Surgery with Femtosecond Lasers

An anonymous reader writes "Science Daily has an article on femtosecond lasers, which emit pulses of light that are a billion times shorter than an electronic camera flash and how they are currently being used in LASIK procedures."

Comments

Microkeratome

[sazim]

I had LASIK surgery on both eyes in 1997. I had -6.5 (diopters ?) in both eyes (very short sighted) and came out of the operation with 40/20 vision (better than 20/20) in both eyes.

A microkeratome (razor) was used to create the "flap". They told me that it was this device that was the "weak" link in the entire procedure as it could get stuck or could cut slightly wrong, as mentioned in the article. As the surgery is done while awake (both patient and surgeon), I was relieved when told that the microkeratome had cut successfully. I was lucky and have no complaints: I had to use several eye drops for 3 months during which time my vision was *slightly* hazy (at night) but nothing after that.

One of my eyes has become slightly astigmatic (natural process) and I am considering another LASIK procedure as it is now several generations on from my previous surgery. Good to know that the microkeratome is possibly on the way out.