!
Steps to the Procedure:
Prior to the procedure, an extremely detailed map of your eyes’ surface
is created by a computer and then used by your surgeon to calibrate
the excimer laser to your exact prescription. Before going into
the laser room, a few anesthetic drops in to numb the eye and prevent
pain.
Once the laser has been properly calibrated, your surgeon will
place an eyelid holder in your eye to keep it open throughout the
procedure. Your surgeon then uses a microkeratome (an automated
microsurgical instrument similar in design to a carpenter's plane)
to create a corneal flap, that has a thickness of approximately ¼ of
the cornea’s depth. A cool laser beam of light from the excimer
laser is then used to precisely and gently reshape the cornea.
|
