LASIK Eye Surgery Ephrata PA

If you are considering LASIK eye surgery in Ephrata, PA, it is important to put your vision in the experienced hands of board certified, fellowship trained cornea experts, such as those at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania.

Since laser surgery treats the delicate cornea of your eye, we think it’s advisable to choose a laser surgeon who is both a board certified ophthalmologist and a corneal specialist, an expert who performs various types of cornea surgery, treats corneal abrasions and infections, teaches other physicians about the cornea, and is capable of handling challenging cornea cases.

At Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, our LASIK surgeons, Adam J. Altman, MD, Jonathan D. Primack, MD, and Kevin J. Shah, MD are board certified, but they are also fellowship-trained, which means that they have undergone an advanced course of training in all aspects of corneal disease and care. A fellowship is considered the ultimate training for an ophthalmologist. A fellowship-trained cornea surgeon will provide you with the highest level of care.

Different Methods of LASIK Surgery

All LASIK procedures are not the same. But, what do “blade” and “bladeless” LASIK mean? Does one have any advantages over the other?

Both forms of LASIK surgery use an excimer laser to reshape the corneal tissue; the difference is in what is used to cut the corneal flap.

In conventional LASIK, the surgeon uses a handheld surgical blade, known as a microkeratome, to cut a thin, hinged flap into the surface of the cornea. The flap is then folded over and the surgeon applies energy pulses from a computer-guided excimer laser to reshape the cornea and improve vision imperfections.

In bladeless, or “all-laser” LASIK as it is sometimes called, the cool beams of a femtosecond laser are used to cut the corneal flap instead of a handheld blade. This technology was approved by the FDA for use in LASIK surgery in 2001.

Drs. Altman and Primack prefer bladeless LASIK, because they consider it to be the most technologically advanced and safest way of performing LASIK. In fact, bladeless LASIK is the only type of LASIK approved for NASA astronauts and U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy sailors and pilots. However, LASIK is one of the safest procedures in the hands of a well-trained surgeon, whether it is done with the microkeratome or with the femtosecond laser. One may be more advantageous than the other based on the individual patient’s eyes.

Bladeless LASIK surgery may have advantages for patients with:

• Very steep or very flat corneas
• Thin corneas
• Large refractive errors
• Dry eyes or contact lens intolerance
• Anxiety about “the blade”

It’s important to remember that both the microkeratome and the femtosecond laser are tools, and tools are only as good as the surgeon who is using them. Drs. Primack and Altman are highly selective in choosing patients for bladeless LASIK. Each performs an extensive screening process that includes personally examining and speaking with each candidate about their goals and expectations.

Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania is experienced with all of the latest technologies for LASIK eye surgery. Whether you are in Ephrata, PA, Lancaster County, Berks County, Schuylkill County or beyond, our experts would be happy to discuss which of the various treatment options may be best for you. Get in touch with us today to schedule a free LASIK evaluation. To schedule a free LASIK evaluation, call (610) 378-8500.