All-Laser LASIK - The standard for accuracy and safety
Your eyes and vision are so important to you, that, although you've considered laser vision correction, you've been afraid to take a chance. Sound familiar? We hear this type of concern every day. That's why Dr. Tanchel has continued to use the best and safest technology to treat her patients, and why she was very pleased to be the first in 2003 to acquire the Intralase femtosecond laser. She's now first again with the next generation of femtosecond laser - the Ziemer Femto LDV, performing Z-LASIK.
She is the most experienced surgeon in the Washington, DC metro region to utilize the femtosecond laser in her center.
All-Laser LASIK is a true advance in vision correction surgery. The femtosecond laser eliminates the most serious risks associated with the LASIK procedure. It is an advance in accuracy and safety which should eliminate the fear many of us have when considering a procedure to eliminate the dependence on glasses and contact lenses.
Dr. Tanchel has been using the most advanced femtosecond lasers for over 5 years, and has the experience to get the most from the technology with unsurpassed results for our patients.
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Z-LASIK - The next generation of femtosecond technology is here!!
Liberty Laser Eye Center is first again in 2008 to acquire the Femto LDV femtosecond laser. This is the newest generation laser for creating an All-Laser LASIK flap. It creates a smoother flap and is easier for the patient during surgery. Due to its unique hand-held laser delivery system, which is attached to an easily maneuverable articulated arm, patients can be treated on the patient bed of the excimer laser and do not have to be relocated between flap creation and ablation procedures as in the past with the intralase laser. The surgeon can perform and control the entire procedure from a single working position, without having to move about or changing microscopes.
Z-LASIK is a completely different treatment in fundamental ways. Ziemer's FEMTO LDV is not just another femtosecond laser, similar to Intralase, Femtec, or Zeiss. Compared to these conventional femtolasers, the FEMTO LDV operates at pulse rates that are orders of magnitude higher, pulse energies that are much lower, and delivery optics that are very tightly focused for maximum flap creation in the focal spot and no thermal or radiation effects to the surrounding tissue. Unlike other femtolaser-based treatments, Z-LASIK is a highly integrated procedure. With the combined use of state of-the-art lasers and diagnostic equipment, Z-LASIK provides the best currently available treatment for superior vision correction.
Clinical Advantages:
* Smooth surface
of stromal bed.
* Smooth edges for optimal flap closure.
* Thin flaps of even thickness.
* Rapid healing and visual recovery.
* Excellent visual outcomes.
LASIK has two steps:
1 - Creating a corneal flap.
2 - Reshaping the surface to correct the prescription.
The most serious risks associated with the procedure traditionally occurred during the creation of the flap. In the past, a microkeratome with a blade was used to cut a flap. Due to the nature of the process - using a metal blade - there were some unavoidable risks. In contrast, the femtosecond laser creates a flap with laser energy, utilizing specialized software. This allows pinpoint accuracy and safety unmatched by any mechanical keratome. There is no possibility of creating a thin flap, thick flap, partial flap, buttonhole flap or corneal abrasion. No one has ever gone blind or needed a corneal transplant with All-Laser LASIK. Furthermore, All-Laser LASIK is ideal for patients with high amounts of nearsightedness, large pupils, moderate to high amounts of astigmatism and thin corneas, since the flap is uniform in thickness and the size and thickness can be accurately programmed into the laser before the procedure.
Pros:
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Safe - no partial flaps, free flaps, thick or thin flaps, buttonhole flaps, perforation of the eye - over 1,000,000 femtosecond laser flaps have been created to date, with NO vision threatening complications.
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NO Blades - All laser procedure - no cutting
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Accurate and predictable flap thickness and diameter - especially important for patients with thin corneas, high degrees of correction and large pupils
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Comfort - more comfortable when creating the flap
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Better vision - more accurate visual results for some prescriptions
Cons:
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Red eyes - possible for a few days for some patients. Much less common than with intralase technology.
The excimer laser is the instrument that re-shapes the surface of the eye, correcting the abnormality of focusing, which causes the need for glasses.
Dr. Tanchel has experience treating patients with many types of excimer lasers. She prefers the Nidek EC-5000 laser for most patients for several reasons. In her experienced hands, having treated more than 10,000 eyes, she has found the patient results with the Nidek laser to be most accurate and stable. The laser uses a cool beam of light to re-shape the surface of the eye and correct the deficiency to focus properly. Furthermore, the ability to adjust the laser's optical zone size and transition zone allows for a truly customized treatment and the ability to deal with any pupil size. The adjustability of the laser is one of the most important factors in providing a customized program for each individual patient. Dr. Tanchel uses all of the data collected during the examination, including the OPD-scan Wavefront analysis, as well as the Orbscan corneal topography, to develop a customized treatment plan for each individual patient.
The laser Eye Tracker allows for pinpoint accuracy in delivery of the laser beam to reshape the eye precisely. The unique scanning slit beam also is important in delivering each individualized treatment optimally. Dr. Tanchel can explain more about these advantages during a complimentary consultation.
One type of treatment however, isn’t right for everyone. Eyes are as individual as fingerprints and some patients have more complex vision problems than others. For patients who need Custom Wavefront-guided rather than wavefront optimized treatments, Dr. Tanchel will use the Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix Laser in concert with the Orbscan II and the Zywave wavefront analyzer. Some patients will benefit from this technology, in order to achieve their best visual result. If your eyes have elevated levels of Higher Order Aberrations, which are subtle optical imperfections above and beyond nearsightedness and astigmatism, you may benefit from treatment with the Zyoptix™ System of Custom Wavefront-guided LASIK for Personalized Vision Correction.
Who Benefits from Zyoptix?
Zyoptix customized LASIK may be appropriate for patients with naturally large pupils under dim light settings, patients with pre-existing night vision difficulties or problems driving at night, patients who have already had refractive surgery with quality of vision problems post treatment, or patients with pre-existing elevated higher order aberrations as determined at the pre-op evaluation. Zyoptix treatment is also an option for every patient with nearsightedness and/or astigmatism if their prescription is in the treatment range.
Having more than one laser in the center allows Dr. Tanchel to choose the best option for each individual patient based upon their unique needs and using her vast experience to customize a treatment plan. During your consultation, Dr. Tanchel will personally review your exam findings with you and help you to decide which procedure will give you the best visual result.
Please call us at(888) 801-2278 to set up a complimentary consultation with Dr. Tanchel, to discover whether your vision can be improved. See the difference that personalized treatment by the experienced and caring providers at Liberty Laser Eye Center can mean for you. They're your eyes - make the right choice.
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Wavefront Analysis is a new way to measure how the eye focuses light. It is a major innovation that provides Dr. Tanchel with more precise, comprehensive data on the patients visual performance. Wavefront data goes beyond Snellen acuity that is read on an eye chart, and brings vision correction technology into the 21st century. By utilizing this data, vision can be optimized to be generally sharper, as well as clearer in dim light.
Measurements are taken with the Nidek OPD-scan and the Bausch and Lomb Zywave Aberrometer. Multiple detailed maps are compiled which describe the optical performance of the eye. This information is used to guide the laser treatment. When coupled with the Z-LASIK flap, which decreases flap related wavefront aberrations, there is no more accurate treatment available.
Graph of Wavefront
components
Restoration of Near Vision over age 40
After hearing about Presby-LASIK or P-LASIK, which has been performed in Europe for many years, Dr. Tanchel was intrigued. P-LASIK was said to improve near vision for people over 40ish, who are having trouble seeing up close, having to move things farther and farther away to see them clearly.
Dr. Tanchel waited for some colleagues to perform a few hundred cases on the west coast, and followed their results closely. Once she was convinced that the procedure was safe and effective, she started performing P-LASIK here at Liberty Laser Eye Center in the northern Virginia / DC Metro area. Dr. Tanchel is the first and currently the only surgeon performing P-LASIK in this region.
The results have been very gratifying, with patients over 60 years old able to see clearly at distance, as well as read a newspaper – all without the help of glasses!
P-LASIK seems to work by restoring negative spherical aberration to the eyes. This wavefront pattern is natural in younger eyes and changes as we age. The increased negative SA seems to provide a greater depth of field. P-LASIK is not monovision, since both eyes see the same. It has worked very well and Dr. Tanchel is preparing to publish her results, along with a small group of surgeons from other parts of the country, treating patients with Presby-LASIK.