What is Blade-FREE LASIK?


When LASIK first arrived as a laser vision correction procedure, a microkeratome was used to create the corneal flap. Over the years ophthalmologists have found that when complications arise from LASIK they are typically from a poorly created corneal flap. Unlike mechanical instruments, the IntraLase blade-free LASIK technology is uniquely able to program the dimensions of your flap based on what's best for your eye(s). Then the IntraLase laser creates your flap from below the surface of the cornea-without ever cutting it.

This process is done in a series of steps:


  • Ultra-fast pulses of laser light position microscopic bubbles at a precise depth predetermined by your doctor.
  • The laser light passes harmlessly through your cornea. Then the laser creates rows of these bubbles just beneath your corneal surface as it moves back and forth across your eye in a uniform plane.
  • Next, the IntraLase laser stacks bubbles around your corneal diameter to create the edges of your flap. These bubbles are stacked at an angle that is determined by your doctor and is individualized to the way your eye is shaped.
  • The process takes only about 30 seconds from start to finish- it's quiet and it's comfortable.
  • Your doctor then gently lifts the flap to allow for the second step of your LASIK treatment. When treatment is complete, the flap is gently put back into position and the healing process begins.




Did You Know?


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said for the first time it will consider applicants who have undergone two common types of vision-correction surgery: laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, known as LASIK; and photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK. WHY Blade-FREE LASIK If you are researching LASIK at this point you are thinking about life without the hassles of glasses and contacts but what about Blade-FREE LASIK? Why would Blade-FREE LASIK be a better choice than conventional LASIK? Not only do patients prefer the Intralase® Blade-FREE LASIK experience but there is clinical evidence that Intralase® blade free LASIK method provides more patients with 20/20 vision than mechanical microkeratome methods. When making your decision about LASIK there are numerous advantages of LASIK without a Blade, also called Intralase® Blade-FREE LASIK. The advantages of Intralase® Blade-FREE LASIK are as follows:

  • One of the biggest advantages of the Intralase® Blade-FREE LASIK method is that is is SIMPLY safer. SAFETY must play a role in your decision to have LASIK eye surgery, after all, these are your only eyes. More than 600,000 procedures have been performed safely and effectively using the IntraLase Method. Here are some ways why Intralase® is safer than conventional LASIK eye surgery