Wavefront Lasik | Custom Wavefront Lasik Surgery: Techniques and History

Custom Wavefront Lasik Surgery: Techniques and History

Wavefront mapping makes it possible to reshape the cornea and correct vision problems according to a completely individual mapping of the eye. The wavefront lasik surgery diagnostic tools will accurately measure any imperfections, known as aberrations, which are then treated with the wavefront LASIK procedure.

This sort of technology was originally used in astronomy to measure imperfections in mirrors and lenses. The system was refined by the 1970s, and has been tested for use in the eyes since the 1990s. The first application of wavefront guided LASIK was approved by the FDA in 2002.

Wavefront mapping is able to measure aberrations around 25 times more accurately than other methods. It works by sending a beam of light through the eye. This light is reflected back and the wavefront machine captures it, noting any distortions which will indicate higher or lower order aberrations.

Common problems such as nearsightedness arise from lower order aberrations, but there are many vision problems as a result of higher order aberrations that traditional treatments cannot correct. Each higher order aberration will be different between individuals, meaning that no two aberrations are exactly the same – like fingerprints. This is why wavefront technology provides more accurate results, producing a 3D diagram of the eye from which the laser reshapes the cornea accurately.

Once the mapping has been completed, computers will convert this data which acts as an instruction for the laser. This laser is what corrects the vision by reshaping the cornea. The best wavefront sensors now are integrated with the surgery systems, which include the VISX CustomVue system, and the LADARWave CustomCornea system. These are what allow each individual vision problems to be measured and treated for the best results possible.

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