VISX CustomVue Wavefront-Guided LASIK
VISX CustomVue TM wavefront-guided treatment is FDA-approved for patients with nearsightedness and/or astigmatism.
If you haven’t been following the development of LASIK technology in recent years, you’ll be surprised at the tremendous advancements that have been made for the benefit of the patient. A technology called wavefront mapping provides a detailed topographical map of your eye. With VISX, this piece of diagnostic equipment is called the WaveScan, and can identify and measure imperfections in an individual’s eye 25 times more precisely than previous methods. WaveScan permits LASIK surgeons to analyze a person’s entire visual system, not just the shape of the cornea.
Why is wavefront mapping important?
The WaveScan data - which is contained in a report called the WavePrint - is integrated with the VISX Star S4 laser for custom wavefront-guided LASIK to provide the highest level of accuracy and precision. Studies show that many individuals will be able to see better than 20/20 after LASIK surgery.
FDA clinical study data presented at the 2003 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) revealed that one year following wavefront LASIK,
94% of the study participants could see 20/20 or better;
74% could see 20/16 or better, and
27% could see 20/12.5 or better.
nearly 70 percent had either the same or better post-op vision contacts than their best visual acuity with glasses or contacts.
four times as many participants were very satisfied with their night vision compared to their night vision with glasses or contacts.
Before wavefront-guided LASIK, surgeons relied on measurements called "sphere" and "cylinder" to describe vision correction issues affecting focus and astigmatism. These lower order aberrations will still be measured by the WaveScan diagnostic device. These measurements of sphere and cylinder are similar to measurements made during a conventional eye exam, called a manifest refraction, but are more precise.
Lower order aberrations are still the greatest contributors to refractive errors of how light passes through the cornea (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are refractive errors). Also, lower order aberrations are generally more significant in their impact on your vision than higher order aberrations.
With the new WaveScan, higher order aberrations are identified. These higher order aberrations are different than sphere and cylinder, but have a noticeable impact on vision. The WaveScan produces test results called a "waveprint" which provides surgeons with all of the aforementioned data, which in turn are programmed into a custom treatment plan utilizing the VISX Star S4 laser.
One of the additional benefits of VISX technology is the PreVue Lens, which can be included as part of your consultation to show you approximately what your after-LASIK vision will be. Your WaveScan data is used to create an individualized plastic lens for trial viewing.
Conventional laser vision correction before wavefront corrected sphere and cylinder errors. The precision was limited by information provided by the phoropter (the adjustable machine in most eye doctor offices) used to measure the best spectacle (eyeglass) correction. This precision was limited to 0.25 diopter steps. With WaveScan, sphere and cylinder are measured to the hundredths of a diopter.
Technically, no two individual’s eyes are exactly alike. However, using phoropter measurements, thousands of individuals can have the same prescription. The WaveScan’s "fingerprint" of the eye that is unique to the individual. Therefore, wavefront-guided LASIK will be designed specifically for each patient’s eyes.
Just as when LASIK was first approved in 1995, this new approval is for nearsighted individuals. Nearsighted individuals with up -6 with astigmatism between 0.00 and -3 diopters will qualify.
How do I know if I am a candidate for CustomVue?
For nearsightedness, you must be at least 18 and have healthy eyes
For farsightedness or astigmatism, you must be 21 years of age or older
You must have stable vision for at least 1 year before the laser procedure.
You must not have degenerative or autoimmune diseases, be pregnant or nursing, or have a condition that deters or slows healing.
Wavefront candidacy will still be guided by physician review and interpretation of one’s higher order aberrations. Prevailing wisdom is patients with higher order aberrations that make up 20% of the total aberrations of the eye make better custom wavefront-guided LASIK patients. Normal LASIK candidacy criteria will continue to apply. These include being 21 years or older, having a stable prescription for at least a year and other medical conditions.
In addition to the results of the wavefront LASIK studies which were conducted at various sites throughout the United States the past year, the new wavefront procedure provides unparalleled safety. The VISX Star S4 laser is the already the most used by LASIK surgeons in America. Its sophisticated three-dimensional eye tracking capability helps makes sure the prescribed treatment occurs as planned, instead of being altered slightly by inadvertent eye movements.
Because Wavefront LASIK utilizes the same surgical process as traditional LASIK, you can have the reassurance of the fact more than several million LASIK surgeries have been performed successfully.
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Am I a LASIK Candidate? 
