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(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 08, 2010 ) Milwaukee, Wi. Dr. John Suson, of Suson Eye Specialists, explained "Advertising for Lasik can be somewhat deceptive". Often you’ll hear high tech words used to imply that a surgeon uses all of the latest technologies available, but that is not necessarily the case. “Custom”, “Customized”, or “Customvue” are terms that I’ve heard used in this way in Lasik advertising. Although customized treatments are a key component to most Lasik systems in use today, advertisers often emphasize the word “custom” while neglecting to mention that they use bladed systems when making the Lasik flap. Dr. Suson said "In my opinion, that is a serious omission and misleading to the patient. The most current and safest technologies involve Lasik systems that are bladeless. Although the custom technology is still important, if the surgeon is not clearly using a blade-free system like the Intralase®, then they cannot truly say that they are using the most advanced, precise, and safest Lasik technology".
The issue with bladed systems is the potential for problems related to a physical blade creating a Lasik flap. The Lasik flap is the outermost layer of tissue created during Lasik surgery. The flap will act as the outer protective layer after the Lasik surgery: sort of a natural tissue “bandage” to allow faster healing. The flap is a rounded cover with a hinge on the surface of the eye. You can visualize it as a toilet seat cover which is essentially round but can be lifted up on its hinge. Bladed Lasik systems have a much higher incidence of cutting off the hinge or even amputating the Lasik flap in the middle.
These are not insignificant problems although surgeons using bladed systems will try to justify and minimize them. They may require suturing of the damaged flap into position and can result in a host of problems, perhaps even requiring that the Lasik surgery be aborted. Because there is an actual physical blade, there is the risk that debris can be tracked and trapped under the flap such as metal fragments, tissue debris, or oils from the blade surface. The risk of blade related complication is less than 1% but in reality that probably means somewhere around 1 out of every 200 or 300 eyes. Since each person has 2 eyes, that may mean 1 out of every 150 patients or so. Because of the mechanical, physical nature of bladed systems, there is a lot of variability between manufacturers and even a lot of variability between centers using the very same model of bladed technology. The laser only, blade-free systems truly use the most advanced, precise technology which significantly reduces all of these flap related errors.
"So don’t be deceived or distracted by the word “custom.” If you don’t hear the words “blade-free” or “blade-less” Lasik used, then the surgeon may be avoiding the issue. As an informed patient, you have the choice and the power to ask your surgeon about blade-free technology. Make sure that you choose the latest, most precise Lasik flap technology available to you", Dr. Suson concluded.
For more information about blade-free Lasik eye surgery - in addition to scores of other eye related procedures, such as cataract surgery - visit Dr. John Suson's blog, at http://www.supereyes.com/blog/
To book a consultation with Dr. Suson, or to learn more about Suson Eye Specialists, visit http://www.supereyes.com/
Suson Eye Specialists
Dr. John Suson
414-778-2020
doctorjohnsuson@gmail.com 
Source: EmailWire.com
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