Despite the excellent safety profile of LASIK, the procedure does have some associated risks, as all surgical procedures do. These risks include infection. At Broberg Eye Care in Austin, LASIK infection is an extremely rare and unlikely risk due to our state-of-the-art facility and equipment, commitment to safety and cleanliness, and highly talented surgeons and support team. However, infection remains a possibility, no matter how remote. We believe in providing our patients with clear, honest information about both the risks and benefits of LASIK so that they can feel as comfortable with and confident in their decisions as possible.
Infection Is Rare
Although infection was a highly publicized risk of LASIK in its earliest days, it has always been a relatively rare risk. The vast majority of patients who have undergone LASIK through the years have achieved outstanding results without any serious complications and few, if any, minor and temporary side effects. In the past decade or so, LASIK has become only safer and more predictable in its results. It currently has the lowest rate of infection of any form of laser eye surgery. (To put this into proper perspective, it is important to note that all forms of laser eye surgery, including PRK and LASEK, have very low incidences of infection, as well.)
How Broberg Eye Care Makes LASIK Even Safer
At our nationally renowned eye care center, we feature the most advanced and effective LASIK technology available to ensure the safety and satisfaction of our valued patients. This includes wavefront mapping technology that allows us to offer a truly customized LASIK procedure and the extraordinary IntraLase® system. This latter technology, which allows us to provide entirely blade-free LASIK, substantially lowers the risk of infection for our patients.
Conventional LASIK is performed using a microkeratome, a handheld device with an oscillating blade on one end. This blade is used to create the flap in the upper layer of the cornea through which the underlying corneal tissue is accessed and reshaped by the excimer laser. Although the traditional microkeratome is highly safe and precise, a handheld blade cannot match the safety and precision of a computer controlled laser.
The IntraLase® system takes the possibility of even slight human error out of the LASIK equation. The laser makes clean, crisp incisions of even depth and without jagged edges. Since most post-surgical infections associated with LASIK can be traced to flap complications, the dramatically reduced rate of such complications with all-laser LASIK is accompanied by an equally dramatically reduced rate of infections and other undesirable side effects.
The risk of infection can further be lowered when patients carefully follow all post-operative instructions provided by our eye surgeons. For example, avoiding smoke, makeup, dust, streaming water, and rubbing of the eyes can help to ensure prompt and proper healing without infection.
Contact Broberg Eye Care
To learn more about bladeless LASIK and how it can help to reduce the risk of infection, or to schedule your initial consultation with one of our esteemed ophthalmologists, please contact Broberg Eye Care today.