What is Bladeless LASIK Eye Surgery?

For all of us, seeing clearly is important to perform our daily routine activities. Good vision contributes to your overall health and well-being, which helps you lead a quality life. If you have imperfect but correctable vision, many options can help to improve sight, like glasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery. Laser eye surgeries are becoming popular owing to their minimally invasive (causes less trauma) technique and faster recovery. Laser eye surgery corrects your vision permanently thus reducing your dependency on glasses and contact lenses.

One such popular eye surgery is known as LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis) that are of two types- Conventional and Bladeless LASIK. Read on to know more about the bladeless LASIK eye surgery to know if it benefits you.

What is Bladeless LASIK Eye Surgery?

Bladeless LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis) is a vision correction procedure that uses laser technology to correct refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (abnormal curvature of the cornea). There is no blade or mechanized knife involved, instead, it uses a femtosecond and an excimer laser for vision correction. The principle behind this procedure is reshaping the cornea (the transparent part at the back of your eye that allows light to enter inside) to improve vision by allowing the light to bend (refract) in a way such that it focuses the images clearly. Bladeless LASIK surgery is the most preferred choice of vision correction due to its many advantages and quick recovery.

What are the Advantages of Bladeless LASIK?

Bladeless LASIK is a safe and effective vision correction procedure, with the following advantages that make it the most preferred refractive surgery

• It is a quick procedure that takes less than 20 minutes.
• It is a minimally invasive procedure which does not damage the surrounding eye structures, and the postoperative complications are less. 
• Femtosecond lasers used effectively create a thin corneal flap of uniform thickness, which is not influenced by the shape of the cornea.
• Dry eyes, if present, are less severe and can be easily managed when compared to conventional LASIK.
• You are more likely to have a faster recovery within 2 to 4 weeks.
• You can see clearly right from the next day, and vision restoration of 20/20 is much faster.

How is Bladeless LASIK Surgery Performed?

Bladeless laser eye surgery is an advanced laser-assisted technique for vision correction that uses a femtosecond and an excimer laser. This procedure includes the following steps:

• Pre-procedure

• • • Your eye surgeon will check your eligibility for the procedure by evaluating your medical history. This helps to rule out conditions like diabetes (high blood sugar levels), hypertension (increased blood pressure), and other blood disorders like anemia.
    • Your eyes are screened and evaluated through the following tests:
      • Slit lamp examination:  a complete eye assessment that checks the overall health of your eyes. 
      • Vision test – to check the refractive error that you want to correct. This also evaluates the stability of your prescription over one year. 
      • Corneal topography – to check the corneal irregularities to help program the lasers used during the surgery.
      • Pachymetry test- to check the thickness of the cornea to determine flap measurement.
    • Habits like smoking, and alcohol consumption should be informed to your eye surgeon to take the necessary precautions during and after the surgery. 
    • You are advised to discontinue using your contact lens at least 1 to 2 weeks before the procedure to avoid corneal swelling and risk of infections.
    • Alcohol is strictly prohibited 24 hours before the surgery since it may delay healing, and cause dehydration of the eyes.  

• Procedure

• • • The surgery begins by thoroughly washing your eyes with antiseptic solution to remove any contaminants to prevent infections.
    • Your eyes will be numbed using anesthetic eye drops, and an oral sedative may also be given to reduce your anxiety. 
    • You will be awake during the entire procedure, wherein your eyes will be held in position using an eye holder.
    • A suction is used to flatten and raise your cornea to improve access to the surgical site.
    • A femtosecond laser creates a corneal flap of uniform thickness, since this laser causes less thermal damage.
    • After lifting the flap, an excimer laser is focused on your eyes to reshape the cornea, and a calculated amount of tissue is removed based on the refractive error present. 

• Post-procedure 

• • You will be observed for few hours (your vitals should be withing normal range) before your surgeon allows you to go home.
  • Post-op instructions are given, and eye drops are prescribed for proper healing.
  • Arrange someone to drive you back home since you will have a blurred vision for at least 24 hours making it difficult to drive.
  • Immediately after surgery you are likely to have mild pain, discomfort, burning and pricking sensation, redness and watery eyes. This is normal and resolves gradually.
  • You will be prescribed the following eye drops:
    • Steroids to help prevent inflammation and swelling.
    • Antibiotics to prevent the risk of post-op infection.
    • Anti-inflammatory drops to reduce the swelling around the eyes.
    • Lubricating drops to reduce the dryness of the eyes.
  • It is recommended to take long naps on the day of your surgery since this is a crucial period for proper healing.
  • It is likely for you to have a clear vision from the next day. 
  • Avoid the following to allow your cornea to heal well and prevent post-op complications:
    • Excess screen time for 24 to 48 hours.
    • Driving, especially at night since you may experience increased sensitivity to bright lights.
    • Cooking for at least 1 week because the steam and heat can irritate your eyes and delay healing.
    • Washing your face and having a head bath for a week since the chemicals in the soap can irritate your skin and cause redness.
    • Eye makeup for at least 2 to 4 weeks because the products can cause allergic reactions, and the brushes used increase the chances of infection due to the bacteria present in them.
    • Strenuous exercises and activities for at least 2 weeks since it can strain your eyes.
    • Swimming and water related sports to avoid water getting into your eyes and harming the corneal flap.
  • You may return to your job and other daily routine activities after 1 week post surgery. 
  • Recovery may take around 2 to 4 weeks, and complete vision stabilization may take upto 1 to 2 months. 
  • You may experience mild post-op complications which generally resolve on their own. However, if they persist or get severe, contact your eye surgeon for further evaluation.

What are the Complications of Bladeless LASIK?

Bladeless LASIK is a safe and effective procedure that corrects your refractive error, and permanently improves your vision. But, you may experience some complications:

• Overcorrection or Undercorrection could be a common complication post surgery. 
• Eye infection is common post surgery, since your eyes are more prone to infections due to low immunity. Symptoms include: redness, itching, mild pain and burning. 
• Your vision may worsen (regression) post surgically that may require an enhancement procedure to correct the complications. 
• Laser eye surgeries cause an imbalance in the drainage system of your eyes that may lead to dry eyes.
• Irregular astigmatism can occur if the lens is not centered correctly on the eye. This is known as decentration.
• Corneal ectasia may occur, a condition that causes cornea thinning.

Takeaway

Bladeless LASIK is the latest refractive procedure that corrects your vision permanently. Lasers such as femtosecond and excimer are programmed according to your eyes’ measurements. The femtosecond laser creates a thin corneal flap, whereas the excimer laser reshapes the corneal curvature to focus light clearly onto the retina. This improves your vision and image quality.

These laser-assisted eye surgeries are gaining momentum due to quick procedures, faster healing, and minimal postoperative healing.

Consult our team of expert eye surgeons at Medfin, and book an appointment for further information on Bladeless LASIK.

Disclaimer: 

The content on this site is the copyright of Medfin and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered as a substitute for medical and surgical expertise. Results from any treatments or surgeries are subjective to an individual patient and the type of procedure/ surgery performed. Please seek professional help regarding any medical concerns. Medfin will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.