3. All Laser LASIK with the Intralase Method.

Will Vision and Laser Centers introduced “All laser LASIK”, alternatively known as the Intralase method, to the Pacific Northwest in 2002. Today the Intralase method of performing laser vision correction is recognized world wide as the “crème de la crème”.

With the Intralase method, only laser energy is used for the entire LASIK procedure. In contrast, with older traditional LASIK, the first step of the procedure is performed using a steel bladed microkeratome that slices the eye’s surface.

Performing LASIK surgery today using a bladed microkeratome would be like creating a document on a typewriter instead of a computer. Don’t waste time on surgeons who would put your eyes at risk by using stone-age technology that even a caveman would abandon. Most of the disasters that have occurred during LASIK surgery are the direct result of using a mechanical blade system as part of the surgical procedure. The Intralase has revolutionized the safety, reliability, precision and predictability of LASIK surgery to unprecedented levels. You owe it to yourself to accept only the best…

Don’t just take our word for it. The US military has studied LASIK technology for years because, when you are flying a state-of-the-art military jet at supersonic speeds in combat, perfect vision is not a luxury. Although standard microkeratome based LASIK has been around for many years, concerns about the harsh aviation environment had previously prevented its use in U.S. Navy aviators. Navy surgeons have been understandably cautious of employing standard microkeratome LASIK on aviators who frequently encounter environmental extremes such as high altitude, dry air, windblast and 'G' forces.

Now that has all changed thanks to Intralase technology. According to Capt. Steve Schallhorn, Navy Program Manager for Refractive Surgery, "While LASIK has been around for many years and is a common elective procedure, this is a significant first in the aeromedical field. Wavefront guided LASIK using the IntraLase Method represents the best-of-the-best and is a truly exciting advancement for critical Navy personnel whose sight is of utmost importance in their military duties."

The first naval candidate to undergo All Laser LASIK was aviator, Marine Capt. Michael Oginsky, an FA 18/D weapons and sensor officer with VMFAT 101 at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Within just four hours of his Intralase procedure, Oginsky's vision was 20/20. At the 24-hour mark, his vision exceeded 20/20.


Today, more than 1,200 surgeons worldwide have incorporated the blade-free IntraLase Method into their LASIK practices. In fact, the majority of the top U.S. ophthalmic teaching institutes including Duke University Medical School, the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at University of Miami, and Stanford University use the IntraLase FS laser technology to train future generations of LASIK surgeons.

How does this Intralase method work? Intralase provides us with the first technology for a truly all-laser, blade-free LASIK procedure, replacing the hand-held microkeratome blade historically used in creating LASIK corneal flaps -- the first step of the procedure -- with a computer-guided, ultra-fast femtosecond (fem-to-second) laser. The IntraLase laser virtually eliminates almost all of the most severe, sight-threatening LASIK complications related to use of the microkeratome and, by creating an optimal corneal surface below the flap, provides for better visual outcomes -- taking many patients to 20/20 vision and beyond.

The most advanced 4th Generation IntraLase FS laser used at Will Vision uses an infrared light beam, generating 60,000 pulses per second, to prepare the intracorneal bed and create the corneal flap in the first step of LASIK.

  • Using an "inside-out" process, the laser beam is precisely focused to a point within the cornea.
  • The laser pulses then create thousands of microscopic bubbles that define the incision within the intracorneal surface.
  • Along the edge, bubbles are then stacked up at a beveled angle – a feature unique to the IntraLase Method -- to the corneal surface to complete the flap.
  • From start to finish, the IntraLase Method typically takes 15 – 30 seconds.
  • The physician then exposes the prepared corneal bed for excimer laser treatment (the second step of LASIK) by lifting the flap.
  • The LASIK procedure is complete when the flap is securely repositioned on its beveled edge.

With the IntraLase laser, the surgeon can precisely control the critical first step of LASIK. Physician-programmed laser specifications include flap diameter, depth, hinge location and width, and side-cut architecture -- factors which can be varied to meet patients' needs. The IntraLase laser creates a distinctive beveled-edge flap, which allows for precise repositioning, alignment and seating after the LASIK procedure is completed. This feature helps reduce the risk of flap displacement, a complication seen with microkeratome flaps.

You deserve blade-free safety and better vision with All-Laser LASIK. The IntraLase laser makes LASIK safer by replacing the hand-held microkeratome blade with the computer-guided precision of a laser, virtually eliminating almost all the most severe, sight-threatening blade-related LASIK complications as a result. Leading LASIK surgeons worldwide have reported on data of the IntraLase Method procedures, which demonstrate an impressive safety profile.

Beyond improving the safety of the procedure, LASIK using the advanced IntraLase Method has been shown clinically to deliver better visual outcomes in both standard and Custom LASIK procedures with more patients achieving visual acuity of 20/20, 20/15 and even 20/12.5. These remarkable results are the product of the optimized corneal surface prepared by the IntraLase FS laser in creating the corneal flap. The precision of the laser reduces the microscopic inconsistencies on the corneal bed, providing an optimal surface for the vision correction performed by the excimer laser in step two of the LASIK procedure.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a naval aviator or fly supersonic combat jets in order to appreciate all laser LASIK. At Will Vision and Laser Centers we have been using the Intralase method for over five years. In fact, we introduced the technology to the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Will pioneered the technique and has been instrumental in refining the technology.

Other generic LASIK centers may tout that they have Intralase, but many frequently still offer the old blade technology at a discount. These centers need to take some advice from the US military – if you can’t use the best technology, then you’re better off to do nothing at all.

Want to see what the future of laser vision correction looks like? Don’t wait for generic LASIK centers to show you. Come to Will Vision today and see for yourself. Wavefront guided technology combined with the Intralase method is the most advanced laser vision correction procedure possible. We provide only the best and most advanced technology available on the planet. There’s nothing extra to purchase or upgrade to because every patient at Will Vision and Laser Centers receives the Intralase method. By delivering tomorrow’s technology today, we are revolutionizing the way you see the world.

Better technology, better results, better vision. Only makes sense, doesn’t it? Will Vision and Intralase methodology – the future’s right before your eyes.