Lasik Surgery

Custom LASIK surgery, aka wavefront LASIK or wavefront-guided LASIK, uses 3D measurements of the way in which the eye processes images to guide the laser in re-shaping the cornea.  Using a wavefront measurement system, doctors can facilitate some extremely precise vision correction outcomes that are not possible with traditional LASIK surgery, or by wearing contact lenses or eyeglasses.

With custom LASIK, the way in which your eye focuses light is measured and a three-dimensional map is created to illustrate any irregularities in the way your eye processes the images it sees.  The map provides information to help guide the laser to customize (hence the name of the procedure) the treatment to exactly reshape your eye’s corneal surface in order to correct the irregularities.

Traditional LASIK procedures, glasses or contacts can all effectively correct typical vision defects such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.  But it was not until the invention of custom LASIK that other, more complex eye irregularities could be addressed.  Custom LASIK has the potential to improve your visual acuity (the measure of how much you can see, based on a 20/20 eye chart) but also on how well you can see, such as the amount of contrast sensitivity you have and your ability to see fine details.  Previous post-LASIK complications such as increased glare, halos and difficulties with night vision are all but eliminated with custom LASIK.

The advantage of custom LASIK over traditional LASIK, therefore, lies in the quality of vision it can create in the patient.  With custom LASIK, the patient has a(n):

Increased chance of achieving perfect 20/20 vision
Increased chance of achieving better than 20/20 vision
Reduced chance of having his vision regress from best-corrected levels
Reduced chance of losing contrast sensitivity
Reduced chance of glare and night vision difficulties

In sum, custom LASIK correction offers patients a highly customized correction of the eyes’ surfaces, as the result of precise guidance and analysis of vision errors occurring as light rays travelling through the eye.  You may be a good candidate for this procedure if you suffer from any of a number of higher-order aberrations of your sight.