Nearsighted and farsighted patients will see great improvements soon after surgery, and typically those with astigmatism take the longest to feel the benefits of improved vision. If you experience blurry eyesight after surgery it is important to remember that this will not last and it should be gone permanently in the following months.

After the surgery, in order to allow recovery of the corneal flap that was created during surgery, you will be expected to wear protective goggles for a few nights according to what your surgeon recommends. One of the main discomforts people may feel after LASIK eye surgery is dry eyes so for this reason your surgeon may prescribe you moistening eye drops, sometimes alongside antibiotic or anti-inflammatory eye drops.

There are a number of small risks that can occur when undertaking wavefront LASIK surgery, though most patients can go back to work within a day after the procedure. If you follow this advice and attend regular checkups you should minimize the risk of any complications.

You may feel a mild discomfort after the surgery which is why most surgeons recommend sleeping when you arrive home. Most patients already notice improved vision upon waking. Avoid watching TV, staring at computer screens, or any other activity that puts strain on your eyes (including reading).

It is important to make sure that your eyes remain relaxed in the period immediately following surgery. Take care not to rub your eyes, and it may also be a good idea to wear sunglasses indoors and outdoors. You should also take baths instead of showers during the first 24 hours and make sure that water from the shower does not spray in your face during the first week.

Avoid eye makeup and smoky and dusty environments as well as alcohol consumption for the first few days following surgery.

After surgery you will be required to attend post-operative exams just to ensure that your eyes are healing properly. If any complications do occur your doctor will most likely be able to sort them out quickly and easily. If you do experience any problems it is important to contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Read a step by step guide to wavefront lasik surgery.

While this can be highly beneficial, it is not based on a completely individualized map of the patient’s eye (in the same way that glasses and contact lenses are shaped based on average measurements).

Wavefront lasik eye surgery, on the other hand, seeks to provide more accurate results by providing this individual map (or waveprint).

Wavefront technology was originally used in astronomy to monitor light entering telescopes, and was eventually adapted for laser eye correction. The first wavefront mapping of the eye was performed in 1994, and since then has provided an advancement of original lasik in many individual cases.

Also known as custom LASIK, wavefront LASIK involves a unique treatment from person-to-person by using three-dimensional measurements of the eye in order to be used as a guide for reshaping the surface of the cornea and improving vision.

Wavefronts are measured by devices known as aberrometers which detect the overall refractive power error of each eye. During this process, light is sent into the eye in specific patterns, where any difference between the light that is measured by the eye and the light being sent is considered an aberration. This mapping is then be used as an accurate guide for laser reshaping of the cornea.

In other words, the procedure is more exact–more customized to your unique individual eye.

This system of mapping is the main difference between traditional and wavefront lasik treatment. Studies have shown a larger percentage of patients achieving 20/20 vision after wavefront LASIK than the traditional eye surgery. Wavefront LASIK is 25 more times as accurate as traditional LASIK since the data is collected from hundreds of different points on the eye’s surface.

After this, the cornea reshaping is customized from these measurements to suit each individual. No two wavefront waveprints are the same and in this way each wavefront LASIK treatment will be catered to the individual 100%.

Wavefront LASIK can be extremely advantageous to some, yet to others it is unnecessary and will have no effect. This will all depend on the exact measurements of your eye, and your wavefront mapping will determine which treatment is best for you.

It has been used in the past to help those with nearsightedness, farsightedness and also astigmatism. It is also used for other refractive errors of the eye that are not possible to correct with glasses or contact lenses.

Read about wavefront lasik recovery and healing.