Dell Laser Consultants was the first center in Austin to offer iLASIK, and we perform more iLASIK procedures than anyone else. iLASIK is a highly advanced, state-of-the-art form of laser vision correction. iLASIK specifically refers to using the IntraLase femtosecond laser to create the exquisite iLASIK flap combined with the Advanced CustomVue Wavefront-Guided excimer laser technology. This combination of two advanced technologies in iLASIK has produced some of the best results we’ve ever seen in laser vision correction.
Technological advances used in the iLASIK procedure convinced NASA that iLASIK was good enough for our astronauts. The visual demands placed upon astronauts are intense, and the stakes are high. The US military now runs several facilities utilizing iLASIK to meet the intense visual demands of its mission-critical pilots and aviators flying multi-million dollar fighter jets. At Dell Laser Consultants we believe it is critical for us to have this same advanced iLASIK technology for our patients. Even your most-extreme lifestyle is nothing compared to being ejected from an F-22 Raptor or landing on a aircraft carrier at night, but you deserve the same level of quality vision.
To learn more about the individual components of iLASIK, visit our IntraLase Blade-Free LASIK page and our Custom Wavefront LASIK page.
Click Here for more information on iLASIK.
Click here to view a 3D animation on LASIK: Applying the Laser
LASIK
or Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis reshapes the cornea by removing tissue
beneath the surface of the cornea. LASIK combines the accuracy
of the Excimer Laser with the benefits of Lamellar Keratoplasty (LK).
First,
a device called a microkeratome lifts a thin layer of the
cornea. This layer, or flap, is then
folded back. Next, a cool beam of light gently reshapes the
outer surface of the cornea. The laser treatment typically takes
less than one minute, and the flap is replaced in its original
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LASIK
is performed on an outpatient basis and takes only a few minutes. You
will remain awake during the procedure and the only anesthetic you
will need is eye drops. Anticipate being in our office about one
hour on the day of the procedure. Most patients experience
improved vision the same day and are able to return to work the very
next day. You will take an antibiotic drop a few times a day for
less than a week following your procedure.
Some
of the advantages of LASIK are little or no postoperative
discomfort, waking with good vision the following morning, being back
at work quickly, and eye drops are used for less than a week.
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Click here to view a 3D animation on LASIK: Creating the Flap
 Our goal is to offer the very best technology and clinical expertise to achieve the best results possible. A significant technological advance in laser vision correction involves use of the Intralase. For patients undergoing LASIK, there are two ways to create the corneal flap during the procedure, “Traditional LASIK” and “Intralase LASIK”. Traditional LASIK involves the use of a blade to create the flap, and then a laser is used under the flap to reshape the eye and correct vision. Intralase LASIK actually uses a laser to create the flap, with no blade required. Intralase LASIK is sometimes referred to as All-Laser LASIK, blade-free LASIK or Intralasik. When Intralase LASIK is combined with Custom Wavefront Laser Vision Correction, it is referred to as iLASIK.
In certain patients, the Intralase may provide an even more precise result with better vision and an increased margin of safety. Dry eye symptoms after surgery may be less significant with the Intralase as well. iLASIK, using the Intralase combined with Custom Wavefront Laser Vision Correction has produced some of the best results ever achieved. Not all patients are candidates for this technology.In a research study of patients treated with one eye using Traditional LASIK, and the other eye using Intralase LASIK, patients stating a preference preferred the vision in their Intralase eye 3 to 1 over the Traditional LASIK eye. Which is best for you? Dr. Dell will provide a recommendation based upon the individual characteristics of your case.
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For
additional info on Intralase LASIK www.intralasefacts.com
For
more information on Intralase LASIK click on the following FAQ links.
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 to 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.
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Click here to view a 3D animation on Wavefront Custom LASIK
No two eyes are alike, and like your DNA or fingerprint, your vision
is unique.For hundreds of years, glasses have been used to correct
vision by eliminating one
or more of the three basic elements of blurring;
nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. However, advances
in optics have demonstrated that these three basic elements are only
part of the picture. There are tiny imperfections or distortions in every
eye, even when the perfect glasses or contact prescription is used. To
understand this further, imagine two people who visit the eye doctor
and obtain exactly the same glasses prescription. Using standard
laser correction, those two individuals would be treated with
exactly the same laser treatment plan, despite the fact that their
eyes each have a unique
set of naturally occurring tiny
imperfections and distortions.
And while we have achieved excellent
results by treating
only these three basic elements
(nearsightedness,
farsightedness, and astigmatism), we can now offer
even more.
Dell Laser Consultants offers the technological advantage
of Custom wavefront guided laser vision correction. Custom laser
correction involves a diagnostic device that maps the entire optical
path of your eye, including the tiny distortions and imperfections
naturally present in all eyes. This is effectively a unique
"fingerprint of your vision," and provides us with
extremely precise and detailed information about your vision. The
technology involved is highly complex, and it is based upon
mathematical techniques used to improve the performance and image
quality of deep space telescopes. This customized unique map of your
eye is then loaded into the computer of the excimer laser which
generates a wavefront customized treatment appropriate for the
individual "fingerprint" of your eye.
Results of an FDA clinical trial of this technology
demonstrated that an incredible 94% of patients treated were able to
see 20/20 or better without glasses. Four times as many people in
the trial were very satisfied with their night vision after LASIK,
compared to their night vision before with glasses or contacts.
These results are superior to those obtained with standard laser
correction, and the dramatic improvement in night vision may be the
greatest single advantage of Custom laser correction. Custom
correction can be applied to both LASIK and Advanced Surface
Ablation photorefractive keratectomy (ASA) treatment.
You
are probably already familiar with one application of wavefront
guided optical technology. In December, 1993 Space Shuttle Mission
STS-61 installed the COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial
Replacement) upgrade to the Hubble Space telescope to correct
spherical aberration in the lens system of the telescope. Spherical
aberration is one of the main phenomena corrected by Custom
wavefront guided laser vision correction.
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Patients who have even a small degree of cataract formation may
actually benefit from having their cataracts removed as a method of
eliminating their glasses prescriptions. The reason for this is that
at the time of removal of the cataract, an implant lens can be
placed which has the prescription power necessary to reduce or
eliminate the need for glasses. During our evaluation of your eyes,
we can determine if this option is appropriate for you.
For
more information on Refractive Lens Exchange please click
here.
Click here to view a 3D animation on Accommodative IOL.
The Crystalens is an artificial lens the unique ability to “zoom focus”, giving patients the ability to see well at distance, intermediate and near without glasses following surgery. In 2001, Dr. Dell performed a series of operations using the Crystalens in an FDA sponsored clinical research trial, which led to full FDA approval of the Crystalens in 2003. Data from this clinical trial involving over 400 eyes indicated that without using any glasses, nearly every patient could see well enough to pass the Texas driver’s license exam for distance vision, but could also see well enough at
near to read the stock tables in a newspaper.
Qualified surgeons using the Crystalens must pass a rigorous certification process assessing their surgical skill, accuracy and proficiency. Dr. Dell serves as Co-Director of Physician Education for the Eyeonics Crystalens, and as such has personally trained hundreds of U.S. surgeons certified to use the Crystalens. For patients living outside the Austin, Texas area who wish to have surgery with Dr. Dell, arrangements can often be made to offer some of the post-operative care closer to home with one of these Crystalens certified surgeons.
Restor and Rezoom are brand names of two additional artificial lenses with the ability to provide good near and distance vision. Each of these lenses uses a different optical strategy to achieve its visual goals. In certain patients, a different type of lens is used in the each eye to achieve the desired result.
These artificial lens technologies are generally only appropriate for patients over the age of 50, however many patients in this age group are better candidates for LASIK. The decision of which type of surgery or implant lens is best for you is a highly individualized one, which is based on a variety of factors. Our doctors will discuss the best option for you at the time of your consultation.
For more information on Cataract and Refractive Lens Exchange using the Crystalens, Restor and ReZoom Implant please click here.
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