Our Laser Eye Surgery Technology

Horizon Laser Vision Center uses the most advanced IntraLase^TM Method (IntraLase^TM Femtosecond Unit) for iLASIK, and the VISX Star S4^TM Excimer Laser, the CustomVue, for both iLASIK and PRK. These represent the latest technologies currently available, which translates into greater accuracy of treatments, safety and improved visual outcomes. View an animation of the CustomVue procedure.

The IntraLase^TM Method, using the IntraLase^TM Femtosecond Unit, is a 100% blade-free approach to creating your iLASIK flap – the thin flap of tissue that the doctor folds back in order to perform your iLASIK procedure. It can only be performed using the IntraLase^TM Laser.

Traditionally, doctors have used an instrument called a microkeratome – a hand-held blade that moves across the eye – for the creation of iLASIK flaps. Regular Lasik is very safe, but if complications do occur, the microkeratome is frequently the cause. The IntraLase^TM Femtosecond Unit removes this possible source of complication.

With the IntraLase^TM Method, tiny pulses of laser light, a quadrillionth of a second each, pass harmlessly through the outer portion of your cornea and form a uniform layer of microscopic bubbles just beneath the surface of your eye.

Patients may experience fewer iLASIK flap-related complications and fewer induced higher order aberrations that contribute to visual disturbances, such as glare and halos. It’s the most advanced treatment available and millions of procedures have been performed safely and effectively.

The VISX Star S4^TM Excimer Laser System is a computer-assisted surgeon-controlled device that includes WaveScan® and ActiveTrak® devices combined with Variable Spot Scanning (VSS®) technology in addition to excimer lasers.
Excimer lasers are cool concentrated beams of ultraviolet light that safely, painlessly evaporate microscopic layers of the cornea leaving the underlying tissue virtually untouched.

The WaveScan uses light wave technology to identify and measure imperfections in an individual's eye 25 times more accurately than standard methods used for glasses and contact lenses. These measurements are used to individually customize laser vision correction. The WaveScan produces a WavePrint Map®, which is a visual representation of how a patient's entire optical system processes light. This map is much like a fingerprint - no two are alike. It allows for a more precise and detailed analysis of a patient's vision and is used by the ophthalmologist to ensure optimal treatment results.

ActiveTrak^TM 3D Eye Tracker follows the tiny motions of your eye instantaneously and automatically, in all three dimensions, continually repositioning the laser to ensure accuracy. Without a tracking device, laser vision correction requires patients to hold their eyes as still as possible during the procedure. However, even a 'still' eye makes minute, involuntary movements - including moving slightly with each breath. With 3D ActiveTrak, you can relax during your laser vision correction, knowing the procedure will be delivered with precision and accuracy.

Variable Spot Scanning* (VSS^TM) is an exclusive VISX laser technology that allows for a larger treatment area. This offers the ophthalmologist greater flexibility in developing a more personalized laser vision procedure. It adjusts the laser beam size according to the treatment, minimizing corneal tissue removal. This also allows for quicker treatment times that are typically between 10 to 40 seconds. Variable Spot Scanning technology adds a blend zone that allows the treatment on the cornea to be extended to 8 mm, which may help reduce the risk of night vision symptoms in certain patients.

The VISX laser has been used to perform over 5 million procedures globally. Visit the VISX web site to learn more about this advanced technology.