Advanced Surface Ablation, "Flap-less" Blade-free Laser Vision Correction
Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) is also sometimes referred to as Blade-Free Laser Vision Correction. ASA is a highly advanced form of photo-refractive keratectomy (reshaping of the cornea with laser light), using highly sophisticated excimer lasers capable of eye tracking and wavefront customized treatment to reshape the front surface of the cornea and correct vision. There is no corneal flap with this surgery. A temporary soft contact lens is placed on the eye for a few days during the healing process. Surface treatment may be preferred for certain patients with very thin corneas, as it does not involve any cutting of the eye to create a flap. This completely blade-free approach to eye surgery is attractive to many patients. One very minor disadvantage of ASA is that vision is often slightly blurry for a few days after the surgery. This blurring is only temporary, and nearly all patients are able to drive within 24-48 hours after the surgery. The ASA procedure we perform today is a very far cry from excimer laser surgery we performed ten years ago, commonly referred to as first generation PRK. While those early cases provided excellent results, there was definitely more discomfort with surgery from that era. With vastly improved lasers, techniques, highly advanced FDA-approved overnight contact lenses and eye drops, today's ASA is nearly discomfort-free in most patients.
“Flap-less” ASA Laser Vision Correction is one of the fastest growing procedures performed by experienced specialists in refractive surgery. Some surgeons refer to ASA by other names like LASEK or epi-LASIK. ASA patients are treated with exactly the same advanced lasers as our LASIK patients, and the accuracy and long-term results of ASA and LASIK are virtually identical. Many patients who would be candidates for either LASIK or ASA will elect to have ASA simply because it offers comparable results with the advantages of a completely “flap”-free surgery.
- I'm not sure I understand the difference between LASIK and ASA?
- I'm considering LASIK and ASA. How do I know which procedure is right for me?
- What is Custom-LASIK and Custom-ASA?
901 Mopac Expressway South - Suite 350 - Barton Oaks Plaza lV - Austin,TX 78746
Tel - 512.347.0255
Fax - 512.347.0785
