September 12, 2005
CALGARY, Sept. 12 /CNW/ - New IntraLase(R)
laser technology replaces the hand-held, oscillating metal blade
traditionally used to create a corneal flap prior to a LASIK procedure.
The new technology is now available at Gimbel Eye Centres (Edmonton,
Calgary) and Demong Associate Eyecentre (Calgary). "With
the new silent, computer-guided IntraLase laser, surgeons can
now create a more precise flap", says Dr. Howard Gimbel,
Executive Medical Director for Gimbel Eye Centre.
Until the introduction of IntraLase, LASIK was not an all-laser
procedure, and the risks associated with the use of a hand-held
blade (or mechanical microkeratome) have kept many patients from
considering LASIK. "The safety and precision of the laser
virtually eliminates blade-related LASIK complications, and also
helps to improve the visual outcomes of the LASIK procedure",
says Dr. Thaddeus Demong, Medical Director and refractive surgeon
of Demong Associate Eyecentre. "Many Albertan LASIK candidates,"
he believes, "have long awaited the development of this safer,
'bladeless' technology."
Evidence from multiple peer-reviewed studies and over 500,000
clinical cases show that the IntraLase laser can create a safer
flap than the mechanical microkeratome, and can provide more patients
with better than 20/20 vision. How
The IntraLase Laser Works
The ultra-fast IntraLase FS femtosecond (fem-to-second) creates
a corneal flap using an infrared beam to produce a layer of
tiny bubbles in exactly the desired depth location of the cornea.
The flap is then opened and lifted to the side, in preparation
for the LASIK procedure.
- IntraLase creates the flap from below the surface of the cornea,
using an "inside-out" process.
- The silent beam of laser light is focused to a precise point
within the stroma (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, as well as the location of
the hinge. Bubbles are then stacked along the edge of the flap
up to the corneal surface to complete the flap.
- The process from start to finish takes approximately 45 seconds.
- The surgeon then lifts the flap to allow for treatment by
the excimer laser. When treatment is complete, the flap is repositioned.
For further information: contact Gimbel Eye Centre in Calgary
at (800) 661-1138 or in Edmonton at (888) 211-4822, or Demong
Associate Eyecentre at (403) 254-6007
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