Technology Upgrades at Tysons Corner: iFS and Allegretto EX500
What a cool summer we’ve been having at Tysons Corner! As you recall, just after
Memorial Day, we started using our new iFS IntraLase laser which is holy-cow fast!
At the beginning of August, we upgraded our Allegretto laser to the
newest generation of their line of lasers, the EX500.
To help us discuss the advantages of each of the tools of the trade that we have in Tysons Corner,
your PRC Nicole Lowry put together this nice chart below. Thanks for your work on this, Nicole! – jw
iFS™ Advanced Femtosecond Laser (Replaces FS60)
o Inverted bevel-in side cut up to 150° for improved biomechanical stability
o Elliptical flap option to maximize stromal bed exposure
o Tighter spot separation provides smoother stromal beds and a virtually effortless flap lift
o Lower energy per pulse, which may reduce tissue response and inflammation
Results
o Minimal disruption of corneal architecture
o Stronger Flaps
o Fewer possible complications and faster visual recovery
EX500 Excimer Laser (Replaces EX400)
o 500Hz pulse frequency laser capable of a 1.4 sec/diopter ablation (fastest in the US)
o Customized, patient specific treatments
o Dynamic, non-contact pachymetry
o 1050 Hz multi-dimensional eye tracker synchronized at 500Hz with a latency of 2 milliseconds
o High pulse frequency with a minimized thermal load
Results
Reduces the potential for:
o Stromal dehydration
o Flap shrinkage
o Sensitivity to eye movements
o Patient fixation fatigue
o Nighttime glare and halos
Tysons has the only EX500 in Virginia, and one of fifteen in the US
Custom VISX
o Treats both higher and lower order aberrations with extremely high success rates
o Broadest FDA-approved, custom wavefront-guided treatments for individuals with myopia and hyperopia with or with-out astigmatism
o Hartmann-Shack technology and Fourier analysis enable treatment based on approximately 240 data points across a patient’s pupil
Results
o For all indications submitted to the FDA, satisfaction with night vision improved after Custom VISX treatment
o 100 percent of patients treated for low to moderate myopia could pass a driving test without glasses or contacts, 98% had 20/20 vision or better one year after treatment
Pentacam
o Gold standard for anterior segment imaging and tomography
o Most accurate evaluation of anterior and posterior elevation; anterior curvature
o Most accurate pachymetry measurements
o Belin/Ambrosio Enhanced Ectasia Display allows better keratoconus detection and normative database comparison like one would have with visual field or scanning laser ophthalmoscopy results
o Less dependent on technician and tear film disturbances
Results
Helps accurately determine candidacy for LASIK, PRK, or no treatment
Provides accurate depiction of thin or mildly warped corneas
