Types of LASIK lasers

Excimer laser used in LASIK procedure have different types. Some potential LASIK recipients think that they may be suitable for a specific type of laser and want to know the exact differences among those current instruments. But at the surgeons’ side, instruments are not the decisive factor to refractive outcomes. Surgeon skill and experience and care quality are more important.

Clinical results are usually better than FDA statistics

There are four must-know tips for patients to know while evaluating different laser types. Firstly results of a specific laser are always better than FDA data, which was gathered during the early period of the laser and there is substantial space to grow. During the past years, LASIK technologies have gained exciting progress, best exemplified by the development and application of wavefront LASIK. In addition, surgeons’ skills and experience have also improved significantly.

Comparing a laser with another is usually unscientific

The second must-know is that it is inappropriate to make a simple comparison between two types of lasers. A scientific comparison requires randomized clinical trials, which are far beyond current studies. Most of the currently available research results are based on clinical data collected from one or several surgical centers. These clinical cases can hardly be classic and representative.

Do not switch to another laser without a professional evaluation

Furthermore, no clinical study can cover every possibility so that patients should never make a simple switch between different lasers. Some studies even contain few participants so that their statistics are actually meaningless. When the surgeon decides a specific laser, it is advisable to insist on this choice and do not make a change. The patient should know clearly that such a decision is made according to his or her eye conditions.

Off-label use of LASIK laser should be welcomed

Like other devices and drugs, the “off-label” use of LASIK lasers is the surgeon’s practice-of-medicine prerogative. In fact, this type of application has been the source of many medical advances. The best example is the off-label use of aspirin, which is vital for reducing risk of heart attacks.

Slit scanning, spot scanning and wavefront lasers

There are several types of excimer lasers used for LASIK. Scanning across slit holes, slit scanning laser provides a uniform and smoother beam. However, it may increase the risk of decentration and overcorrection without the help of an eye-tracker. Automated eye tracking systems can keep the laser beam on target. As the most common type, beams of spot scanning lasers scan across the cornea to produce the possibly smoothest ablations. Both of the two laser types can be transferred into wavefront-guided lasers that are connected to a wavefront device. Surgeons take use of the visual maps created by wavefront devices in order to create custom LASIK ablation, bringing more precise refractive correction.

Laser-applied zone suffers most postoperative problems

Studies show evidence that the zone where laser energy is applied has close relationship with vision problems such as glare and halos. If the laser-applied ablation zone is not big enough to accommodate enlarged pupils in dim light, visual problems will occur. In addition, the patient’s comfort can be affected by the number of laser treatments and the flap cutting instrument.