New Femtosecond Laser System for Ophthalmologic LASIK Surgery

The Carl Zeiss VisuMax femtosecond laser system enables flap creation in a completely bladeless procedure. A very accurately focused laser beam is guided through to the cornea in a computerized treatment that is unique to each patient. The laser beam moves across and through the cornea, creating a layer of very tiny bubbles under its path. These bubbles quickly disappear, and the tissue above the bubbles becomes the corneal flap, which can be easily lifted by the surgeon. The system uses a curved contact interface that attaches to the cornea during the treatment; thus, the cornea is only slightly flattened, which prevents unnecessarily high intraocular pressure and stress to the eye. Due to the high performance optics, the laser beam is guided very precisely to the desired depth, resulting in an accurate flap thickness. In addition, the laser beam is directed in a tightly focused manner, which allows the doctor to apply only minimum laser energy to the eye; the creation of the corneal flap with the system takes about 20 to 30 seconds.

The system also offers intuitive software that allows the surgeon complete freedom in patient positioning between the surgical microscope and the treatment position, as well as other factors. A touch screen and intuitive software enable easy system control, with interactive system features providing additional support. Preset treatment programs offer standardization and patient-oriented planning, and an integrated video camera equipped with a DVD recorder enables comprehensive, up-to-the-minute treatment documentation. The VisuMax femtosecond laser is a product of Carl Zeiss Meditec (Jena, Germany).

"The major advantage of the 500 kHz upgrade is that it allows for shorter treatment times with increased laser spot density," said John Dishler, M.D., of Dishler Laser Institute (Greenwood Village, CO, USA). "Clinically, this produces two significant benefits. First, the higher repetition rate had reduced the critical phase of the procedure, the actual laser emission time, even further. Thus the patient is only required to remain still for a short amount of time. Secondly, the higher spot density results in even more precise tissue separation."

"With the development of the new VisuMax, we have fulfilled the pledge we have made to doctors to further expand the major potential of femtosecond technology and place this at their disposal in an innovative system for ophthalmology in a very short time," said Dr. Michael Kaschke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec.

The first step in laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) vision correction surgery is to have a thin corneal flap made to reveal the tissue that will be reshaped to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. There are two main methods to create a corneal flap: a microkeratome with a metal blade, or a femtosecond laser, such as the VisuMax.

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