Excimer Laser

Excimer lasers are used by eye surgeons in LASIK procedures. These ultraviolet lasers are made from argon and fluoride gases, and emit pulses of light with a wavelength of 193 nm. These lasers are considered “cool lasers,” which means that they do not give off heat. This protects your cornea from suffering damage during the surgery.

Excimer lasers are extremely precise. They remove 1/4000 mm of corneal tissue per pulse. Just for a frame of reference, it takes 200 pulses to cut through a piece of human hair.

Are All Excimer Lasers the Same?

Different excimer lasers vary in their level of precision. The more precise the laser used for your LASIK surgery, the more effective your surgeon will most likely be in reshaping your cornea. Since every individual’s eyes have unique contours and dimensions, your LASIK surgeon should choose the laser that is best suited to the characteristics of your cornea’s shape, thickness, and length.

Excimer lasers also vary in the optical range that they cover. It is important for your surgeon to choose the most appropriate laser for the dimensions of your pupil. In order to reduce the risk of night vision complications, the zone where the laser reshapes your eye should be at least as large as your pupil in low light conditions.

It is important to remember that while the properties and quality of the laser used impact the results of your LASIK surgery, the laser is not as important in predicting your surgical outcome as the skill level and experience of your LASIK surgeon. You should always thoroughly research several laser eye surgeons and make sure to choose one who has performed hundreds of the exact procedure on patients with the exact same refractive error that you possess.

Types of Excimer Lasers

The following are some of the most commonly used excimer lasers in LASIK procedures:

Slit scanning lasers - These lasers use tiny beams connected to a rotating device containing slit holes that enlarge. As the laser moves across these holes, it produces a gradually enlarging ablation zone, which makes for a smoother ablation zone.
Spot scanning lasers - These are the most commonly used lasers. They employ small-diameter laser beams that scan the surface of your cornea to create the ablation zone. This laser enables your surgeon to produce more customized ablations and to more effectively treat irregular astigmatisms.
Wavefront-guided lasers - A wavefront device creates a 3D “map” of the way light waves travel though your eye. Lasers that use a wavefront device can create a highly customized ablation. Both slit scanning and spot scanning lasers can be used in conjunction with wavefront-guided treatments.

If you would like to discuss the excimer laser technology used in LASIK eye surgery with an experienced professional, please contact an ophthalmologist near you.