Custom LASIK or Wavefront LASIK: Individualized Vision Correction

Custom LASIK surgery, also known as LASIK wave or wavefront-guided LASIK, uses 3-dimensional measurements of how your eye processes images to guide the laser in restoring the configuration of the front part of the eye (cornea ).

With the measurement system wavefront, some very precise, individualized vision correction results can be achieved that would be impossible with traditional LASIK surgery, contact lenses or eyeglasses.

You must be qualified under Food and Drug Administration guidelines before LASIK custom wavefront would be regarded by eyes of his condition. Depending on the custom laser system used and other factors, as appropriate thickness of your cornea, which can be considered as a candidate if you have mild to moderately high degree of common vision defects such as nearsightedness, hyperopia and astigmatism.

With custom LASIK, the eye of the ability to focus the rays of light is measured, and a 3-D map is created that demonstrates irregularities in the way your eye processes images. The information contained in the map that guides the laser customize treatment for the eye to reshape the corneal surface so that these irregularities can be corrected.

Standard recipes glasses, contacts or traditional LASIK procedures can correct common vision defects such as nearsightedness, hyperopia and astigmatism. But other irregularities related to the eye of the optical system can not be addressed until the advent of wavefront and related forms of technology used in LASIK custom.

Potential benefits of wavefront-guided LASIK custom

Wavefront technology is innovative because it has the potential to improve not only how much you can see, measuring visual acuity of 20/20 on the eye chart, but also how well you can see, in terms of sensitivity the contrast and fine detail. This translates into a reduced risk of post-LASIK complications such as glare, halos, and difficulty with night vision.

How can see depends on defects of vision known as low order aberrations associated with common refractive errors such as nearsightedness, hyperopia, and astigmatism, which can treat traditional LASIK.

How well you can see in the presence depend on the type and number of visual distortions known as higher-order aberrations, which may include irregularities which are not common refractive errors. These higher-order aberrations can create problems such as decreased contrast sensitivity or night vision, glare, shadows and halos. However, higher-order aberrations do not always affect vision. Unlike traditional LASIK, custom LASIK trafficking both lower and higher-order aberrations.

Custom LASIK advantage lies in the area of quality of vision:

* A greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision
* A greater opportunity to achieve a better vision of 20/20
* Reducing chances of losing best corrected vision
* Reducing the risk of losing quality or visual contrast sensitivity
* The reduction of potential night-vision disturbances and glare

There is also potential for custom LASIK to treat those who have lost their best corrected vision of any past refractive surgery: LASIK, PRK, RK, etc.

“Sometimes patients complain about vision quality problems, like not being able to see dim or low light. This is known as poor contrast sensitivity,” said Roger Steinert, MD, associate clinical professor of ophthalmology, School of Medicine Harvard.

“Before the advent of wavefront measurements, there was nothing we could do to measure or treat higher-order aberrations,” said Steinert. “With this technology breakthrough, we can now measure these disorders, show the patient what is happening in their eye, link to information that the laser, and actually correct higher-order aberrations that diminish contrast sensitivity. Wavefront technology enables the surgeon to improve overall vision quality better than in the past. ”

Not all refractive surgeons agree that wavefront-guided LASIK can treat higher-order aberrations. In fact, some surgeons say that both LASIK wave and conventional LASIK can sometimes cause these aberrations artificial because of changes made to the natural way to the surface of the eye. But wavefront-guided LASIK can be less likely to induce higher-order aberrations that conventional LASIK, according to the discussion at the April 15, 2005 issue of Ophthalmology Times.

How does custom LASIK

The surgeon in a popular method starts by wavefront device to convey a safe ray of light in the eye. The light is reflected off the retina, through the pupil, and the device, which reflects the wave of light is received and organized into a single model that captures your lower and upper for aberrations.

All these irregularities visually displayed as a 3-D map, referred to as a wavefront map. This information is then transferred electronically to the laser (in the wavefront-guided systems), and the computer, adjusted the position of the eye, allowing the surgeon to customize the LASIK procedure to its visual only.

Obtaining wavefront-guided LASIK custom

The number of LASIK procedures in general grew significantly in 2004 and 2005, with many leading LASIK surgeons reporting in publications such as EyeWorld (published by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery) that most patients were eligible to choose more expensive custom LASIK. The advent of custom LASIK also appears to be contributing to increased public interest undergo LASIK. Review of Optometry in its 2004 edition on October predicted total of 1.35 million LASIK procedures are performed in the United States before the end of the year, up 1.15 million procedures in 2003. About 1.45 million U.S. LASIK procedures is expected for 2005 *, although analysts believe the number may be revised by fewer than expected procedures that are performed in southern states that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. A 2006 STA Surgical report estimates that about 1.4 million LASIK procedures currently being performed annually in the United States, about half of all procedures throughout the world.

Custom LASIK is usually considerably more expensive than traditional LASIK, partly because a fee is paid to the manufacturer of the device for each procedure. To learn more about LASIK custom pricing, please see our article on the cost of refractive surgery.

The investigation continues in expanding the degree of vision errors (such as high myopia) that can be corrected with LASIK custom. Investigations are also underway to use to create customized multifocal LASIK correction, which would allow the eyes of older people who have developed presbyopia to see near, medium and distant goes at the same time.

Like conventional LASIK, custom LASIK is not a cure-all vision-related problems, so it is important to discuss their applications with your surgeon or ophthalmologist to determine if you are a good candidate.

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