Wavefront LASIK, also known as ‘Custom LASIK Surgery’ or ‘Wavefront-Guided LASIK’, involves standard laser eye surgery by with the use of detailed three dimensional map of how your eyes respond to light (reflected from objects) that enters them. These maps help the surgeon to use laser very accurately to reshape cornea correctly. Wavefront mapping is extremely precise and makes possible levels of vision correction that would be almost impossible to achieve using standard surgery.

Wavefront guided LASIK is a promising technology that provides superior method for measuring optical distortions in the eye. Physicians can customize LASIK eye surgery as per patient’s unique vision correction needs because measuring and treating eye distortions by wavefront goes beyond farsighted, nearsighted and astigmatism determinations that have been used since centuries. Wavefront system basically works by measuring how light gets distorted when it passes into the eye and reflected back. In this method an optical map of eye is created highlighting individual imperfections.

In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the very first Wavefront guided custom LASIK application. At present, there are many integrated wavefront guided LASIK systems that generates a wavefront map of the patient’s optical imperfections and then send this information to the excimer laser that performs custom LASIK procedure. During treatment, wavefront allows the surgeon to modify the laser beam settings, thus making the surgical procedure more precise. Therefore wavefront technology provides patients crisper, sharper, and better quality vision and reduction in nighttime vision difficulties like glare and halos.

Wavefront technology used in LASIK eye surgery can be explained easily. A tiny flat light sheet known as wavefront is directed through the patient’s eye (affected eye) and then it reflects off the retina and travels again through the affected eye which is then obtained by the wavefront device. If the eye had an ideal shape, the light should be transferred back as a flat sheet which is then obtained by the LASIK device with that nature. Irregular changes when the light returns, are picked up by the wavefront procedure of LASIK surgery. A three dimensional map of the affected eye is created by many tiny flat light sheets directed into both eyes from different directions which are subsequently used in LASIK.

In order to be eligible for a Wavefront LASIK surgery, you have to meet certain criteria. Some of the factors taken into consideration include the precision of laser system used by the surgeon, thickness of cornea, if you have mild to moderately high myopia or hyperopia or astigmatism. It is recommended to consult your doctor to find out if you are suitable to undergo wavefront LASIK surgery. Wavefront guided LASIK surgery enables a vision correction that would not be possible with standard LASIK surgery, eye glasses or lenses. Rather than following ‘one size fits all’ approach, Wavefront LASIK takes into account individual patient’s eyes and adjusts itself accordingly. LASIK surgery is definitely much better than suing contact lenses or spectacles.