Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

IntraLase is Speedy!

Today this writer watched a live IntraLase procedure, done for a co-worker (not at Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center, but it’s the same treatment as is done here). These are some things that took longer than the vision correction:

Driving to the office in commute traffic
Finding a parking place
Finding the Ladies' room (I should have asked!)

It took no time at all to obtain permission to watch, as there is a viewing window for this purpose, with a video screen that shows close-up detail. My co-worker had worn spectacles most of his life and had saved up for this life-changing day. He looked comfortable lying on the VISX patient bed and I could see how easily the surgeon moved the bed's position with his knee.

The IntraLase laser machine was as large as the VISX CustomVue machine, one on each side of the bed. On the video screen I could see the eye image changing from dark to light as the IntraLase laser rapidly moved from side to side up the entire treatment area, making its microscopic little bubbles in the cornea. Then the screen showed a close view of the surgeon lifting back the corneal flap. It was truly thin and delicate, very precisely created, and lay back on its tiny hinge quite easily.

The excimer laser treatment took mere seconds. Of course, the treatment plan had taken more than seconds to devise, so that exactly the right corneal area would be targeted, at exactly the right depth. The surgeon replaced the flap with no trouble, smoothing it down in various directions so that it would heal easily.

My co-worker was on his feet and being led gently to the recovery room almost before I realized his procedure was finished. His vision was blurry at this point, but his instructions were to go home and sleep, and to use the prescribed eyedrops at the right intervals. He had printed instructions. An important item was not to rub his eyes, as that would potentially displace the corneal flap before it healed.

As I left, he said, "See you tomorrow!" He’ll be back at work as usual, minus his spectacles.

posted by JennyK at 1:59 PM

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