LASIK surgery revolutionized vision correction with its ability to help people achieve perfect or near-perfect vision without having to rely on prescription lenses. Technology has advanced further, and laser vision correction is now more customized than ever. With Custom LASIK, patients can improve their vision even further due to increased personalization, safety enhancements, and incredible precision.
Traditional LASIK
Traditional LASK eye surgery is the process where a flap is created in the cornea. An advanced excimer laser is then used to reshape the cornea by removing corneal tissue. The amount of tissue removed is determined by a recent prescription for your glasses or contact lenses.
The corneal flap is replaced, and within a few hours, the surface layer of the cornea grows over the cut edge and seals it into position. Collagen bonds form within the cornea and around the edge of the flap, which permanently seals it.
This process, from start to finish, takes approximately fifteen minutes and is safe and painless.
LASIK eye surgery can be used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
While the traditional LASIK surgery has helped millions of Americans regain their vision without the help of prescription lenses, custom LASIK eye surgery allows doctors to improve the process further for the individual patient.
Custom LASIK
With the ability to further customize the traditional LASIK procedure, Custom LASIK is best for people who suffer from extremely poor vision, thin corneas, or larger-than-average pupils.
Custom LASIK is available to a broader range of patients and can improve the quality of both night and day vision.
Traditional LASIK does not have the accuracy that Custom LASIK can provide. The Custom LASIK process removes 20-30% less corneal tissue, making the operation healthier and safer for the eye.
The accuracy of your prescription with custom LASIK eye surgery is far greater than traditional LASIK because of the custom Wavefront LASIK technology. Your prescription will be measured in 0.01 D units, ensuring that it is as exact as possible.
Types of Custom LASIK
- Wavefront-guided LASIK
Wavefront-guided LASIK: Using detailed, wavefront-generated measurements, a completed customized laser treatment is created. This procedure corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and it also reduces irregular higher-order aberrations, which can affect visual clarity. - Wavefront-optimized LASKI
Wavefront-optimized LASIK: The optimized LASIK procedure used highly detailed measurements of the curvature of the surface of your eye to maintain the natural shape of your cornea. By preserving the natural shape of your cornea, a particular type of higher-order aberration called spherical aberration is reduced. Spherical aberration can cause halos around lights and night vision problems. - Topography-guided LASIK
Topography-guided LASIK: Problems caused by corneal irregularities including corneal scars and refractive errors are addressed by programming the laser with detailed measurements of the surface of the cornea. This procedure is not a Wavefront LASIK procedure, but it is still more customized than a traditional LASIK surgery.
Your doctor will recommend the best type of LASIK based on your individual needs.
Custom LASIK vs. Traditional LASIK
While Custom LASIK provides a much more in-depth eye analysis and detailed procedure, many factors need to be considered before deciding on your choice of LASIK surgery.
Eyeglasses prescription, the thickness of your cornea, how critical your situation is, your visual needs, and your budget all need to be studied.
Not everyone is a candidate for LASIK surgery, and consulting an eye doctor or a LASIK surgeon is the best way to find out whether you qualify for LASIK surgery and which surgery is suited to you and your needs.