BRITISH COLUMBIA, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Dr. David Lin and Dr. Simon Holland, refractive and corneal specialists at the Pacific Laser Eye Centre, are the first laser eye surgeons in British Columbia to offer the IntraLase(R) procedure, an all-laser technique for LASIK.

LASIK is the most widely performed surgery worldwide for the correction of short sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Presently, a metal blade is used to create a corneal flap, but the introduction of the IntraLase replaces the blade with a laser beam to perform this part of the procedure.

The new IntraLase FS laser delivers micron-level accuracy to laser eye surgery, significantly increasing the precision of flap thickness and avoiding any blade-related issues. This further adds to the safety of LASIK and allows treatment of thinner corneas.

How The IntraLase Laser Works

The ultra-fast IntraLase FS femtosecond laser creates a corneal flap of precise depth, diameter and centration using an infrared beam. The beam of laser light is focused to a precise point within the stroma (central layer of the cornea) where each pulse of the laser creates a tiny 2 to 3 micron bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapour. Thousands of these microscopic bubbles are precisely positioned to define the flap's dimensions, as well as the location of the hinge. Bubbles are then stacked along the edge of the flap up to the corneal surface to complete the flap. The process takes approximately 15-20 seconds per eye. The surgeon then lifts the flap to allow for treatment by the excimer laser. When treatment is complete, the flap is repositioned.

Scientific references are available on request.

Pacific Laser Eye Centre
The clinic and surgeons have performed over 65,000 laser refractive eye procedures over the last 16 years, were the first to perform LASIK in British Columbia and now are first to perform the IntraLase procedure.

For further information: Pacific Laser Eye Centre, Fifth Floor, 1401 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 1H6, Tel: (604) 736-2625, e-mail: info@pacific-laser.com