About Lasik And Its Advanced Technology

LASIK an acronym for LAser in SItu Keratomileusisis is a method of re-shaping the external surface of the eye [the cornea] to correct low, moderate and high degrees of nearsightedness, astigmatism and far-sightedness.

LASIK is an outpatient procedure that usually takes 5-10 minutes per eye. Anaesthetic eye drops make it a pain-free procedure. The actual laser treatment usually takes less than 20 seconds even for higher spectacle powers.

Before you go into the cost of LASIK, you need to understand that not all LASIK centres will be the same in this aspect primarily because not all have similar technology. This is one field where the doctor is not working on your eyes with his hands alone, it is through technology! So, it is of utmost importance that you learn more on this procedure and the advances that it has made till date in order to choose the right place.

What question you first need to ask a doctor is... what laser technology they are using?

Remember, you want to undergo this procedure only once in your life and it has go right. You need to know more about what procedures are available today, what technological advancements have been made in this field. And most importantly if you are fit for this procedure.

The success of laser vision correction or LASIK depends on a multitude of factors, primary being the expertise of the doctor along with a good laser technology in an International standard set up of hygiene and care with stringent eligibility criteria.

Wavefront LASIK or custom LASIK is the most advanced LASIK method today. It can be performed using various lasers. The speed of the laser and its applications are very important in delivering results. Today, we use the worlds fastest laser the 400 HZ whereas most other lasers are close to 50-100 Hz and some to 200-250 Hz.

The Wavelight Allegretto 400 Eye Q is the world's only 400 Hz laser. What 400 Hz means is that the laser treats the eye with 400 laser pulses a second to make the treatment very quick and accurate as well as tracks the eye also at 400 times a second so that every pulse is placed precisely at the right spot after verification. This is particularly of significance when treating very minute errors of the eye called wavefront errors. This is at least twice as fast as any other laser currently available today.

Speed is important because a short treatment time benefits and adds to the comfort of the patient. A shortened exposure time allows for faster visual recovery and better outcome.

Additionally, new technology lasers such as the WaveLight Allegretto Eye-Q 400 save upto 40% of valuable corneal tissue for every dioptre of treatment when compared with many other lasers for a similar treatment. This results in the doctor being able to treat a higher power range keeping in mind long-term safety as well as treating lower powers with unmatched long-term stability of the refraction.

The Wavelight Allegretto Eye Q 400 Hz laser takes into account the needs of the surgeon as well as the patient delivering predictability, accuracy and safety in results.

However, no amount of technology can replace the surgical expertise. These lasers are also very sensitive and one has to take great care in its maintenance and run checks and calibrations. One can have the most sophisticated equipment, including the smallest flying spot wavefront-guided excimer laser, but if one does not have an aseptic environment or properly sterilized instruments for the procedure, it's a recipe for disaster!

New Technology: How Is Wavefront Lasik Different From the Standard Lasik

Each of our eyes is different and has its unique shape and visual characteristics. Wavefront Guided LASIK develops individualized software treatment plans for each eye. Unlike the standard LASIK procedure which only corrects refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) and routinely achieves 6/6 or 20/20 vision, Wavefront LASIK goes beyond just correcting refractive errors [spectacle powers] to actually improving visual capabilities so you may see better than you did with glasses or lenses before the procedure, hence improving your 'Visual Acuity'. The key to Wavefront treatment is a device called a Wavefront Analyzer or aberrometer. This projects a fine grid of 168 light beams onto the retina and captures its image using a high resolution camera. This image is then analyzed for errors and provides a "Wavefront Map" which is programmed into the laser.

This means we can measure both the extent of poor vision and its causes with greater precision than it has ever been possible before.

With standard procedures there may be instances of unpredictable results where these subtle errors, instead of getting treated, are further magnified. This may sometimes lead to dissatisfaction after the standard procedure of LASIK. With wavefront-guided LASIK these errors can be corrected to achieve ideal results.

Thorough screenings for patient suitability includes tests like refraction, contrast sensitivity, pupil size, pupil reaction, retinal examination, tonometry, pachymetry, wavefront analysis, topolyzer measurements, topography and tests for dry eye amongst others.