| Vision
Correction Lasers at UCSF
Until recently, glasses and contacts were the only options available
to correct refractive conditions (described in Understanding
Your Vision). With the latest advances in Excimer Lasers and
surgical procedures there are several other options available to
correct vision problems.
The Excimer
Laser is a computer-controlled laser used by the surgeon to delicately
sculpt the cornea for better focusing. The Excimer Laser is ideal
for eye surgery because it uses a "cold" or non-thermal
light beam, thereby virtually eliminating the possibility of thermal
damage to the surrounding tissue. The two most common procedures
that are performed with the Excimer Laser are LASIK and PRK.
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VISX excimer laser system
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LASIK:
Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a procedure that
reshapes the internal part of the cornea. This procedure uses an
instrument called a microkeratome, or a special laser (IntraLase™), to
lift up a thin layer of the
cornea, called a "flap," followed by the sculpting of
the internal cornea underneath the flap using the Excimer Laser.
After the tissue has been reshaped, the flap is replaced in the
original position. LASIK is a very short outpatient procedure and
can be used to treat low, moderate, and high levels of nearsightedness
and astigmatism, as well as low to moderate levels of farsightedness,
with our without astigmatism. |
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PRK:
Photorefractive
Keratectomy (PRK) utilizes the precision and accuracy of the Excimer
Laser to sculpt microscopic layers of tissue from the surface of
the cornea, changing its shape and allowing light rays to focus
more precisely on the retina. For many treatments, the amount of
tissue removed from the corneal surface is less than the thickness
of a human hair. PRK is a very short outpatient procedure and can
be used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, plus any astigmatism
that may be present.
Lasers at UCSF - UCSF
surgeons have available to them multiple laser techniques and platforms
that
allow them maximum flexibility in selecting the very best treatment
for a given patient:
VISX STAR-S4 - ActiveTrak™ WaveScan
System
VISX
STAR-S4 - ActiveTrak™
The VISX STAR-S4 is approved by the FDA to treat a wide range of
prescriptions, and is used to treat hyperopia, astigmatism, and
high myopia up to 14 diopters. We currently perform custom, wavefront-guided
LASIK and PRK to treat myopia, hyperopia and mixed astigmatism
on the VISX
STAR-S4 Excimer Laser System.
Alcon LADARVision 4000 – CustomCornea™ Wavefront
System
The Alcon LADARVision 4000 is approved by the FDA to treat myopia,
hyperopia and astigmatism using conventional treatment patterns,
and approved to treat up to 8 diopters of nearsightedness and 4
diopters of astigmatism using wavefront patterns. We currently
perform wavefront guided LASIK and PRK for myopia with or without
astigmatism on the Alcon LADARVision 4000 Wavefront System.
IntraLase™ Femtosecond
Laser
The IntraLase™ femtosecond
laser allows our surgeons to peform "blade-free" all-laser
LASIK. The femtosecond laser uses small, high-frequency
pulses of laser
energy to create the corneal flap. This allows the surgeon
to create the corneal flaps with extreme precision. Click
here to learn more about IntraLase™ "blade-free" vs.
traditional Microkeratome Procedures to create the LASIK
flap.
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