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"All-laser LASIK" is a marketing concept build around a LASIK procedure where the flap-cutting part is done with a femtosecond laser rather than with the conventional microkeratome blade. (Of course, surface ablation techniques are also "all-laser" procedures but without a stromal flap.)
Cutting flaps with a femtosecond laser instead of a microkeratome carries with it certain distinct advantages. Mechanical microkeratomes have been plagued with reliability problems (including unreliable flap thickness, which may directly affect patient results) and sometimes vision-threatening complications. Femtosecond flaps tend to be of a more reliable thickness and can be made thinner, potentially offering more safety for the patient, and reportedly enhancement rates are lower. However, femtosecond lasers are also associated with their own family of complications, including the so-called "Transient Light Sensitivity" syndrome. |
