WAVEFRONT LASIK

Wavefront Technology (Commonly Known As Custom LASIK)

LASIK self-evaluation TEST

If you are seeking nothing but the best for your eyes and want the safest possible LASIK procedure, consider researching the potential benefits of wavefront technology. Because our practice is dedicated to the best LASIK outcomes we have invested in wavefront technology to produce the best personal vision you can get. Wavefront technology has made drastic improvements in the ability of ophthalmologists to improve vision after LASIK eye surgery. The doctors at Corneal Associates use wavefront technology to create better vision for patients and they do this everyday. They use a very robust system created by VISX Technologies known as CustomVue.


Before LASIK and into WAVEFRONT Technology...

The original LASIK or PRK procedures treated patients based only on their specific eye prescription. In the early days of LASIK the goal was primarily based around correcting the refractive error. With the conventional LASIK approach, only the refractive error was corrected. This meant if a patient had a -4 refractive error, this is what would be corrected. Now, wavefront enhanced excimer lasers can treat patients according to the uniqueness of their entire optical system, not just their prescription. This means clearer, sharper vision, especially at night. After years of studying the post-operative LASIK results, it was apparent that LASIK patients still suffered from visual issues un-related to actual refractive error. These vision problems were noted as poor night vision, glare, haloes, and fuzziness around lights. There was no effort in this early treatment protocol to customize the treatment to a patient's unique eye topography or any higher order aberrations. Every human eye suffers from some type of optical aberration or distortions. Low order aberrations are the commonly understood refractive errors, sphere and cylinder of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.  Higher-order aberrations such as trefoil, coma, and other similarly unfamiliar terms cannot be measured with a standard refraction. These visual imperfections are measured with an aberrometer. The aberrometer has become a critical instrument in wavefront technology because it measures higher order aberrations and transforms this data into a wavefront map of the eye. The wavefront map is then used to treat an individual’s unique vision.

So What Does This Mean to You as a Patient Considering LASIK Eye Surgery?

CustomVue LASIK wavefront technology can:

• Drastically improve quality, contrast and crispness of your vision.
• Allow a patient to see better than you can with glasses or contact lenses.
• Increase your chances of seeing 20/20 or better.
• VISX CustomVue FDA Clinical Trial Data is 98% 20/20 or better after LASIK.

LASIK Technology…How Wavefront Technology Started

Believe it or not, wavefront technology actually had its origins with technology created for the Hubble Telescope. It was part of research and development for the Strategic Defense Initiative for NASA. Engineers and ophthalmologists invested millions of dollars to develop wavefront technology in ophthalmology and its compatibility with excimer laser treatments. Who would have known that this NASA research would have led to such a breakthrough for eye surgeons.

VISX CustomVue technology is not the only type of wavefront technology, although it has been selected by Corneal Associates as the preferred type of wavefront technology. Other excimer laser systems approved by the FDA are the Bausch & Lomb ZYOPTIX system, Alcon’s LadarWave®, and Allegretto’s Wavelight®. For the most part results have been excellent with all platforms with most patients achieving 20/20 vision.

Preparing For CustomVue LASIK
Pre-Operative LASIK Candidacy

If wavefront technology or CustomVue LASIK eye surgery is appealing to you, we suggest calling us directly and filling out our LASIK self-evaluation TEST. After your initial consultation at Corneal Associates, you will be required to undergo a pre-operative examination to evaluate your overall eye health. Some have described this as the most thorough eye examination they have ever had. Because our practice is dedicated to safety with LASIK eye surgery, we perform a series of advanced diagnostic tests to determine your LASIK candidacy. Your cornea thickness is a critical component to your LASIK candidacy. If you do not have the proper amount of cornea thickness the procedure is not recommended.

If you are not a LASIK candidate, our doctors will be happy to review other vision correction procedures that could be potentially better.
 
LASIK Candidacy Requirements

• The patient must have had a stable glasses or contact lens prescription
• The patient must be over the age of 18 (21 years old in many cases)
• The patient must have appropriate corneal thickness
• The patient’s prescription must be within the treatable parameters
• The patient must not have an extreme case of dry eye syndrome (More information on dry eye syndrome)