When the femtosecond laser made its way onto the LASIK market, a number of surgeons were rightfully uncertain. Does it really provide better results than the microkeratome? What if it’s just a trend that quickly fades out?
It’s been nearly twenty years since the femtosecond laser for LASIK was introduced, and it shows no signs of disappearing.
If you’re still postponing the switch, why?
You already perform good surgery with a microkeratome.
You’re an excellent surgeon. Why do you need a laser to cut a flap when you can easily create one by hand?
Research has found that even the most practiced hand can’t compare to the precision of a femtosecond laser. Specifically, a 2013 study published in Clinical Ophthalmology found that there’s a wide variation in the thickness of flaps made with a microkeratome. With the femtosecond laser, meanwhile, variability in the flap’s thickness is consistently less than 10 micrometers. This precision may reduce the risk of higher-order aberrations and ultimately impact visual quality after surgery.
You’re worried that the femtosecond laser results in too many complications.
When the femtosecond laser was first introduced for LASIK surgery, it tended to result in an inflammatory response that increased the risk of certain complications. Because of this, some surgeons are still hesitant to make the switch.
Thankfully, newer models of the femtosecond laser use significantly less energy, and the risk of these complications has diminished significantly. In fact, the overall inflammatory response created by the femtosecond laser is now identical to that of the microkeratome. The microkeratome also results in an increased risk of epithelial defect and flap dislocations.
The femtosecond laser is too expensive.
Maintaining a femtosecond laser is significantly more expensive than maintaining a microkeratome. Not only do you need to afford the laser itself, but you also need to keep up with insurance, maintenance costs, per-click fees, and more.
Sightpath Medical can help with that. As the leading provider of customized mobile ophthalmic services, we can help you access a femtosecond laser at a fraction of the cost of buying one. We’ll also take care of any maintenance costs and insurance fees.
There’s no room to keep the laser.
Femtosecond lasers take up a lot of space, and if you’re working in a small practice – or a large hospital that doesn’t make room for ophthalmology equipment – finding a place to keep the laser can be a hassle.
Sightpath Medical’s refractive services work on a “we come, we go” basis. In other words, we bring the equipment directly to your OR, then take it with us when you’re done with it. This way, you don’t need to worry about storage.