Treatments

Fendalton Eye Clinic has brought laser corrective eye surgery in the South Island into a new era by commissioning an IntraLase laser for High Definition LASIK® . Fendalton Eye Clinic is the only clinic in the South Island offering "all laser" bladefree LASIK, innovative technology approved by NASA.

LASIK is a two step procedure

STEP ONE: First a flap is created in the cornea (front clear window of the eye). At Fendalton Eye Clinic Dr Kent uses the IntraLase Laser to create a precision LASIK flap. 
Some clinics still use a bladed instrument (microkeratome) to cut the corneal flap, a less precise means of making the corneal flap. While LASIK is extremely safe if complications occur the microkeratome (blade) is most often the cause. 

At Fendalton Eye Clinic, using the precision of the IntraLase Laser to "create" rather than "cut" the corneal flap provides added safety for our patients with a more predictable outcome.



With the IntraLase laser we can create the corneal flap using the safety and accuracy of a computer guided laser - without a blade ever touching your eye.

STEP TWO of High Definition LASIK® involves programming the excimer laser to reshape the inner layers of the cornea with your personalized treatment profile, incorporating iris recognition technology to achieve the desired vision correction.

How does the IntraLase laser make the LASIK flap?

The IntraLase laser allows us to tailor-make a precise corneal flap based on what is best for your eyes.

• We programme the IntraLase laser to deliver tiny rapid pulses of laser, forming microscopic bubbles focused at a precise depth inside the cornea. This process is know as photodisruption.
• The IntraLase laser creates rows of these bubbles just beneath the corneal surface as it moves back and forth across your eye in a uniform plane - creating a cleavage plane.
• The edge of the flap is created by stacking laser pulses at an angle that is determined by your doctor and is individualized to the way your eye is shaped. The Intralase laser flap is created in around 20 seconds.
• The flap is then lifted and the excimer laser reshapes the inner layers of the cornea. The surgeon then repositions the IntraLase flap back into place where it “locks” into position.

Benefits of creating the LASIK flap with an IntraLase laser

• The safety and accuracy of 100% bladefree, all laser LASIK procedure – a blade never touches your eye.
• The chance of a perfect flap with the IntraLase is nearly 100%. In comparision between 1 in 100 and 1 and 500 procedures with microkeratome LASIK have a problem with creation of the flap.
• Enables more people to achieve 20/20 (normal) vision or better compared to using a microkeratome. ¹
• Creation of the LASIK flap with IntraLase is preferred by patients. Vision is preferred 3 to 1 over eyes treated with blade initiated LASIK eye (among those who stated a preference). ²
• Proven technology that has been available in the USA since 2001.
• To date over one million people have had their LASIK flap created using IntraLase.
• Virtually all the leading excimer laser centres worldwide now offer IntraLase LASIK.
• IntraLase LASIK is the only LASIK surgery approved for use in USA AirForce pilots. Studies with microkeratome LASIK showed too much loss of quality of vision. In comparison, IntraLase LASIK has been shown to maintain quality of vision.

1. Tanzer DJ. Schallhorn SC, Brown MC et al Data on file IntraLase corp. 2005
2.. Durie D. Randomised Prospective Clinical Study of LASIK: IntraLase versus Mechanical Keratome. On file, IntraLase Corp. 2005

• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
• Laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK)
• Epi-LASIK

• The eye is made numb with anaesthetic eye drops and the eyelids held apart with and eyelid speculum.
• The front cell layer of the cornea (epithelium) is removed using either a spatula, a rotating brush or with ethanol.
• The excimer laser is used directly on the front surface of the cornea to effect the reshaping.
• We normally place a soft disposable contact lens on the eye to relieve pain. With modern high water content contact lenses there is typically only mild pain and about 50% have no significant pain. Antibiotic eye drops are used to prevent infection.
• After PRK it takes about 4-5 days for the front cell layer to heal up. Eye drops similar to aspirin can be used if required to provide pain relief.
• It takes about 7-10 days to achieve clear vision and full stabilisation takes 3-6 months.
• Visual results are at least as good as LASIK for low to moderate amounts of myopia. Over -6 dioptres of myopia there is less accuracy and more chance of regression.
• The development of haze in the cornea is the most serious problem with PRK, although this has reduced with more modern scanning spot excimer lasers such as the Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix 100 laser.

Advantages of PRK

1. Leaves more corneal tissue untouched, making it safer if the cornea is thin.
2. Almost no long-term risk of developing keratectasia (bulging cornea).
3. Proven to have no visually significant complications after 10 years of follow up.
4. None of the possible flap-related complications of LASIK.
5. The structural strength of the cornea is not significantly altered.

Disadvantages of PRK

1. Can be painful in the 2-3 days afterwards (although this is much less of a problem that it was in the past)
2. May take 7-10 days to achieve clear vision, requiring up to a week off work.
3. Some people develop a pronounced healing response in the cornea leading to deposition of new tissue. This causes corneal haze.
4. Not very predictable results in higher myopia or high astigmatism.

Visual results, post-operative course, advantages and disadvantages are much the same as PRK. However, due to the lack of significant advantages over PRK most eye surgeons have stopping performing the LASEK technique.

Epi-LASIK involves using a microkeratome with a blunt blade to cleave off the epithelial cell layer beneath its basal layer. The epithelium is lifted as a flap and the excimer laser treatment done to the front surface of the cornea. The epithelial flap is repositioned and a soft contact lens fitted. The ideal behind the Epi-LASIK technique is to make visual recovery faster than PRK. However, to date the visual results, post-operative course, advantages and disadvantages are much the same as PRK.