With the latest technological advances, the standard LASIK eye surgery procedure can now be tailored to each individual patient. This is known as Custom LASIK or wavefront-guided LASIK, because it is driven by wavefront analysis of the eye optical system. This is how it works:
Like our fingerprints, each of our eyes is different and has its own unique shape and optical characteristics. As light passes through different structures in the eye, different optical errors are created that can interfere with sharp vision. There are two main types of optical errors, lower-order errors and higher-order errors. Lower order errors are nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism which are readily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The error is measured by the quantity of lens power needed to achieve best-corrected vision. Higher order errors are caused by irregularities or imperfections in the optical structures of the eye, also affecting the quality of vision. These higher order errors are associated with subtle visual problems such as poor night vision, decreased contrast sensitivity, halo effects around lights, and other visual disturbances.
New technology called wavefront analysis can measure these higher and lower order errors and plot them onto a map, which can then be programmed on the excimer laser. This wavefront map is unique for each individual eye. In this way wavefront-guided LASIK eye surgery goes beyond treatment of the lower order errors addressed in conventional LASIK. Wavefront-guided LASIK is a customized laser treatment based on an individual's wavefront map, thus the name Custom LASIK.
Clinical trials in patients treated with Standard LASIK in one eye and Custom LASIK in the other eye showed that, even with 20/20 vision in both eyes, patients reported better clarity in the Wavefront guided eye. It is currently believed that patients have a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision or better with Custom LASIK. They also have a reduced chance of having night vision problems.
Like our fingerprints, each of our eyes is different and has its own unique shape and optical characteristics. As light passes through different structures in the eye, different optical errors are created that can interfere with sharp vision. There are two main types of optical errors, lower-order errors and higher-order errors. Lower order errors are nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism which are readily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The error is measured by the quantity of lens power needed to achieve best-corrected vision. Higher order errors are caused by irregularities or imperfections in the optical structures of the eye, also affecting the quality of vision. These higher order errors are associated with subtle visual problems such as poor night vision, decreased contrast sensitivity, halo effects around lights, and other visual disturbances.
New technology called wavefront analysis can measure these higher and lower order errors and plot them onto a map, which can then be programmed on the excimer laser. This wavefront map is unique for each individual eye. In this way wavefront-guided LASIK eye surgery goes beyond treatment of the lower order errors addressed in conventional LASIK. Wavefront-guided LASIK is a customized laser treatment based on an individual's wavefront map, thus the name Custom LASIK.
Clinical trials in patients treated with Standard LASIK in one eye and Custom LASIK in the other eye showed that, even with 20/20 vision in both eyes, patients reported better clarity in the Wavefront guided eye. It is currently believed that patients have a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision or better with Custom LASIK. They also have a reduced chance of having night vision problems.