LASIK is a virtually painless procedure that usually takes about 10 minutes per eye. After the eye is numbed with anesthetic drops, a paper-thin flap of tissue is made at the surface of the cornea – like separating one layer of an onion skin. A “hinge” is left at one end of the flap, so it can be lifted out of the way during the treatment and then laid back down.

While many doctors still make the LASIK flap with a metal blade, we use much more advanced technology to make the flap which is safer and more precise. It is called a “femtosecond laser” or “Intralase” and uses nothing but painless laser light to make the flap – no blades! This state-of-the-art flap-making technology is also known as “all laser LASIK” or “i-LASIK.”

Once the corneal flap is made, it is lifted out of the way and painless, computer-controlled Excimer laser light is directed at the underlying corneal tissue. The laser painlessly removes microscopic amounts of corneal tissue, changing the shape of the cornea as needed to bring your vision into focus.

The Excimer laser is so precise that it can remove a perfectly rectangular "notch" from a human hair that is 1/200th the thickness of the hair. That tremendous level of computer-controlled precision allows extremely accurate reshaping of the cornea and is one of the reasons that LASIK is so overwhelmingly successful.

Another reason LASIK is so successful at One to One LASIK is our use of “Wavefront-guided CustomVue” technology. With this technique, a special scanning device called a wavefront scanner is used to make a computerized “fingerprint” of your vision. This map is programmed into the Excimer laser at the time of the procedure and guides the treatment – delivering more laser energy to your cornea where you need the most re-shaping, and less laser where you need less re-shaping. The technology is called “custom” because it is individually tailored to your eye’s unique anatomy. It is like getting custom-made clothing instead of off-the-rack clothing!

To find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK, and to learn everything you need to know about what to expect before, during, and after your procedure – call 858.273.0200 today to schedule your complimentary LASIK consultation with Dr. Sanford Feldman.