LASIK and Surface Ablation in the Modern Era: Trends and Novel Applications

Abstract

Refractive laser surgery has become one of the most successful and commonly performed elective ophthalmic procedures. Since the introduction of photorefractive keratectomy, followed closely by the advent of laser in situ keratomileusis, the field of laser refractive surgery has continued to rapidly evolve. Surgical techniques are constantly refined to improve patient outcomes and minimize complications, and technology continues to advance to provide more precise and customizable treatment options. New applications of refractive procedures continually emerge in the literature. Breakthroughs in the field have led to novel applications of refractive procedures that may offer options to patients that previously had been considered poor surgical candidates. It is important for the clinician to maintain awareness of the current trends and new developments in refractive surgery to provide appropriate counseling and treatment for their patients.

An Optical Prototype for Simulating the Laser Delivery Method in a Typical LASIK Device

“…In a typical LASIK practice, surgeon creates a very thin, superficial flab in the treated cornea using either a special tool named "microkeratome" or alternatively a femtosecond laser. After flab creation, a specific layer of the cornea called "stroma" can be reached where the operation is performed by removing some corneal tissue via laser photo-ablation process [4]. Commercially, excimer lasers (ArF) at 193 nm are the mostly used type in LASIK [5].…”