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A PERFECTIONIST’S TOUCH OF PRECISION

For those who fear going "under the knife", the IntraLase Method of LASIK surgery provides an alternative procedure that takes the blade out of the equation. And for Dr Lee Hung Ming, Medical Director and Senior Eye Surgeon at Parkway Eye Centre at Gleneagles Hospital, that’s a good thing.

Dr Lee, formerly Head of LASIK at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National University Hospital, is the first eye surgeon in Singapore to perform the All-laser, No-blade LASIK surgery.

So just why has the IntraLase Method impressed Dr Lee?

Quite simply, the IntraLase Method decreases the risks of post-surgery complications that can occur as the blade incision into the cornea heals. Although such complications with LASIK surgery are rare, they do occur and Dr Lee is all about keeping these risks to the absolute minimum. The IntraLase Method is a 100% blade-free approach to corneal flap creation – the crucial first step in the LASIK procedure. Instead of creating the flap with a metal blade (microkeratome), a tiny, rapid-pulse laser of light is used, passing through the top layers of the cornea and forming microscopic bubbles at specific positions in the eye. The corneal flap is then created as the surgeon separates the tissue where the bubbles formed.

What Dr Lee likes about this procedure is that it is extremely precise and the cut is smoother than by microkeratome. The result is a lower risk of complications as the flap heals; better vision; and the ability to tailor the procedure to each individual patient’s eye. Incorrect healing, on the other hand, can lead to vision problems such as astigmatism.

Blade-free vs Blade with laser

If you are unsure of the differences between the blade-free IntraLase Method and a traditional microkeratome or you just want to compare the features and benefits of each procedure-please take a few minutes to review the following table.

  Better vision1 Better safety2 Highest degree of precision and predictability3 Individualized flaps3 Fewer retreatments4 Ability to be used in more eligible patients2 Patient preferred5*
IntraLase Method
(Blade Free)
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microkeratome
(Blade + Laser)
- - - - - - -


*In a clinical survey of LASIK patients who had their corneal flaps created using a blade in one eye and the IntraLase Method in the other, the vision in the IntraLase-treated eye was preferred 3-to-1, among those who stated a preference.5

REFERENCES:

  1. Durrie DS. Laser versus manual keratectomy. Cataract Refract Surg Today. March 2004 (suppl):1-2.
  2. Will B, Kurtz RM. IntraLase is best. In: Probst LE, ed. LASIK: Advances, Controversies, and Custom. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK; 2004:397-402.
  3. Durrie DS. How IntraLase raised the bar in refractive surgery. Cataract Refract Surg Today. July 2003 (suppl):1-2.
  4. Mahdavi S. IntraLase: coming of age. Cataract Refract Surg Today. October 2005:117-120.
  5. Durrie DS. Randomized prospective clinical study of LASIK: IntraLase versus mechanical keratome. Subsets presented at: Meeting of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology; November 14 - 15, 2003; Anaheim, Calif; American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Symposium; May 1 - 5, 2004, San Diego, Calif; refractive Surgery 2004: International Refractive Surgery: Science and Practice; October 22 - 23, 2004, New Orleans, La; American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Symposium, April 15 - 20, 2005; Washington, DC.