Cost of Lasik Eye Surgery

Wavefront LASIK: A Revolution in Laser Eye Correction

Wavefront LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) is an improvement on LASIK, currently considered to be the best method of laser eye-surgery for hyperopia, astigmatism, or myopia. Unlike conventional LASIK, Wavefront LASIK involves the assistance of a computer which guarantees the accuracy and precision of the surgery. This technology allows customized mapping of an individual cornea. The hardware that is used for this purpose was developed by astronomers for the fine-adjustment of telescopes, though in this case, the macrocosm of sidereal space is replaced with the 3-D microcosm of the corneal. With this technology, any corneal aberrations are easily diagnosed and corrected to satisfaction in almost all cases.

Of course, the most critical first step in any successful surgery is the diagnosis. If this is performed accurately, the patient’s vision is much more likely to be corrected precisely and post-surgery complications can be avoided in 99% of the cases. In order to achieve an accurate diagnosis, all that a patient has to do is choose from among the best eye surgeons in town. Often, it is recommended to choose a surgeon from an academic medical center as opposed to going with an independently operating practitioner as a single mistake can have the most dire of consequences for the patient.

The Lasik surgical procedure involves cutting a flap in the outer layer of the cornea and re-shaping the tissue beneath it using laser. Over the past few years, Wavefront LASIK has dominated the conventional LASIK surgery for obvious reasons of consistency and accuracy.

How is Wavefront LASIK Surgery Different from Conventional LASIK Surgery?

In a nutshell, conventional LASIK surgery merely applies a simple correction of focusing power to the cornea whereas Wavefront LASIK surgery applies a spatially varying correction.

Custom Wavefront LASIK is tailored to the needs of each individual patient. It gives the ophthalmologist a 3-dimensional map or guide from which to perform the operation. It is considered to be more accurate as it uses light to obtain an accurate blueprint of the patient’s eye. This blueprint software then assists the ophthalmologist in the creation of an incision appropriate to the specific cornea upon which the surgeon is working. Wavefront LASIK is more dependable than traditional LASIK in that the computer used in the operation guarantees almost flawless accuracy and consistency.

Though Wavefront LASIK technology promises better results, there lies a concern in the fact that this procedure involves the removal of more corneal tissue than traditional Lasik surgery. As such, people with thin corneas cannot opt for this procedure. This can be taken as a major disadvantage. Nevertheless, this technology alone has overtaken several other eye-surgery procedures in recent years and promises continued results and popularity in the future.

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