What Are the Benefits of Wavefront LASIK?
When a product boasts that it is “new and improved,” it doesn’t always mean that its previous version was “old and inferior,” though that may be the implication. Indeed, in the case of LASIK, conventional LASIK has been one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures in the history of medicine since the FDA approved the excimer laser for use in the surgery in the 1990s. It is still performed with excellent results. However, in the case of custom wavefront LASIK, “new and improved” really is an accurate description.
Custom wavefront LASIK offers a variety of benefits that distinguish it as the premier laser vision correction option currently available. At Papale Eye Center, we are pleased to describe the many wavefront LASIK benefits to patients during consultations at our Springfield, MA eye care center. We want our patients to understand precisely what they are paying for, and how the technology we feature at our practice was chosen with their best interests in mind.
Are you a good candidate for custom wavefront LASIK? To find out for yourself, please schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John J. Papale today.
What Is Wavefront Technology?
Our wavefront mapping technology allows us to make a map of the eye so intricate that it can detail even the tiniest imperfections in the surface of the cornea. Before the introduction of the wavefront mapping device, it was impossible to detect these minute flaws. As a result, it was also impossible to address them, whether through eyeglasses, contact lenses, or LASIK. Eye care professionals could measure and correct more universal errors, namely shortsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism; however, these unique, highly individual errors – clinically known as higher-order aberrations – were beyond the measure of then-current technology.
Wavefront technology maps these errors, and this map is subsequently used to guide the excimer laser used to reshape the cornea during LASIK surgery via a sophisticated computer program. Hence, modern LASIK is able to correct both higher-order aberrations and common visual errors.
What Are the Benefits of Custom Wavefront LASIK?
The benefits of custom wavefront LASIK include:
- Exceptional precision: Wavefront LASIK is entirely computer guided, minimizing the risk of human error.
- Lower risk of complications versus traditional LASIK: Because wavefront LASIK accounts for higher-order aberrations, it is less likely to induce new higher-order aberrations; therefore, the risk of post-surgical complications such as halos, starbursts, and impaired night vision is reduced.
- Higher chance of visual independence: By addressing even the tiniest imperfections in the shape of the cornea, wavefront LASIK increases the odds that the patient will be able to see clearly without glasses or contact lenses.
- More customized treatment: Wavefront technology allows for a truly customized LASIK treatment. Instead of simply reshaping your cornea according to your eyeglass prescription, your cornea will be reshaped according to a finely detailed map of its surface, its slightest flaws accounted for.
Learn More about Custom Wavefront LASIK Benefits
To learn more about the benefits of custom wavefront LASIK, please contact Papale Eye Center today.