Boothe Eye Care

Boothe Eyecare Explains Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction (FLex)

Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction (FLex) is a promising new technique for correcting severe myopia, using a femtosecond laser for the entire procedure. The advanced femtosecond laser is extremely accurate and is capable of making very small, precise incisions. The procedure is similar to conventional Lasik procedures in that it involves creating a corneal flap that is folded back. But a distinguishing factor is that FLex uses a single femtosecond laser for the entire procedure, unlike Lasik, which uses two lasers.

In traditional Lasik procedures, a corneal flap is first created using a femtosecond laser. A second excimer laser is then used to perform tissue ablation within the cornea, to reshape the cornea and refocus light on the retina. With FLex procedures, however, the femtosecond laser corrects refractive error in a single step. The laser cuts a lens-shaped piece of the cornea, known as a refractive lenticule. Simultaneously, the laser creates a corneal flap that is folded back to expose tissues beneath. The lenticule is then physically removed from the corneal bed in the eye.

FLex offers patients several advantages over Lasik. Because it involves complete extraction of tissue rather than tissue ablation, FLex offers better protection of the cornea’s structural integrity, resulting in greater biomechanical stability following the procedure. The procedure in many cases is also reversible and studies also show that it causes fewer aberrations and sharper vision than Lasik procedures.

Many surgeons are also moving toward the FLex procedure, seeing the important advantages it carries. The all-in-one FLex procedure requires only one laser system, rather than two, which saves overall costs of maintenance, reduces floor space needed in the operating room and shortens the duration of the procedure for the patient.

Another variation of the FLex procedure is Small-Incision Femtosecond Lenticule Extraction (SMILE), which requires no corneal flap, further minimizing risks of infection or dislocation if the eye is ever exposed to trauma. SMILE is not yet approved for use in the United States but was approved by the European Union in 2008.

Ask your eye surgeon about whether you are a good candidate for FLex laser surgery. The procedure is ideal for patients with severe myopia of up to 1,000 degrees. Dr. William Boothe, founder of the Boothe Eye Care and Laser Center, is one of the most experienced laser eye surgeons in the country, having successfully treated nearly 200,000 patients. Set up a consultation with Dr. Boothe to determine whether you should consider the FLex surgery.

Idea of using femtosecond lasers during different stages of cataract surgery send us back to the days when Nd:YAG laser was proposed to be used for posterior capsulotomy for the first time. Recently, the interest in these lasers has grown dramatically, since a few companies such as LenSx Lasers, LensAR and Optimedica made it possible to transfer femtosecond laser technology into cataract surgery. The new lasers not only allow to remove the lens, but also make it possible to perform capsulorhexis to the highest accuracy as well as to correct astigmatism with the help of limbal relaxing incisions. At the moment, only LenSx has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Two other lasers are being tested.

Roger F. Steinert, the director of Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, thinks that femtosecond laser technologies allow to improve cataract surgery at various stages such as the creation of corneal cut, capsulorhexis, and breaking up the nucleus. According to William W. Culbertson, refractive surgeon at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the femtosecond laser enables surgeon to perform phacoemulsification with a higher precision and more predictable results at the most difficult surgery stages that can be fraught with following complications. He believes that femtosecond laser will soon become indispensable with a view to cataract surgery, especially in last-generation IOL implantation. In addition, he ensures the capsulorhexis will have a specified diameter and precise centration, as the key value of this method is that it must be linear, uninterrupted and centered.

Many ophthalmologists such as Dr. Boothe of Boothe eyecare have already been interested in prospect of adoption of femtosecond lasers in cataract surgery. Representatives of ophthalmologic companies such as LenSx Lasers, Optimedica and LensAR tell that their laser technology makes it possible to create incisions and to perform capsulorhexis to the highest accuracy as well as to soften the nucleus and thus shortening the working time of ultrasound. Due to the newest technology, both effectiveness and safety of cataract surgery improve considerably. At the moment researches to study potential of femtosecond lasers in this ophthalmology field are in progress.

According to Louis D. “Skip” Nichamin, the Medical Director of the Laurel Eye Clinic, one of the undoubtful advantages of the technology is possibility to create limbal relaxing incisions. He presented the results from 50 patients utilizing LensAR system. It was found that diameter for capsulorhexis performed with laser is far closer to desired value compared to the manual lens removal. In addition, the laser technology enabled to perform capsulorhexis procedure more precisely. Dr. Chang, Medical Monitor LensAR Inc., said that he had been amazed at the accuracy and reliability achieved during the performance of capsulotomy as well as the effectiveness and quickness of phacoemulsification against the background of prior softening of the lens nucleus. Robert H. Osher, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at University of Cincinnati, has strong hopes that the tendency of new technology introduction in cataract surgery will continue in the nearest future, and the surgery will become more effective and safe.

Lasik and Patients’ Age

Lasik surgery is chosen by millions of people because of its proven safety and efficacy in enhancing eyesight. Dr. William Boothe says that the most appropriate candidates for the laser vision correction should be at least 18 years of age. Nevertheless many parents wonder if Lasik would be as efficacious on their children.

Children and Teens

Performing Lasik on children or teenagers is not recommended by Dr. William Boothe as well as by most other eye surgeons. At the same time, extreme cases may be considered as exceptions to the rule. Children and teenagers’ eyes are not completely developed until the age of 18 (in some cases eyes continue to develop until the age of 21). Since teen eyes will often be slightly changing every few weeks or months, Lasik vision correction would only provide a temporary enhancement to their eyesight. In fact, a child or a teenager who has Lasik done will find the results to be temporary and will possibly need another corrective surgery in the future. Because of these facts, the FDA has not approved the procedure for people under the age of 18. Furthermore, most eye surgeons recommend that a patient’s vision must be stable for more than a year before undergoing LASIK surgery.

Middle-Aged People

People in their 30’s and 40’s should consider that their eyesight may face conditions that sometimes cannot be treated with Lasik vision correction, such as presbyopia (this eye disorder results in blurry vision because of age-related stiffening of the eye lens). One of the first effective surgical options for presbyopia correction involved producing what is known as “monovision” during Lasik, according to Dr. William Boothe. Another ways of correcting presbyopia is an intraocular lens implantation (for example, the Boothe Eye Care Center offers its patients the technologies such as Verisyse™ and Crystalens™) and conductive keratoplasty, which also have been approved by the FDA and gives eye surgeons an additional option to correct this common vision problem. Your eye surgeon will help you decide which vision correction procedure is right for you.

Older Population

It is important to point out that Lasik is not the best option for older people who may experience age-related conditions such as cataracts, as they cannot be treated with this type of laser vision correction. A cataract is an opacity that clouds the natural lens inside the eye and is a common cause of eyesight loss and blindness among older people. Many patients consider having cataract surgery to replace the natural lens of the eye. The ReZoom™ intraocular lens technology that is offered at the Boothe Eye Care and Laser Center in Plano is considered as perfect option for people with this eye condition.

Lasik can treat many different types of refractive errors. The visual outcomes after Lasik depend on severity of eye problems. But even those people who have very bad eyesight still have a chance of success at the Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. According to all available data most patients experience clear vision with Lasik laser vision correction.

In theory (and practice), we see images when light goes through the cornea and lens, and then focuses into a certain area of the retina. It is how a healthy eye works. Refractive errors do not let light to focus normally and details become fuzzy. That is why eyeglasses or contact lenses are needed in order to see clearly.

The most common refractive error is myopia (nearsightedness). In this case, the light stream goes through the cornea and lens, and the problem is that it does not focus into the retina but in front of it. It happens when the eyeball is too long, or the cornea’s angle is too steep. As a result, people with myopia have blurry eyesight at far distances. Fortunately, Dr. Boothe is able to correct this refractive error.

Also there is such refractive error as hyperopia, or farsightedness. It is an opposite complication to myopia. The stream of light, having passed through the cornea and lens, focuses behind the retina. It is often caused by too short eyeballs or by a disability of the lens to become round enough. In this case, it is impossible to focus your sight on near objects. Lasik is able to manage this refractive error as well.

Another type of refractive error is astigmatism, when light focuses at different points in front of and behind the retina. People with this eye problem cannot focus on both far and nearby objects. But – good news – astigmatism can be also corrected by Dr. William Boothe.

Presbyopia is the forth most common refractive error and can also be fixed by Lasik. This eye problem is generally caused by eye senescence and can occur in people after the age of 40. At this age, it becomes harder to focus the eye’s lens and often one cannot do without glasses.

To summarize, all of these refractive errors can be corrected with the Lasik procedure at the Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. During the laser eye surgery well-experienced Dr. William Boothe and his professional staff will remodel the cornea with special laser and it will help the light stream to focus precisely on the retina. As a result, the patient will have good eyesight again. Lasik is safe and there is almost no discomfort during the short procedure. For more information visit BootheLaserCenter.com

Dr. William Boothe is a board-certified eye surgeon who holds fellowship training in refractive surgery procedures from the prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center. An innovator in the field of ophthalmology, William Boothe, MD, was one of the first eye surgeons in Dallas to use the latest surgical equipment designed to treat patients with minimal discomfort during LASIK. This is why many Dallas LASIK patients, including several football players from the Dallas Cowboys, visit Dr. Boothe to undergo vision correction procedures at the Boothe Eye Care center, a state-of-the-art research and treatment facility.

Dr. Boothe’s goal is to provide each patient with the highest quality care possible at Boothe Eye Care, which is an award winning, distinguished Dallas laser center. To learn more about your LASIK vision correction options with a top Dallas eye surgeon, please contact Dr. Boothe at (214) 328-0444.

Dr. Boothe and the team at Boothe Eye Care are looking forward to attending the 2009 edition of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association Ophthalmology joint conference held this year in San Francisco.
This meeting draws ophthalmologists from all over the world who attend the series of meeting to gain a better understanding of
the latest technology while attending presentations by some of the leading specialists in the field. This year the joint conference
is proud to have more than 100 hours of free scientific sessions in addition to more than 2,000 peer-reviewed presentations.
As the most experienced IntraLASIK surgeon in the world, Dr. William Boothe enjoys visiting this conference to network with his fellow
ophthalmologists and learn about new technology that could one day help him treat his LASIK Dallas patients at Boothe Eye Care.

Dr. William Boothe and his team at Boothe Eye Care have generously contributed to the tenth annual Tom Landry Classic Scholarship, a donation to several students who demonstrate outstanding examples of leadership, integrity, community service and academics. Dr. William Boothe has been a part of the scholarship for several years, being a member of the team that has awarded more than $470,000 to deserving students.

In 2009, the Tom Landry Classic Scholarship was awarded to three high school seniors that were members of the winning football team’s event participants. Dr. Boothe and several corporate sponsors honored Emily Giffin, Will Johnson and Scott Lopano of the Southlake Carroll Dragons — the winner of the 2009 Tom Landry Classic.

Boothe Eye Care and Laser Center take pride in serving as Classic Corporate Partners of the event, one of the largest events in high school sports in the country. The event was held on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at the Southern Methodist University’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The first game was held between the Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Plano West Wolves, while the following game pitted the Red Oak Hawks against the Highland Park Scots. More than 22,500 people were in attendance to watch the competition.

Many people throughout the area know William Boothe, MD, as a highly chartable eye surgeon. Dr. Boothe takes pride in volunteering his time and assets to the community to help further non-profit causes. A corporate sponsor of the Tom Landry Classic for years, he describes the experiences as “one of the highlights of my year.”

Dr. Boothe has been one of the top Dallas LASIK providers for several years, earning a surgical record of more than 112,000 successful LASIK procedures and 69,000 IntraLASIK procedures. He offers a comprehensive eye care center to treat all of patients’ ophthalmology needs, including refractive lens exchange and cataracts surgery with premium intraocular lens implants (IOLs), like Acrysof ReSTOR, Crystalens and Verisyse.