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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 |
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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