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Femtosecond laser LASIK features laser light pulses

In the past, doctors have used an instrument called a microkeratome for the creation of corneal flaps. The microkeratome is a hand-held blade that moves across the eye, cutting the corneal flap as it goes. While LASIK is extremely safe, if complications do occur, the microkeratome is most often the cause. By contrast, a femtosecond laser enables your doctor to create your corneal flap without a blade ever touching your eye.

You may be a LASIK candidate if you are:

• over 21, in good general health, not pregnant or nursing, and have no active eye diseases
• not functioning well with corrective lenses
• nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism (LASIK will not correct presbyopia, a normal decline associated with aging)
• realistic regarding the level of improvement available to you

To find out if you are a LASIK candidate, check with your primary eye care physician or schedule a free consultation* with us by calling (800) 826-4631. Our staff will help you understand the procedure, its risks and rewards, and make sure LASIK is right for you.

*Consultation is free if you have not had previous refractive surgery

The Procedure

The LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratomileusis) surgery itself is relatively painless and quick – about 15-20 minutes for both eyes.

During the procedure, the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to create a thin, circular flap on the surface of the cornea. The surgeon then uses a computer-guided laser to reshape the inner layers of the cornea.

When used by a skilled and experienced surgeon, the laser is precise and safe, able to remove a single cell without affecting other cells. Then the corneal flap is set back in place, and heals rapidly.

To find out if LASIK surgery is right for you, call us today for a free initial consultation, or talk with your optometric physician.

In certain situations, other refractive surgery options may be recommended instead of LASIK.

LASIK with Contoura ® is now available at Northwest EyeSurgeons!
This FDA approved, topography guided procedure uses more data than traditional LASIK to customize the
treatment to an individual’s own scans. The results are impressive especially for patients with high astigmatism. During your initial consultation, we will talk with you about your candidacy and determine if Topography-Guided Laser Vision Correction is right for your needs.

What is Contoura®?

Contoura®, also known as topography-guided LASIK, is the latest FDA approved
evolution in advanced custom LASIK technology. This laser vision correction technique is designed to enhance the results of LASIK.  Many Contoura® Vision patients reported experiencing better vision quality than they ever did with glasses or contacts. This is because topography-guided LASIK treats both the shape of the patient’s eye and the surface texture of the cornea, while other LASIK treatments correct only the shape of the eye.

Contoura® Vision topography-guided LASIK technology provides surgeons detailed data that measures the unique characteristics of each person’s eyes.  An individualized treatment plan is created using this information that surgeons can use to perform personalized LASIK procedures on each eye.

How Does Topography-guided LASIK Work?

The Contoura® Vision laser treatment smoothes out any surface irregularities on your cornea, significantly improving the quality of vision for patients after the procedure.The advanced laser technology takes several topographical images of your eye and analyzes the 22,000 unique elevation points on the cornea in order to recommend a custom treatment.

Topography-guided LASIK Results

Most Contoura® Vision patients reported improved vision equal to or better than glasses in clinical studies. The procedure enhanced not only how much patients saw, but also reduced the severity of common visual complaints like light sensitivity, difficulty driving at night and glare.

In clinical trials, 92% of patients that had the Contoura® Vision treatment reported seeing 20/20 or better, 12 months after their procedure. Some patients even reported better than 20/20 vision. A published study established that nearly 65% of eyes treated with Contoura® Vision experienced 20/16 vision or better,while 34.4% could see 20/12 or better. Reference: Complete summary of FDA clinical trial available at FDA website Allegretto Wave Eye-Q Addendum Procedure ManualT-CAT Topography-Guided Treatments. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf2/P020050S012d.pdf Post hoc analysis of postoperative UCVA compared to preoperative BSCVA of 230 eyes contained in the FDA T-CAT pivotal trial at 12 months. The primary end point evaluated changes in BSCVA.