Bladeless LASIK approved for NASA astronauts

The highly advanced combination of the Advanced CustomVue wavefront-guided laser, combined with the safety of the IntraLase FS (femtosecond) laser-created flap has proven in extensive clinical trials to provide excellent visual outcomes. This technology was approved by NASA after extensive review of the U.S. Navy's clinical data. The military has been at the forefront of investigating advanced LASIK, due to the extreme conditions military personnel, such as fighter pilots and marksmen, encounter.¹

Bladeless LASIK, also referred to as iLASIK™, IntraLASIK, or All-Laser LASIK, is an alternative approach to creating the corneal flap as the first step in the laser vision correction process.

Bladeless LASIK utilizes the Intralase™ FS Technology via a femtosecond laser to create the corneal flap. The laser focuses an infrared beam of light on the cornea to separate tissue through a process called photodisruption. The light is focused to a precise point within the central layer of the cornea, where each pulse of the laser creates a tiny 2- to 3- micron bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapor. Thousands of these microscopic bubbles are precisely positioned to define the flap's dimensions. Once the flap is completed, it is gently lifted back as the tissue separates where the bubbles have formed.

Once the flap is created, a second, excimer laser is used to specifically target the exposed cornea, shaping it for your ideal vision. For this second step of the procedure, patients will typically choose Custom LASIK, which allows Dr. Furlong to tailor the vision correction more precisely to their specific vision requirements.

The entire bladeless LASIK procedure takes about 10 minutes, and most patients experience a quick, virtually painless procedure. It offers the potential for 20/20 or better vision with improved safety.

1. Source: AMO, Inc.