IntraLase Introduces Faster Laser For LASIK Surgery

Fast. That’s the buzzword for IntraLase Corp. Thursday when it unveils its fourth generation femtosecond laser at the American Society of Cataractand Refractive Surgery annual meeting in San Francisco.

The laser typically is used in the beginning stages of a LASIK procedure. Corneal surgeons use it as an alternative to the conventional surgical blade called a microkeratome to create a flap on the surface of the cornea.

The new IntraLase FS Laser is twice as fast as its predecessor, shaving off about 15 seconds from the entire procedure. And in LASIK surgeries, that can mean reducing the amount of time patients are uncomfortable during surgery, says Dr. Lawrence Chao, associate professor of ophthalmology at University of California, Irvine.

Chao uses both the microkeratome and the new laser. “During the LASIK procedure, the patient’s eye is under suction,” he says. “It can be tight and uncomfortable, so the shorter the amount of time, the better.”

The laser won’t beat the microkeratome for speed because corneal and refractive surgeons take about three to six seconds to make flap with microkeratome, Chao adds.

But the laser has advantages: It appeals to patients who fear a surgical blade and that may make the difference in whether the patient gets the procedure.

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