Intralasik (all laser LASIK) Video and Procedure Description
The above video shows an IntraLASIK or all laser LASIK procedure. The first step is to place a plastic ring over the white part of the eye. The ring contains a connection to a suction device and when suction is turned on, the ring is held firmly to the eye. During this time, the vision sometimes dims and a pressures sensation is felt.
The next step is for the surgeon to dock a glass cone up against the cornea that is exposede in the middle of the suction ring. When docking is complete, the surgeon activates the laser to create the flap. When watching the video, you can see the cornea whiten as the flap is created. What you are seeing is millions of tiny gas bubbles that the laser pulses are creating to separate layers of the cornea into a flap. The surgeon then lifts the flap, performs the laser treatment and smooths the flap back into position.
The fact that the flap was made by a femtosecond laser defines this procedure as IntraLASIK or all laser LASIK. Technically, this was not a standard LASIK procedure, because with the LASIK procedure, the flap is made with a non-laser device known as a microkeratome. The difference will be more evident if you watch the LASIK video.
It is important to understand that one can have a conventional or custom laser treatment with the IntraLASIK procedure. Therefore, to provide more detail, the procedures are often termed "conventional IntraLASIK" or "custom IntraLASIK".
Less commonly used terms for Intralasik include: all laser LASIK, bladeless LASIK, blade free LASIK, femtolasik, femtosecond LASIK, iLASIK and zLASIK.