Applications of femtosecond lasers in corneal surgery

We investigated potential applications of ultrashort (femtosecond) pulsed l aser technology in corneal refractive surgery. When compared with longer pu lsewidth nanosecond or picosecond laser radiation, femtosecond laser-tissue interactions are characterized by significantly smaller and more determini stic photodisruptive energy thresholds, as well as reduced shock waves and smaller cavitation bubbles. Femtosecond laser technology may be able to per form a variety of corneal refractive procedures with high precision, offeri ng advantages over current mechanical and laser devices and techniques, ena bling entirely new approaches for refractive surgery. An analytically solva ble shell model has been developed to predict the results of completely int rastromal incisionless surgery for myopic and hyperopic refractive correcti ons.