iLasik vs. Bladeless

We’ve talked a lot about blade vs. bladeless. We’ve shown the outstanding benefits of bladeless all laser iLASIK over LASIK conventional blade.

• All laser iLASIK (bladeless) procedure is quick, virtually painless, and the results are outstanding.
• All branches of the U.S. Military and NASA endorse iLASIK for their servicemen and woman after studies showed that iLASIK can provide better than 20/20 customized vision.
• Outstanding patient testimonials that will put any LASIK candidate at ease.

But it doesn’t end there!

We understand this certainly can be confusing to potential candidates. All the time we hear, “Which technology is right for me?” At Bense Vision we are very proud to exclusively treat our patients with bladeless iLASIK. However, it is critical to be aware that NOT all bladeless technology is created equal! At Bense Vision we have advanced to the full suite of iLASIK equipment and technologies, only offered by a handful of iLASIK centres in North America and no other in Atlantic Canada. Our full iDESIGN Suite consists of:

VISX STAR S4

The VISX S4 laser offers the highest level of accuracy. This laser is accurate to 0.25 microns, an amazing figure when you consider a human hair is about 70 microns thick. And with 3D active eye tracking technology it’s the only system that allows the surgeon to track your eye movement in all 3 directions.

INTRALASE

With the ultra high precision Intralase laser, creating the corneal flap is now safer and more accurate. By eliminating the blade once used in traditional LASIK, our patients enjoy a premium level of safety.

iDESIGN

For the iDESIGN treatment we capture a “fingerprint” of your vision which is then transferred to the laser allowing us to correct minute details in your vision that glasses or contact cannot! With iDESIGN you may see better than you have ever before.

irisREGISTRATION

As a part of the VISX iDESIGN technology, Iris Registration is very similar to an eye scanner. This advanced technology maps points on the iris and focuses the laser using those points. This creates a more individualized adjustment that in turn, further improves and enhances the quality of your laser vision correction treatment.

iLASIK with an IntraLase created flap and Advanced CustomVue quality excimer laser is simply the best there is in laser vision correction. There is less risk, greater precision and overall better vision than any other procedure…and better then glasses or contacts.

For the most advanced technology, the most experienced LASIK surgeon, and the best possible results – it is Bense Laser Centre. You will receive:

• A truly personalized treatment specific to your eyes only
• Decreased need for enhancement, fine tuning or risk of glare as we are so precise

At your complimentary LASIK exam, our doctors will conduct an in depth examination to determine if you are a candidate for LASIK and answer all of your questions. We will ensure you are 100% comfortable with all of your LASIK options. To make an appointment, call 722.2020 and speak with one of our knowledgeable laser counsellors today or request an appointment right here.

Have you been informed that you have developed the disturbing eye condition called keratoconus? If so, there is no need to panic because a safe and non-invasive treatment called corneal cross linking (KXL) can be used to stop the thinning of the cornea and strengthen the corneal structure.

What Causes Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a fairly common eye condition that is caused by a weak and thin cornea. Every 1 in 750 North Americans can expect to experience the affects of this disease, which causes the cornea to become irregularly shaped (often bulging forward like a cone). The disease may cause astigmatism as a result of the strange cornea shape, and can interfere with a patient’s vision.

How Can KXL help?

Cross corneal linking can potentially stop keratoconus from progressing in most individuals. While its primary purpose is not to improve sight, it can correct the shape of the cornea and make it more stable, which may help to improve a patient’s focusing power as a result. A normal cornea contains many different cross-links that add support to its natural collagen fibers and help it to maintain a strong corneal structure and shape. However, patients who have keratoconus do not have enough cross-links in their corneas, and as a result their corneas are weak and prone to elongation, or outward bulging. KXL can help reverse the symptoms of this condition by adding cross-links to the cornea, which strengthens its structure and allows it to retain its shape more effectively.

KXL Steps

KXL is a quick, in-office treatment and involves only two main steps:

1. Specialized riboflavin eye drops are placed on the surface of the cornea and given time to penetrate the cornea.
2. A specialized light activates the riboflavin drops so that they can go to work increasing the cross-links in the corneal structure and provide strength to the cornea while reducing corneal elongation due to keratoconus.

The entire procedure only takes about thirty minutes and can help to dramatically improve a patient’s sight when combined with vision correction procedures such as Intacs and PTK.

Learn More

If you have been told that you have keratoconus and you don’t take steps to treat it, the disease will continue to progress and cause structural weakness in your eye. If you want to do everything you can to strengthen your corneal structure and improve your vision, talk to your eye doctor about cross corneal linking and vision correction procedures that will help to improve your eyesight and control the symptoms of the disease.

If you have been informed that you are not a good candidate for LASIK because your corneas are too thin, your physical activities are too strenuous, or your astigmatism is too advanced, you don’t need to give up on laser vision correction altogether. While the popular LASIK treatment may not be a viable option for you, you can still undergo a different type of laser vision correction procedure that is effective at treating certain types of vision problems. This alternative laser vision correction procedure is called advanced surface ablation (ASA). It is also commonly referred to as PRK, and if you qualify for the procedure you could be on your way to crisp, clear vision in a short period of time.

The ASA Difference

Advanced surface ablation is different from LASIK in a couple of key areas. While LASIK requires the top creation of a flap, ASA does not have this requirement. Instead, the very top layer of the cornea is gently removed, leaving the majority of the cornea intact. Because there is no cornea flap created, you don’t need to worry about the possibility that part of your cornea may become damaged or lost during the procedure.

ASA Procedure Steps

While it may sound scary to have part of your cornea removed, the ASA procedure is really quite safe, painless, and only involves a few steps:

1. Numbing
2. Removal of top layer of cornea
3. Cornea reshaping

Numbing

To ensure your comfort, numbing anesthetic drops will be placed into your eyes before any work is done on them. Although your eyes will be numb and unable to feel pain, you will still be able to move them freely and see what is going on around you.

Removal of Top Layer of Cornea

Once your eyes are completely numb, the top layer of your cornea will be gently and carefully removed with the use of specialized tools. Once this outer layer is removed, you can then undergo the laser vision correction procedure.

Cornea Reshaping

Your vision will be corrected with the help of laser beam pulses that are controlled by computers. These laser pulses will sound and look strange to you, but you won’t be able to feel them as they carefully re-shape the outer layer of your cornea. The process is quick and will be over before you know it. You will then be instructed to cover your eyes and put special drops in them while they heal.

If you live a very active lifestyle, have thin corneas, or are not a good candidate for LASIK for any other reason, ASA may be the perfect vision correction solution for you.

As you get older, you may notice that it becomes more difficult to read, and that your vision is blurry or out of focus. It’s completely normal for individuals in their 40s to find it a little more difficult to see things that are close. This phenomenon is otherwise known as presbyopia, and is more annoying than it is harmful or dangerous.

Presbyopia can occur even in individuals who have previously had laser vision correction. Although there is no way to prevent this condition, it is treated in a fairly simple manner that is incredibly safe. Here at Bense Eye Clinic, we offer vision correction through the KAMRA Vision procedure so you can enjoy effortless vision for years to come.

How it Works

The eye lens is flexible and stretchy, and passes light rays in a cone shape to create a sharp image. These rays converge on the retina at a single point, also called the focal point. The small muscles around the lens bend the shape depending on whether the item you are trying to see if far away or closer to you.

Over time and as you age, the materials of the lens begins to stiffen. At this point, it’s more difficult for the lens to bend in the right shapes in order to allow the focal point to land directly on the retina. This makes it harder to bring focus to close objects, and most people will move the object in order to compensate for the inability of the lens to bend and shape correctly.

As the lens stiffens, the focal point moves to behind the retina. Light rays that hit the retina do so at a broader point, making them more blurry. At this point, you’ve developed presbyopia.

How KAMRA Inlay Can Help

The special material of the KAMRA Inlay allows the eye to breathe more naturally. The Inlay rests over the center of the pupil and under the top surface of the cornea. The KAMRA Inlay is shaped like a tiny ring with a small opening in the middle.

The Inlay works by tightening the opening through which light rays enter the eye. Light rays are concentrated into a column and enter in a long, skinny cone shape. The cone’s tip is the KAMRA corrected focal point. The Inlay moves your focal point back to the surface of the retina, sharpening your vision and eliminating blurriness for items that are closer to you.

Sharper Vision and a Clearer Future

Although your eyesight may deteriorate with age, don’t give up hope. New research and technology allows us at Bense Vision Clinic to offer our patients hope for a clearer, brighter future.

While LASIK surgery can has improved the eyesight of millions of people in North America alone, the process has been known to weaken and thin the cornea. In order to counteract this problem, Bense Vision offer iLASIK XTRA, a Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking. This is a surgical procedure that strengthens the cornea after LASIK.

The cornea is strengthened during LASIK-XTRA with a cross-linking treatment. After LASIK, the cornea is thinned because the excimer laser used during the procedure removes tissue. During Custom or Standard LASIK procedures, the blade may also create a thicker flap than other blade-free procedures.

In a small percentage of cases, the cornea may bulge forward or become distorted. This condition is called corneal ectasis, or keratoconus.

Who is a Candidate?

The best way to determine if you are a candidate for iLASIK XTRA is to meet with a qualified eye surgeon to get a professional opinion. Prime candidates for this procedure include patients in the following categories:

• Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
• Unexpected amount of new astigmatis
• Poor LASIK candidates
• Myopia (Nearsightedness) over -5D
• Younger than age 23
• Other unusual topography features

 
If you aren’t sure if you fit into one of these categories, you may want to schedule an appointment with Bense Vision Clinic to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure.

When is LASIK-XTRA Used?

Patients with a likelihood of a thinning cornea after a LASIK procedure may benefit from an additional treatment. This also includes those with thin corneas even before surgery or cases of high spectacle power. Those who are given the additional treatment are less likely to regress as they age because the additional treatment works to lock in the effects of the original LASIK procedure.

The Corneal Cross Linking Treatment only adds around two minutes to the original LASIK or PRK procedure, and can strengthen the cornea to restore it to its previous strength. Bense Vision Clinic uses the Avedro KXL Accelerated Cross-Linking system with all of our patients.

Here at Bense Vision Clinic, we use this additional treatment for patients with several conditions.

• Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
• Post-Laser Refractive Surgery Ectasia
• Keratoconus
• Bacterial Keratitis (infective Corneal Ulcerations)
• Cornea thinning disorders

Increased Chances of Success

If your corneas are thin naturally, or you are expected to deal with serious thinning of the cornea after LASIK, consult with your doctor about the additional treatment. LASIK-XTRA can repair your corneas after LASIK surgery and increase your chances of long-term success. At Bense Vision Clinic, we’re committed to offering our patients all the tools they need to regain their perfect vision.