If you dream of freedom from glasses or contact lenses laser vision correction may be the solution for you. LASIK is the most well-known vision correction procedure, but there are several other types of laser vision correction. By reshaping your cornea, your ophthalmologist can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, giving you clear vision without the hassle of corrective lenses.
Refractive Error
Nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism are all forms of refractive error. Your cornea bends, or refracts, light to focus on the retina. When your cornea is misshapen the light does not focus properly. Refractive surgery reshapes your cornea, correcting how the light is bent and therefore correcting the focus of the light on the retina.
Types of Laser Vision Correction
You have probably heard of LASIK, but might not be aware that there are two types of LASIK, traditional and custom, and that there are several other forms of laser vision correction including:
- Epi-LASIK
- iLASIK
- LASEK
- InterLase
- PRK
All are performed using an excimer laser. The technique is different for each type of laser surgery, making laser vision correction possible for people who are not good candidates for LASIK.
The Precision of Today’s Laser Vision Correction
Refractive surgery is not new, but it is being constantly improved. Traditional LASIK has been used to safely and effectively correct vision for over twenty years. Custom LASIK is far more precise, and can give you even clearer vision.
In custom LASIK, Wavefront technology is used to map your eyes and guide the laser. Wavefront is also used to guide other types of laser vision correction. Wavefront diagnosis helps your ophthalmologist determine which type of laser surgery is right for you, and can detect high order aberrations that can be made worse by LASIK surgery.
Improving Your Vision and Your Life
Laser vision correction can mean freedom from corrective lenses for many patients. Those with very poor vision can achieve better corrected vision. Improving your eyesight can open up opportunities that you never had before. It may simply make things like swimming and other hobbies easier and more fun. For some, it can make essential activities, such as driving, possible. Getting rid of your glasses or contacts means waking up each morning with clear vision and never again having to worry about losing or damaging your lenses. To learn more about laser vision correction and what you can do to improve your vision please visit eyes.com today.
To learn more about laser vision correction and what you can do to improve your vision please visit Eyes.com today.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/laser-vision-correction-1600068.html
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Eyesight is usually described in terms of visual acuity. When someone says “20/20 vision” we normally think of perfect vision. However, acuity is just one aspect of how well you actually see. Vision quality can be just as important in your day-to-day life. Higher order aberrations can diminish vision quality without affecting your score on the eye chart. Wavefront diagnosis detects these tiny imperfections in your eye prior to laser vision correction so that you can have precise correction and to avoid making them worse.
High Order Aberrations and Vision Quality
High order aberrations can cause problems with your vision including:
- Glare
- Shadows
- Poor contrast sensitivity
- Poor night vision
- Halos
- Double vision
These problems affect the quality of your vision, but do not always affect your visual acuity. Visual acuity is what is measured on the eye chart and is typically diminished by lower order aberrations – myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.
While visual acuity is certainly important and can affect your eligibility for some professions and ability to hold a driver’s license, the importance of vision quality and the impact it has on your quality of life should not be overlooked.
Wavefront Technology
Wavefront technology is not new, but it has only been utilized in ophthalmology since the 1990’s. It was developed for astronomers to use in adjusting their telescopes to get the clearest image.
In ophthalmology Wavefront technology is used for diagnosis and to guide the laser during refractive surgery.
Wavefront Diagnosis and Why It is Important
During the diagnostic phase of your treatment Wavefront is used to create a 3-D map of your eyes. It detects the tiny high order aberrations that other tests cannot pick up. Light is passed into your eye, passes through the parts of your eye and reflects back out. Any differences in the pattern of the light as it passes in and when comes back out are aberrations.
High order aberrations can be made worse by LASIK surgery. Wavefront diagnosis reveals these aberrations to your ophthalmologist so he can correct them, work around them in a way that will not exacerbate any existing problems with your vision quality, or when appropriate advise against the surgery.
Wavefront diagnosis can help your eye surgeon determine whether or not LASIK or another type of laser vision correction can improve your vision. If you do not have any higher order aberrations, you may choose traditional LASIK. If you do have them, you need custom LASIK which will use the map created during your diagnosis to guide the surgery, producing very precise results.
Even if you plan to have traditional LASIK surgery, you need the Wavefront diagnosis to determine if it is safe for you.
If you have vision problems that include halos, starburst, double vision, or other problems with vision quality, please visit Eyes.com to learn more about how you can improve your eyesight.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/wavefront-diagnosishigher-order-aberrations-1552261.html