Future advances in LASIK surgery

While LASIK surgery technologies have advanced very quickly, there is still more room for growth. There are many new techniques and technologies in development that will have people asking themselves if they might want to wait to get their LASIK surgery done. Without a doubt, there will be more advances in the LASIK surgery realm, many in the near future.

Reducing the Risk of Night Vision Halos

The lasers that are currently in use are just not able to treat the complete cornea. Only a small area you see through is able to be treated. There are some patients who have pupils that expand wider than normal in darker environments, which may allow them to see beyond the treated zone. This can cause the lights they see at night to have a halo or ring around them.

To lower the risk of this problem, a larger area of treatment is needed. The issue is, when the area being treated is widened by just a little bit, the volume of tissue being removed is dramatically increased. Because of this, while future lasers may be able to treat a larger area, they may only be able to be used on those patients with a lower degree of correction.

Tracking Eye Movements

Many of today's lasers have eye tracking technology, and these lasers will be more enhanced in the future. This means that the laser will be capable of following the smallest movement of the eye while the surgery is in progress.

While eye tracking has many benefits, it does have its negatives. One of the biggest drawbacks being that if the eye tracker is off centered, then the whole LASIK surgery will be, as well. Another problem occurs when there is a delay in the eye tracker that leads to the eye drying out. In most cases, however, the eye tracker is straightforward in its use.

Laser Flap Creator

There is a laser flap creator that was recently given FDA approval and is about to be released. The biggest benefit of the laser flap creator is that it would eliminate any concerns regarding dull blades. Also, it would confer more precise thickness to the corneal flap.

This innovation is going to be extremely important in high correction cases. These cases need the most tissue possible preserved, with a thin flap being created. The laser flap creator will also allow a surgeon to make a flap anywhere on the cornea and give it the diameter they feel is needed. This will avoid cases of poor flap creation, or of flaps being cut off by accident.