Here at North Idaho Eye Institute, our focus is you. As part of our commitment, we are dedicated to providing the latest in LASIK technology to make sure our patients receive the best care possible.
What Is LASIK Technology?
LASIK surgery is an extremely advanced and modern procedure thanks to the scientists, researchers, and engineers that are constantly working to improve on the existing technology. Today, LASIK is safer and more effective than it’s ever been.
LASIK requires three separate, but equally important, types of technology. The first type of technology is a corneal topography machine. Corneal topography is used to create a detailed map of the eye so the surgeon can provide a treatment that is customized for each patient’s eye. The second is the femtosecond laser. This laser creates a “corneal flap” on the surface of the eye, allowing your surgeon to access the inner layers of the cornea without using a blade. The third is an excimer laser. The excimer laser is what actually reshapes the eye, using the information taken during the corneal topography stage.
Technical skill, talent, and experience are still very important factors when choosing the right LASIK surgeon, so it is important not to choose a surgeon solely based on the technology they use. However, we believe that by providing the best that LASIK technology has to offer, combined with expert LASIK surgeons, we can serve our patients with the best surgical outcomes.
Types of Technology Used at North Idaho Eye Institute
North Idaho Eye Institute uses technology considered to be the best in the industry. Our ongoing dedication to patient safety and happiness leads us to offer the following LASIK technologies.
iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio System
The iDesign system takes care of the first step of LASIK – creating a map of the cornea. It is considered one of the best corneal mapping systems on the market today, as it provides a custom treatment plan for each patient.
The iDesign system acts as the “brain” of the excimer laser, telling it exactly which areas of the eye need to be reshaped to see the best end results. It identifies the shape of the cornea, its curvature, and how light passes through the eye. This makes for a highly customized, completely tailored surgery. Each eye is different, so it is important not to take a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
iFS® IntraLase Advanced Femtosecond Laser
The IntraLase femtosecond laser is what creates the corneal flap during LASIK surgery.
This laser is considered one of the best femtosecond lasers on the market because of its speed and accuracy. The iFS® IntraLase laser has been used in over 8 million procedures. This laser creates corneal flaps that are extremely precise, and lowers risk of flap complications by allowing surgeons to tightly control flap creation.
VisX Star S4 IR® Excimer Laser
The VisX Star S4 is an excimer laser, which is responsible for actually reshaping the eye during LASIK.
The VisX Star S4 IR laser is extremely precise and offers many benefits other over excimer lasers. This excimer laser features iris registration and pupil tracking, which allows the machine to keep track of your eye movements during surgery. This means that if your eye moves too much, the laser will stop. This laser also conserves corneal tissue by minimizing treatment times and reshaping the eye precisely. This reduces the risk of over or under correction.
If you would like to know more about the advanced LASIK technology offered here at North Idaho Eye Institute, contact our office to schedule a consultation today!
