EYE SURGERY INSTITUTE-PRESS RELEASE

Revolutionary New Procedure: EPI-LASIK

Safety is our #1 priority

Afraid of LASIK Surgery?

EPI-LASIK has no vibrating blade, no deep corneal flap, and no vacuum suction ring.

EPI-LASIK is a form of surface laser ablation where only 30 microns (much less than in traditional LASIK) of the corneal thickness (epithelium) is moved aside and the resulting bed is lasered, then the epithelium is replaced. This allows for better visual rehabilitation and less discomfort than the old form of surface ablation. A bandage contact is put over the eye in the operating room to allow the epithelium to heal quickly. The contact lens is then removed after about 1 week.

EPI-LASIK provides excellent results without the risk of deep corneal flap complications and can be done over RK incisions and on those who have had previous Cataract surgery. There is also no vacuum ring used, which triples the pressure in the eye and can lead to complications.

Other advantages of EPI-LASIK are that there is no chance of an incomplete flap, button-hole flap or thin flap because there is no deep corneal flap. And there is no risk of infection, inflammation or wrinkles under the flap which can cause problems. Also the cornea is left thicker and therefore stronger with probably less chance of late corneal irregularities and late ectasia (corneal bulge). Therefore, the results are at least as good, or better than traditional LASIK.

EPI-LASIK is especially great for people with thin corneas or those who have other eye conditions who may not have been candidates for traditional LASIK.

Although EPI-LASIK was developed about 4 years ago in Italy, it is actually a form of surface ablation which has been done world wide for about 15 years with an established record of safety and stability.

There have been recent breakthroughs in the medications used with the procedure that make it the preferred refractive surgery at the Eye Surgery Institute.

In the beginning steroid drops (to reduce haze) were used for 3 months after surgery. Now the fantastic advances in new medications has lessened the need for long term steroid drops and have lessened the chance of corneal haze. Restasis which was recently approved by the FDA decreases the inflammatory responses of the cornea, improving the healing process. This is the same type of medication used in heart and kidney transplants. Mitomycin (an antimetabolite) which is used during surgery in higher myopes, higher hyperopes and with patients with previous RK or LASIK surgery probably reduces the chance of corneal haze which occasionally occurred.

In a 10 year study people who had a laser surface ablation were found to have good long term results with perhaps less chance of late irregular astigmatism and stable results.