New LASIK procedure available

One of the newest advances in the most popular elective surgical procedure in the United States, LASIK vision correction, is available in Springfield.

Mattax Neu Prater Eye Center in late spring began offering IntraLASIK, an all-laser form of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. Missouri Eye Institute and TLC Laser Eye Centers also are among the facilities offering the procedure.

The procedure, according to Dr. Thomas Prater of Mattax Neu Prater, differs from traditional LASIK in that there is no mechanical device actually cutting the eye.

“It’s a new type of laser beam that actually lets us create the flap that we use in laser surgery,” Prater said, noting that older LASIK systems used a scalpel to cut a flap in the cornea, under which a laser corrects the shape of the cornea and vision problems.

“We now use one laser to make the flap and one laser to change the prescription.”

While the traditional knife system is effective, Prater said the new laser is safer and reduces the need for additional adjustments down the road.

“Since LASIK came to the U.S., probably 15 years ago, we’ve seen improvements in accuracy and decreases in side effects, all brought about by changes in technology,” he said. “We can treat a wider variety of refractive error prescriptions, and we can treat them more accurately. We can treat patients now that even five years ago wouldn’t have even been candidates for the procedure.”

Prater said he and partner Dr. James Mattax have performed about 1,000 IntraLASIK procedures, which cost between $1,900 and $2,400 each.