Wavefront
In physics, a wavefront is the locus of points characterized by propagation of position of the same phase: a propagation of a line in 1d, a curve in 2d or a surface for a wave in 3d.
What is custom wavefront LASIK?
Custom wavefront LASIK — also called custom LASIK or wavefront LASIK — adds a greater degree of precision and personalization to LASIK vision correction surgery by using advanced wavefront technology to evaluate the unique characteristics of your eyes.
What is Custom LASIK and how does it work?
With custom LASIK, your eyes are measured from front to back with a special laser using this wavefront technology- which is why custom LASIK is also referred to as Wavefront LASIK. Using the wavefront laser, we’re able to create a 3-D image of your eye which helps add a higher degree of personalization to your LASIK procedure.
What is wavelight LASIK and how does it work?
With WaveLight LASIK, a more advanced technology is used (called wavefront-guided LASIK) that can measure your cornea in greater detail for a more customized procedure. Wavefront-guided technology uses a computer to make a three-dimensional map of your cornea and its peaks and valleys.
What are the disadvantages of wavelight LASIK?
Cost Differences One of the main disadvantages of WaveLight LASIK, which is often called custom LASIK, is that it costs more than traditional LASIK. Conventional LASIK procedures can range from $1,000 and $3,000 per eye on average. It is also considered an elective and cosmetic procedure and therefore is not covered through insurance.
Is wavefront LASIK the best?
Published clinical studies have demonstrated that wavefront technology results in a higher percentage of “20/20 or better” vision, more crisp night vision, lower re-treatment rates and better contrast vision compared to standard laser technology.
What is the difference between LASIK and wavefront?
There is a greater degree of precision attainable in LASIK wavefront vs standard LASIK. Wavefront-guided custom LASIK can measure visual correction to 0.01 Diopters, whereas traditional LASIK is only able to correct 0.25 Diopters. Therefore, the visual potential is better optimized in wavefront LASIK.
How much does WaveLight cost?
Typically, WaveLight LASIK is going to cost you about $500 more per eye than standard LASIK. Cost can vary based on the surgeon, their experience and skill level, your location, and the office or clinic where the procedure will be performed.
What is LASIK light?
WaveLight® LASIK technology uses a laser beam to reshape the surface of the eye, making it effective at focusing light and ultimately leading to better vision.
How is custom lasik done?
Custom LASIK involves measuring the eye from front to back with a special laser, using what's called "wavefront" technology, to create a three-dimensional (3-D) image of the eye. The information contained in the wavefront-map guides the laser in customizing the treatment to your individual visual system.
What is the newest LASIK technology?
The FDA approved SMILE, the latest advance in laser vision surgery, in 2016. It has been shown to be as effective and safe as LASIK, and it is currently available for the treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism.
Can you get LASIK twice?
Is it possible to have LASIK surgery twice? The short answer is yes, though this is usually only done 5 – 10 years after the initial treatment. However, rest assured that LASIK offers long-term vision correction, and very few people require a second session.
Can you go blind from LASIK?
The success rate is extremely high for laser eye surgery, and LASIK complications are rare. That said, as with any surgical, there is always a slight chance of risk and the possibility that complications can occur. So rest assured, it's exceedingly unlikely that LASIK leads to any sight loss.
Who is not suitable for laser eye surgery?
So, the types of conditions that stop people from having laser eye surgery are divided up into eye conditions where people have either severe dry eye, or any other abnormality of the shape of the cornea such as keratoconus.
What is PRK vs LASIK?
Both LASIK and PRK use a laser to reshape the cornea, the clear outer layer of your eye that focuses light so you can see clearly. But they do it in slightly different ways. LASIK creates a thin flap in the cornea. PRK removes the outer layer of the cornea, which grows back over time.
What is IntraLase eye surgery?
IntraLase LASIK is a blade-free LASIK procedure, meaning no microkeratome blade is used to create the corneal flap. A microkeratome is a handheld steel blade that moves back and forth to make a single, one dimensional cut across the cornea, creating the corneal flap necessary during all LASIK procedures.
What is WaveLight Contoura?
A form of LASIK surgery, WaveLight® technology with CONTOURA® Vision uses a proprietary measurement system that charts up to 22,000 unique elevation points on each individual eye. Just like your fingerprint is completely unique to you, CONTOURA® Vision creates a map that's completely unique to your eyes.
What is custom lasik?
Custom LASIK is an advanced version of LASIK vision correction surgery. It uses cutting-edge technology to map and evaluate the unique features of your eye. There are three types of custom LASIK, including:
What is the wavefront guide for lasik?
Wavefront-Guided LASIK Procedure Overview. Before LASIK, your eye surgeon will use an instrument called a wavefront aberrometer to take measurements of your eye. First, the wavefront aberrometer sends a beam of light through your eye. The light travels through your cornea and lens.
What is a diopter in lasik?
Diopters (D) are the units used to measure your eyeglass prescription. Contoura topography-guided LASIK is FDA approved to treat up to 8.0 D of myopia, up to 3.0 D of astigmatism, or 9.0 D of myopia and astigmatism combined.
How does lasik surgery work?
Conventional LASIK eye surgery corrects your vision by taking your prescription and the overall shape of your cornea into account. Contoura topography-guided LASIK is much more detailed. First, your surgeon uses an instrument called a topographer.
Why does lasik cause distortion?
These side effects occur because the laser flattens your cornea, which is the clear covering in front of your eye . These distortions are the higher-order aberrations discussed earlier.
How much does lasik cost?
If your surgeon combines wavefront-guided LASIK with a bladeless LASIK procedure, this can increase the cost further. An average range for LASIK is $4,000 to $5,000 for both eyes. A conventional, non-bladeless LASIK procedure may cost less.
What is a prescription eyeglass?
An eyeglasses prescription measures your eye's ability to focus light as one unit. A custom LASIK measurement creates hundreds of different points to gather data. This creates a unique map or "fingerprint" that details your eye's imperfections.
What is wavefront lasik?
Custom LASIK wavefront technology is revolutionary because it has the potential to improve not only the quantity of your vision (i.e. the visual acuity measured by the standard 20/20 Snellen eye chart), but also the quality of how well you can see (i.e. visual acuity measured in terms of contrast sensitivity and fine vision). This may translate into a reduced risk of post-LASIK untoward side-effects, such as difficulty with night vision.
What are the advantages of wavefront lasik?
Some of the potential advantages of wavefront LASIK are: Potentially a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision without glasses. Potentially a greater chance of achieving better than 20/20 vision. A potential reduction in the chance of losing best-spectacle corrected vision. A potential reduction in the chance of losing visual quality ...
What is Visx Wavescan?
The Visx Wavescan system was the first laser to be approved by the U.S FDA for the treatment of nearsightedness and astigmatism. The VISX WaveScan system is made up of the Star S4 laser and the WaveScan wavefront device. The company calls its custom LASIK procedure "CustomVue." The FDA approval is for eyes with up to -11 diopters of myopia, with or without up to -3 diopters of astigmatism. Surgeons can, for the first time, measure and treat visual disorders that previously could not be detected.
How does lasik work?
How custom LASIK works. The surgeon will begin by using the wavefront device to transmit a safe ray of light into your eye. The light is then reflected back off the posterior portion of the eye, out through the pupil, and into the abberometry device. The reflected wave of light is received and arranged into a unique pattern ...
Is lasik a surgical procedure?
Like conventional LASIK, custom LASIK is a surgical procedure and has risks associated with it. It's important to discuss its applications and potential complications with your eye doctor to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure.
What is Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK?
Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK surgery uses WaveLight® refractive technology that combines the latest surgical advancements into a procedure personalized for your ideal vision.
How Does Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK Work?
In the past, older LASIK procedures simply reshaped eyes based on the patient’s current eyeglass prescription, meaning that everyone with the same prescription received the same treatment.
What to Expect With Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK?
Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK typically takes only a few minutes and leads the market in fastest treatment times. After receiving a series of anesthetic drops in each eye, you will be asked to lie down on a bed under the WaveLight® Workstation where your LASIK surgeon will first create a precise flap in each cornea.
Immediately After Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK
Treatment and recovery time are typically the same with Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK as traditional LASIK. Most patients notice a dramatic improvement in their eyesight almost immediately after their procedure. Healing occurs quickly. Rest is recommended for the first 24 hours, and most people return to work the following day.
What is the difference between wavefront and lasik?
Wavefront LASIK, or custom LASIK, uses wavefront technology to create a topological map of your individual cornea, which is then used to program the laser to individually correct errors on your specific cornea. Traditional LASIK typically does not do this.
How does LASIK work?
It is a newer approach to LASIK, a procedure that uses guided lasers to reshape your cornea and improve your visual acuity. ( Learn More) Using a wavefront device, your eye surgeon can measure aberrations in your cornea’s shape and texture, and then customize the lasers to treat all these aspects of your cornea.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of lasik?
Advantages include: Personalized LASIK targeted to your type of cornea. More precise correction of refractive errors. Correction of other subtle distortions on the cornea.
What are the disadvantages of wavefront lasik?
One of the major disadvantages to wavefront LASIK is the cost, which can vary a lot by geographical location and the type of wavefront technology used.
How long does it take to recover from lasik surgery?
The operation takes between 5 and 15 minutes per eye, depending on how long it takes to program the device. Most people who undergo LASIK return to work the next day.
Why do cities have higher rents for lasik?
First, geographical location can change the cost of wavefront LASIK and traditional LASIK. Larger cities have higher rents because the cost of living is greater, and this means that an eye surgeon will charge more in order to cover their base costs of operation.
Is wavefront LASIK covered by insurance?
Neither traditional nor wavefront LASIK are covered by insurance for the most part, and wavefront will likely be more expensive. The wavefront procedure may take longer than traditional LASIK.
What is the best laser vision correction?
If you want the sharpest vision possible after laser vision correction, a procedure you definitely should consider is custom wavefront LASIK. Here are key things you should know about this advanced form of LASIK surgery.
What is laser eye surgery?
This procedure uses detailed, wavefront-generated measurements of how light waves travel through your eyes and fall upon the retina, to create a laser treatment that is completely personalized for your eye anatomy and vision correction needs.
Why do people with the same eyeglasses see the world differently?
And because of unique characteristics of each person's eyes that cannot be measured with the conventional technology used to determine refractive error during an eye exam , people who have the same eyeglasses prescription will see the world with different degrees of clarity with those same prescription lenses.
Why is it important to preserve the cornea?
Preserving the cornea's natural shape reduces the risk of a particular type of higher-order aberration called spherical aberration, which can occur naturally in an eye or can be caused by other types of laser vision correction procedures.
When determining your eyeglass prescription, is it a unified whole?
When your doctor is determining your eyeglass prescription during your eye exam, he or she is evaluating your eye's ability to focus light as a unified whole. One lens prescription is determined for your entire eye.
Is wavefront lasik more precise?
The wavefront technology used for custom LASIK makes the procedure superior to a conventional LASIK procedure in two ways: 1. Custom wavefront LASIK is more precise. During a routine eye exam, your doctor will introduce different lenses in front of your eyes while you are looking at an eye chart and ask, "Which lens makes ...
What is wavefront lasik?
( Learn More) WaveLight LASIK uses wavefront-guided technology as a specialized excimer laser.
What is the laser used for in lasik?
With conventional LASIK, a laser is used to reshape your cornea to correct for hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness), or astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea). With WaveLight LASIK, a more advanced technology is used (called wavefront-guided LASIK) that can measure your cornea in greater detail for a more customized procedure.
How much does Wavelight cost?
Typically, WaveLight LASIK is going to cost you about $500 more per eye than standard LASIK. Cost can vary based on the surgeon, their experience and skill level, your location, and the office or clinic where the procedure will be performed.
How much does a wavelight eyelash procedure cost?
Conventional LASIK procedures can range from $1,000 and $3,000 per eye on average. It is also considered an elective and cosmetic procedure and therefore is not covered through insurance.
How does ICL surgery work?
ICL eye surgery is a fairly brief outpatient procedure. Your surgeon dilates your eyes, and gives you a local anesthetic to numb the area. A tiny incision is made, and the clear lens is slipped between your iris and your eye’s natural lens. The day of your procedure should be a day of rest.
Does Wavelight LASIK work?
WaveLight LASIK using wavefront technology can potentially correct your visual acuity to 20/40 or even 20/20 after the surgery, which can often mean that you will no longer need to wear prescription eyewear. WaveLight LASIK is more likely to reduce your need for glasses or contacts than traditional LASIK.
Does Wavelight LASIK require glasses?
WaveLight LASIK can often offer better corrections, fewer side effects, and a higher likelihood that you will no longer need prescription glasses or contact lenses after the surgery. ( Learn More) As a more customizable procedure, WaveLight LASIK costs more than traditional LASIK. ( Learn More)
Topography-Guided
Contoura Vision Procedure
- All LASIK surgeries involve the cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of the eye. Conventional LASIK eye surgery corrects vision by taking your prescription and the overall shape of your cornea into account. Contoura topography-guided LASIK is much more detailed. First, your surgeon uses an instrument called a topographer. The topographer takes thousands of measure…
Wavefront-Guided
- When someone says "custom LASIK" they are usually referring to wavefront-guided LASIK. Conventional LASIK primarily treats your refractive error, which you can think of as the numbers on your eyeglass prescription. Wavefront-guided technology corrects refractive errors along with higher-order aberrations.
Wavefront-Optimized
- Wavefront-optimized LASIK is similar to conventional LASIK, but with some enhancements. One concern with conventional LASIK surgery is that some patients experience light-related distortions after surgery. These side effects occur because the laser flattens your cornea, which is the clear covering in front of your eye. These distortions are the higher-order aberrations discussed earlie…
Wavefront-Guided vs. Wavefront-Optimized
- Though the names are similar, wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized are two different LASIK procedures. Wavefront-guided technology is more sophisticated and customized. You can think of wavefront-optimized as an improved conventional LASIK procedure. Just like conventional LASIK, wavefront-optimized LASIK relies mainly on your eyeglass prescription to correct your vision. Ho…