IntraLase

Bladeless vs. Traditional LASIK

The Nielsen Eye Center is proud to be one of the first practices in the Boston area to offer IntraLase LASIK. Approved by NASA to correct vision for its own astronauts and the United States Department of Defense for its Air Force and Navy pilots, the IntraLase LASIK procedure is one of the most exciting developments in bladeless laser vision correction.

Unlike traditional LASIK procedures which use a blade to create a corneal flap, the IntraLase method uses a laser to produce a layer of tiny bubbles, which gently lift and separate the tissue to create a corneal flap. The custom Allegretto Wave Eye-Q Excimer Laser technology then reshapes the underlying cornea. Once the flap is made and the cornea reshaped, the surgeon will move the flap back into place, where it resets in the cornea without the need for stitches. This combination of two advanced technologies has produced some of the best results we’ve ever seen in laser vision correction. Dr. Nielsen strives to provide each of his patients with safety and comfort, and therefore strongly believes in the numerous advantages of the IntraLase method of LASIK surgery, including:

• Reduced anxiety associated with surgical blades
• Increased flap predictability
• Reduced risk of dry eye after surgery
• Precise and even corneal flaps
• Reduced recovery time

In a research study of patients treated with one eye using Traditional LASIK, and the other eye using IntraLase LASIK, patients preferred the vision in their IntraLase eye 3 to 1 over the Traditional LASIK eye. In addition, published results of Wavefront-guided procedures have reported improved contrast sensitivity and fewer higher-order aberrations, compared with standard treatment. Some examples of how this would help in more practical terms would be an improved ability to read a road sign in a fog or more easily recognizing a face in a crowd. The Wavefront-guided procedure results in a higher quality of vision. At The Nielsen Eye Center, we believe it is critical to have the most advanced LASIK technology for our patients, therefore, we use both technologies, the IntraLase bladeless laser to make the corneal flap as well as the custom Allegretto Wave Eye-Q Excimer Laser technology to reshape the cornea.

Please contact our LASIK vision care center to schedule a consultation for IntraLase blade-free LASIK at our Boston and Quincy, Massachusetts-area practice.