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eLearning Series:
Lasik Eye Surgery Questions & Answers
( 50 articles
in this series )
Lasik
Surgery's Newest: Wavefront Technology
Lasik eye surgery is an amazing procedure that has been used
around the world to improve the vision of a multitude of
people. The key to successful Lasik surgery is to link the
information regarding the patient’s visual system to the
Lasik laser. In this way, the cuts performed on the cornea
of the eye are customized to fit the patient’s individual
needs. Currently, wavefront technology is the most promising
method for collecting this necessary information.
What is Wavefront Technology?
Wavefront technology is a system that is capable of providing
a measurement of refraction at multiple points on the eye as
light is reflected upon it. This creates a “map” of sorts,
which is like a fingerprint of the patient’s eye, because it
is completely unique to the individual.
Certain conditions within the cornea affect refraction. Some
of these are considered higher-order aberrations, which have
been traditionally associated with irregular astigmatism. The
ability to correct these aberrations can result in a better
outcome after Lasik surgery. This includes a greater possibility
of achieving 20/20 vision, or better. In addition, wavelength
technology helps reduce the likelihood of losing the best-corrected
vision, of losing visual quality and of having difficulty with
night vision. In fact, clinical trials showed that nearly 80%
of Lasik eye surgery patients undergoing custom surgery achieved
20/20 vision. This is a higher number of people reporting quality
vision after surgery than those who underwent traditional Lasik
surgery.
In addition, wavefront can help determine what patients are
not ideal candidates for Lasik surgery. For some people, Lasik
surgery can actually exacerbate existing visual problems and
make them even worse.
How is Wavefront Technology Used?
Traditional eye exams can only detect two corneal abnormalities,
these being cylindrical and spherical. A cylindrical abnormality
results in astigmatism, while a spherical abnormality results
in myopia and hyperopia (near sightedness and farsightedness).
Wavefront technology, on the other hand, can detect an infinite
number of aberrations. It accomplishes this by using a fixation
target along with an input laser beam. The laser beam generates
a light source, which is a wavefront sensor that is used to
measure the slope of the wavefront as it exits. The software
then determines the excimer ablation’s characteristics.
The visual fixation target is used to help the patient maintain
the proper view while the measurement is taking place. As the
patient fixates, the laser beam is shined into her eye. This
light is then reflected from the retina and back through the
pupil. The wavefront of the light leaves the pupil and is relayed
to the wavefront sensor. The refractive properties of the human
eye then distort the wavefront.
As the laser beam enters the eye, it produces a flat wavefront.
In the theoretically perfect eye, a wavefront that is still
completely flat will reflect back. In reality this beam of
light will travel through a crystalline lens that is imperfect.
The light then goes through an irregular cornea and other parts
of the eye. All of this in combination causes the wavefront
beam to become irregular, which results in valuable data to
help determine the present shape of the cornea.
After wavefront is used to evaluate and diagnose existing
aberrations in the eye, it is used to create the prescription
for reshaping the cornea.
History of Wavefront
Wavefront technology has actually been around for quite some
time, but it has only recently been used to aid in the correction
of human vision. In fact, wavefront has been used for several
years by astronomers for adjusting the optics in their telescopes
for a similar purpose. When the reflecting mirror inside a
telescope becomes deformed (as the cornea of an eye) it can
be adjusted using wavefront data. This data is used to remove
aberrations, like the Earth’s atmosphere (just like removing
the aberrations found with astigmatism in the eye).
What are the Wavefront options?
There are currently three wavefront manufacturers
in the United States. These manufacturers go by the trade
names of CustomVue
(Visx S4 laser), CustomCornea (Alcon LADARVision laser), and
Zyoptix (Bausch & Lomb Technolas 217z laser). Each of these
has the ability to create a customized prescription for individual
patients.
Wavefront technology is an advanced method for creating precise
and individualized prescriptions for Lasik eye surgery patients.
With wavefront, patients have an increased likelihood of having
a successful Lasik experience.
Click here and learn how to get near 20/20 vision naturally. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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