LASIK Project

Traditional lasik surgery relies heavily on the skill of the surgeon and how precise his measurements of the cornea are. New technology has brought advancement in the field of lasik vision correction. Wavefront lasik is lasik surgery that adds the use of a mapping technique. This addition makes the surgeons job easier and the results better. Wavefront technology has opened doors for lasik eye surgery.

Wavefront lasik uses technology that is the same as the technology used to look at images in space from telescopes. The great ability of wavefront is that it allows a doctor to see the full picture when it comes to the cornea. The cornea is the clear lens on your eye that is mainly responsible for sending images to the retina which then tells your brain so you can see. When someone has a vision problem and cannot see clearly it usually is a result of the cornea being misshaped. In traditional lasik the surgeon can see major distortions in the cornea, but with wavefront lasik the surgeon can see almost any distortion. What this means for the patient is that the outcome of their lasik surgery will be better. A common missed problem involves subtle problems in the cornea that without wavefront would not be detected. These subtle differences are what cause after effects like halos and starbursts and difficulty seeing in low light. Wavefront lasik has been approved by the FDA. In fact there are three different systems that have FDA approval. In studies verses traditional lasik, wavefront lasik has been found to achieve a 10 to 14 percent difference in the success rate of achieving 20/20 vision. Obviously, wavefront adds a great advantage to lasik surgery.

Wavefront technology is not actually used during the surgery. It is part of the initial consultation. At this time the doctor measures the cornea and generally determines if the patient is a suitable candidate for lasik. How wavefront works seems quite simple. It uses a laser beam of light that shines through the cornea to the retina and back. It is the way this beam is reflected and changed through this process that tells the surgeon what is wrong with the cornea. It translates all the information into a formula that the surgeon will use to program the laser for the actual surgery. This information tells the laser how much and where to shape the cornea. The use of wavefront does not change the lasik experience for the patient, but only enhances the results surgeons can achieve.

Just as in traditional lasik there are some people who are just not suited to receive wavefront lasik. Wavefront lasik results in removal of more corneal tissue than traditional lasik, so people with thin corneas may experience problems. Also people who do not normally qualify for traditional lasik, such as those with dry eyes and eye disorders still may not qualify for wavefront. The long term effects of all lasik surgeries are not completely known because it is a new procedure. The benefits of wavefront may not last over time, it just is not known.

Wavefront lasik adds a degree of reliability and predictability to lasik procedures. It also opens the door for people who have been turned down for traditional lasik due to severe cornea distortion. While neither wavefront lasik nor traditional lasik can guarantee a perfect result, wavefront does offer hope of avoiding some complications of traditional lasik.

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