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Wavefront LASIK eye surgery is regarded as the most accurate of the various forms of LASIK surgery. In traditional LASIK surgery, a laser is used to reshape the eye's cornea, resulting in improved vision. Common problems such as astigmatism or myopia are routinely corrected by changing the shape of the cornea with an excimer laser, thus eliminating the need for glasses or contacts.
With wavefront LASIK, however, a wavefront sensor is used to measure the eye as the surgery is being performed. These measurements allow for a more precise eye surgery, and irregularities of the lens are revealed, which can cause optical aberrations in traditional LASIK surgery. These aberrations, while almost microscopic, can nonetheless affect the images that your eye produces. Sort of like a flaw in a camera lens that leaves a small black dot in the same area of all of your photographs. In fact, wavefront technology has been used to correct and adjust optics in telescopes for decades, but has only recently been used in vision correction surgery.
Night glare, halos, or poor night vision are common complaints with traditional LASIK surgery, due to spherical aberration. These side effects are also reduced by using the wavefront LASIK technology. Eye surgeons and opthalmologists are able to discover potential problems as they're performing the surgery, and make precise corneal modifications as needed.
During a wavefront LASIK procedure, the incisions made on the cornea are adjusted and customized to fit each patient's individual needs. Each surgery is different. With the wavefront LASIK's ability to measure refraction at multiple locations around the eye, this information is used to create a unique map of the patient's eye, and tailor a procedure that will provide the best possible vision correction for that individual. The cornea can then be reshaped to correct farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism, and allow it to absorb light clearly.
Just like a diamond, a human cornea is almost never perfect. There are usually small imperfections within the cornea that affect the end result of the refractive eye surgery. Because the wavefront technology has the ability to spot and treat these imperfections, the post-operative success rate is higher than with traditional LASIK surgery. In fact, it's been reported that nearly 80% of wavefront technology LASIK patients achieved 20/20 vision after the procedure.
A speedy recovery is another benefit of wavefront LASIK. Most eye surgery can have a relatively long rate of recovery, with some patients having to wear bandages or special glasses for days or even weeks. The patient is basically blind during this time, and this can understandably be very inconvenient. But with the wavefront procedure, the patients eyes tend to heal much faster, and often near perfect sight is achieved within a few days of surgery.
There are some qualifications for wavefront LASIK surgery. Not all people qualify for the procedure. Patients with very thin corneas may be ineligible for the operation. Also people who have very severe cases of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism may not be suited for laser vision correction surgery. So set up an appointment with a qualified surgeon and get a wavefront diagnostic to find out if you qualify for this amazing vision correction surgery.
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Did you know that over one million laser vision correction procedures are performed in the US each year?
Becase of the accuracy of results, speed of recovery, and ease of treatment, lasik laser vision correction has become one of the most commonly performed surgeries throughout the US and the entire world.
