Dr. Raymond Stein believes that patient safety and satisfaction are paramount during a LASIK procedure. In the article below, Raymond Stein, MD, discusses the benefits of femtosecond laser technology and why you should select a surgeon who uses this technology instead of the traditional microkeratome.
Femtosecond laser technology, used to create the corneal flap during LASIK, is much safer and more predictable than microkeratome, which uses a metal blade. This is in part due to the shape of the laser flap, which allows us to create an evenly thick corneal flap, whereas the blade often creates a miscues flap that is thinner in the center and much thicker in the periphery. This can lead to one of the most dreaded LASIK complications, also known as the button-hole. It can result in loss of best-corrected vision from irregular astigmatism. When we first acquired the Femtosecond laser more than three years ago, we initially planned on offering both blade technologies. However, after discovering the benefits of the Femtosecond laser, we quickly sold the microkeratome. This is why we feel strongly about informing all prospective laser patients that the Femtosecond laser provides the safest technology with the best outcomes.
Why would laser centers today still offer inferior technology? The answer is very clear – cost. The purchase of a Femtosecond laser costs about $500,000, then there is an annual maintenance fee of approximately $70,000 and a disposable cost (suction ring) of $200 per eye. A microkeratome can be purchased for $35,000 or less, there are no annual maintenance fees and the cost of a blade is around $50 for both eyes. So you can see that significant saving are associated with inferior technology, which is why most laser eye centers still utilize the microkeratome.
Femtosecond technology continues to advance. At the Bochner Eye Institute we acquired the first IFS laser in Canada, which has a speed of 150 KHz. This is 2.5 times faster than the previous laser technology. This results in the suction ring being on the eye for less time, which leads to a more comfortable experience for the patient. In addition, the new technology can create a flap edge greater than 100 degrees. This leads to a more stable flap position, like a man-hole cover, which lowers the risk of epithelial ingrowth.
At the Bochner Eye Institute we continue to treat a significant number of eye-care professionals from across Canada and the United States. We feel this is because eye doctors understand leading edge technology and trust our surgical techniques and abilities.
To learn more about Raymond Stein and the team at Bochner Eye Institute, please visit www.bochner.com or call 416-960-2020.
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