Wavefront Laser Eye Surgery
February 15, 2010
Custom LASIK, also known as Wavefront LASIK, involves the accurate mapping of how one’s eye processes images. The 3-dimensional map is then used to guide a laser that reshapes the cornea in a standard LASIK procedure.
LASIK is one of the most popular laser eye correction surgeries available because it is effective and pain-free. It comes as no surprise that LASIK is a favored method of eye correction, as the healing process is rapid. Patients are often left with improved vision the day after the procedure’s completion, which is not the case with other types of eye surgery.
Why get custom LASIK if the standard process is effective on its own? Conventional LASIK surgery improves how well one sees as well as how much a person sees, but results are far better when the procedure is guided by a 3-dimensional wavefront map designed specifically for each patient.
Standard and custom LASIK both have great results when it comes to leaving a patient with 20/20 or better vision, but wavefront-guided LASIK produces perfect vision more often than the standard procedure alone. The biggest differences can be seen when measuring night vision and contrast sensitivity. According to studies, wavefront LASIK improves these two important areas much more often than the regular surgery does.
Wavefront-guided LASIK surgery produces effective results because it precisely measures the eye’s ability to focus light rays. The surgeon or technician sends a harmless ray of light into the eye where it bounces off the retina and back through the pupil. The reflected light is then measured for irregularities. Using wavefront technology, a 3-dimensional map is created that represents aberrations in the eye’s ability to process images. The information presented in the map then guides the laser as it reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
The costs for custom LASIK surgeries can vary from $1,500 to $3,000 but generally cost between $2,300 and $2,400 per eye. By comparison, conventional LASIK costs about $2,200 per eye if given a flat price that includes follow-up treatment. Many people feel that the additional money is well-spent because custom LASIK produces an outcome that is impossible to achieve with glasses, contacts, or laser corrective eye surgery alone. Everyone deserves to see as well as possible, and wavefront-guided LASIK eye surgery provides the best chance of acquiring and maintaining perfect vision. The cost may be greater, but the results are priceless.
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