Neal A. Sher, MD, FACS | Refractive Surgery Specialist

Wavefront LASIK

WAVEFRONT IS HERE

The approval of wavefront-guided laser treatments has created several new options for prospective refractive surgery patients. Dr. Sher and his colleagues at Eye Care Associates have the VISX Wavescan analyzer, a technological breakthrough. With this equipment, Dr. Sher is able to diagnose and more accurately measure the optical properties of the eye which were previously unmeasurable.

We are pleased to be able to offer this advanced technology to our patients, to allow more individualized assessment, and often treatment, of their visual errors. We are pleased to be one of a handful of practices in our area to provide this technology.

Wavefront technology uses techniques developed for astronomy to measure the distortion that occurs when light travels through the atmosphere and enters a telescopic lens system. Wavefront technology, using sophisticated computer modeling, removes the visual distortions created by the atmosphere and lens systems. The wavefront analyzer measures numerous characteristics of the eye’s optical system. Unlike measuring devices such as corneal topography, which measure only the front surface of the eye (cornea), the wavefront analyzer measures the entire optical system.Taking a fingerprint of the Eye:

The CustomVue analyzer works by projecting a series of small light beams into the eye and measures the images that return to it after the light is reflected off the retina. It analyzes the small distortions that change the light beam’s pathway as it travels through the various layers of the eye. Because every patient has a unique visual system, the wavefront image is as individual as a fingerprint.

Employing the Wavefront analyzer as an additional specialized tool, Dr. Sher is now able to use the wavefront maps to plan a treatment utilizing the VISX S4 excimer laser at the Phillips Eye Institute. The wavefront data is a wonderful diagnostic tool that will be used in the evaluation of the prospective refractive surgery patient, as well as patients with other visual problems.

Custom LASIK
LASIK, the most popular form of laser vision correction has its roots back to the late 1980s. Laser vision correction, initially photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), was approved for use in the U.S. in 1996, and over 5 million people in North America have had laser vision correction since that time.

The equipment Dr. Sher uses for LASIK and PRK, the VISX S4 excimer laser, has evolved significantly since 1996. The laser now utilizes eye-tracking software, larger optical zones, and a number of other technological refinements. Patients who Dr. Sher treated with the earlier models of this laser obtained excellent results from their treatments. The improved technology has permitted the doctor to now include patients with a wider range of refractive errors than was previously thought possible. The safety of the procedure, always good, is even better.

Wavescan can be also be used for many (but not all) individuals to provide a more precise laser correction known as Wavefront-Driven LASIK (or in some cases PRK). This is also called Custom LASIK. The results of this wavefront-guided treatment may be better than conventional treatments, but the differences may be subtle. For those patients with certain optical defects of the eye, called “higher order aberrations”, the improvement can be significant. It allows the physician to create a laser treatment that is specific to each eye. This treatment is programmed into the laser, and the LASIK or PRK procedure is then performed in an identical way to standard treatment.

This treatment is available to those with mild-to-moderate myopia (nearsightedness) and a significant range of astigmatism. It is not currently approved to treat very high myopia or hyperopia (farsightedness).

View video clip about Wavefront!
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