The major difference between the two in terms of technology is the way in which they measure vision problems. There are recognized low order aberrations (LOA) and higher-order aberrations (HOA). LOA are spherical and cylinder defects that cause such disorders as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatisms. These can be diagnosed by regular eye examinations and can be corrected efficiently with regular LASIK surgery. Wavefront LASIK surgery uses a 3D measurement of how the eye is actually processing the images in order to create a system to re-shape the cornea. This technology allows for a more personalized method to address not only the LOA but also the HOA you may be suffering from.

Although regular LASIK surgery has been able to address the amount that you can take in visually, but not the quality of those images in terms of contrast and detail. In fact, LASIK surgery is sometimes reported to cause problems that were not there before with these high order functions of the eye, causing such complications as glare, light halos and decreased night vision. Though there are still risks of complications from the custom LASIK surgeries, they are reported less frequently and there are more reports of improvement in the HOAs.

While the focus has been on the advantages of custom LASIK, there are reasons to consider conventional LASIK if it can address your visual problems adequately. For one thing, current wavefront-guided technology are extremely limited in their capability to under-correct, as would be required by those looking for a monovision correction. Another consideration is cost. Though your vision is precious, as all things in life, making corrections is subject to the ability to pay. Regular LASIK surgery tends to be less expensive. As always, discuss your options with your ophthalmologist before undergoing any procedures.

Ophthalmic surgeons are highly trained and Wavefront eye surgery has been around for years. In fact it was first approved by the FDA as far back as 2002. In addition, other LASIK surgery methods have been available for a great deal longer than that.

Wavefront LASIK differs from regular LASIK surgery by incorporating a mapping process prior to surgery. With the Wavefront procedure, an extremely complex computerized system first maps the entire inner and outer eye to reveal a three dimensional image. Of particular interest to surgeons in this procedure is the cornea, as this is where the surgery takes place.

Allowing the surgeon to see the eye in all three dimensions means he or she has detailed information on that particular patients eye. This LASIK Wavefront technology enables them to pinpoint exactly where the incisions should be and which refraction points to change which will allow the best possible results for the patient.

photo credit: roger_mommaerts

Once this has been done, laser equipment targets the areas completely accurately to prepare for the custom Wavefront LASIK eye surgery. This entire operation is also diagnostic as it allows the physician to see if there are any other problems within the eye. Once the diagnosis has taken place, lasers are aimed directly into the cornea so the surgeon is able to see which refraction will enable the patient to see the best.

The outcome of these almost completely non-invasive surgeries is generally perfect 20/20 vision for the patient. In some cases it has been recorded that patients have better than 20/20 vision, they have “cyborg vision” (joke). While some LASIK surgeries have been known to result in less than perfect results, the are generally speaking very successful. The difference with Wavefront LASIK is that it is almost always completely successful with no side effects recorded.