Laser eye surgery has been one of the leading treatments in the medical industry for a few years now. Able to correct a wide range of afflictions from cataracts to glaucoma, laser eye surgery is a quick, relatively painless, outpatient procedure which is both affordable and practical. Millions of people have gone under the laser to date, and the more people exploring this option, the more advanced the industry becomes as a whole. It is the epitome of supply meeting demand.
Recently, a new type of laser was introduced on the market, one that far exceeds the capabilities of the previous lasers and promises to light the way in the coming years.
The new laser recently released is the iFS femtosecond laser – a fifth-generation IntraLase laser, most commonly used in LASIK eye surgery procedures. Not only does the iFS improve LASIK procedures, but it also has some unique capabilities which will help to expand the types of procedures patients can have done.
The iFS Femtosecond Laser
Think of the iFS laser as a convection oven released after a basic thermal oven was already on the market – it does pretty much the same thing, only it does it a lot better.
In general, IntraLase lasers revolutionized the world of LASIK eye surgery. Believe it or not, these surgeries were still widely done without lasers. A surgeon would use an oscillating metal blade to create the corneal flap, the first step in the LASIK procedure. As you can imagine, many complications arose from using surgical steel to operate on an eyeball. Lasers changed the game, and now the advanced iFS promises to change it even further.
The iFS laser is a huge upgrade and performs circles around its predecessors. The laser is a lot faster than older models and is able to accurately cut out very complex shapes. For basic LASIK procedures, the iFS gets the job done in less time, and it even excels at corneal transplants and other complicated procedures. The laser has the capability to cut tighter incisions and to secure wounds more accurately for better overall results.
Doctors love this laser for the tongue-and-groove incisions they are able to create, which heal much faster and with far fewer complications. And patients are taking a shine to this new laser due to the increased efficiency of LASIK procedures.
Overall, the iFS is sure to eventually replace all previous lasers. Only a few clinics in the country are using this laser right now. Of course, being brand new and superior to fourth-generation lasers, the fifth-generation comes at a steep price.
In a year or so, however, prices will fall as more competitors begin to manufacture similar products, and that means more and more clinics will be offering more efficient eye surgery to patients.