Laser Eye Surgery Articles                

In the past, as a potential LASIK eye patient, you had less to think about when trying to choose the best laser eyes surgery for your needs.

However, in recent years, 'bladeless' surgery, using a further laser instead of a cutting device, has become more popular.

The information regarding both of these options is not conclusive, so it can be a good idea to inform yourself independently about the differences and pros and cons, of the two procedures.

The cutting device used in traditional 'bladed' lasik eye surgery is called a microkeratome.

This is for cutting a small fold into the cornea, to allow the laser to access the affected area being treated.

Once the laser eyes surgery is complete, the fold is put back in place and the body will naturally begin repairing this, with no stitches usually required.

The bladeless LASIK technique simply uses a focussed laser to make this incision, rather than a blade.

Often the patient's preference for the bladeless option comes down to the simple fact that they do not like the idea of a blade near their eye, although both procedures should be pain free.

Contrary to what might be assumed, the bladeless procedure actually takes longer to perform than the traditional LASIK eye procedure. This is because the microkeratome creates the flap instantly, while the laser takes a little longer to work its way around the correct shape of the incision.

However, for both methods, this element of the procedure still takes less than a minute to perform. For reasons of speed and the surgeon's direct control over creating the flap, many clinics will recommend the traditional method.

As well as this, there are certain potential complications associated with the bladeless LASIK procedure that are not present with the traditional method, such as light sensitivity and long recovery times.

However, there are others who site research into the likelihood of detached flaps and flaps that are not fully formed, which compare the two procedures and suggest that the bladeless method has a higher success rate.

This is due to the fact that the incision made during the bladeless procedure can be computer calibrated to make a perfect incision, despite any movement by the patient.

Another thing to consider is the fact that the bladeless laser eyes surgery is generally more expensive than the traditional method, meaning that you may be paying more for something that is slightly quicker, but that might not necessarily be giving you significant medical advantages.

A far more important factor in the success of your LASIK eye surgery is the experience of those performing your operation.

Therefore, it will generally be worth seeking the most experienced surgeon you can afford, regardless of the technique used, unless there are specific conditions you have been advised upon that make one procedure more suitable for your eye than the other - for example, there is evidence that the manual procedure is more successful for those patients with glaucoma.