What Size is the Flap Cut for Intralase?

Just doing some research on how the flap is made. I was wondering if the flap is cut to the size of your iris to enlarge a treatment zone or how does that work?

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4 Doctor Answers | Asked by firefighter76651 in Italy, Texas

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Flap size in LASIK

The actual refractive laser treatment diameter, or ablation zone, is typically between 8 and 9mm for most people. Since the LASIK flap needs to be a little larger than the ablation zone they are typically sized between 8.5 to 9.5mm. Some surgeons will increase the flap and/or ablation zone diameters to account for larger pupils.

Flap Size in LASIK

One of the nice things in LASIK using iLASIK, is that the flap can be tailored to the prescription being treated. WIth the custom treatments, the diameters of the reshaping will extend beyond one's pupil size, even at night. Studies have shown that more people are satisfied with their night vision after the surgery than they were before even with glasses or contact lenses. [FDA clinical trials with low to moderate nearsighted with astigmatism of up to 1.5 D with CustomVue... more

Size of the Intralase Flap

The standard LASIK flap diameter created by the femtosecond laser(Intralase) is between 8.5 and 9mm. This allows for a very large diameter of corrective laser treatment, thus minimizing post treatment glare, haloes and light scatter. Since the advent of the laser flap devices(the only way I have been doing LASIK since 2003) the incidence of post treatment side effects has been greatly decreased......I am tempted to say eliminated.