What is iLASIK?

By Jeffrey Martin, MD

Published on April 09, 2010

Everyone has heard of LASIK laser eye surgery. People know that you can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. People know that the laser vision correction procedure is quick and relatively painless. So what is the difference between LASIK and iLASIK? Dr. Jeffrey Martin, of Smithtown, New York in Long Island, describes the LASIK technique that he finds to be the best: iLASIK.

In iLASIK, we use Intralase, a blade-free laser, to make a flap in the superficial layers of the cornea. This flap is the most precise and safest of all of the methods. In the past, LASIK surgeons used metal blade machines called microkeratomes to make flaps, but the potential complications were always difficult to rationalize.

Once a bladeless flap is made, we use VISX CustomVue to do the vision correction aspect of the laser eye surgery. The VISX CustomVue system offers many advantages over traditional LASIK Surgery. The CustomVue Wavescan technology records the refractive errors and visual aberrations that are unique to your visual system. This Wavemap is used to guide the laser while reshaping the cornea. The CustomVue system uses automatic centering, automatic tracking, and iris registration to help surgeons achieve the best results possible for our patients. With iLASIK, patients can see more clearly the very next day.