Posts Tagged ‘wavefront’
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
Read More...
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
Read More...
The subject of LASIK is a very interesting one. There is a lot to investigate and understand about the process of getting your vision corrected through laser surgery. I hope this article helps to point you where you need to go to do the best research. There are both pros and cons to consider before submitting to this type of surgery.
First, if you are already firmly set in your decision to have LASIK, read these pointers:
1. Make sure you go to a doctor who uses the new Interlase laser for making the corneal flap.
Why? Because the Interlase is 100 times more precise than the “old fashioned” method of using a microkeratome to cut the initial flap. Many speculate that most of the problems that come from LASIK surgery have been due to the impreciseness of the microkeratome device used to cut the cornea.
2. Most definitely insist on a custom wavefront laser to do the actual reshaping of the cornea.
Why? Because the custom wavefront can get rid of what is called higher order aberrations.
What does this mean to you? It means much sharper vision after the surgery and a significantly reduced chance of having halos, starburst and other “complications” from LASIK.
Repeating: Make sure you go to a surgeon who is using both Interlase and Custom Wavefront technology to do LASIK surgery. Relatively few practices have these new technologies. Consider that surgeons who invest in these technologies may have more of your interests at heart.
One of the top 5 LASIK surgeons lives in Kansas City. Check out his site: durrievision.com Look at the information on his site including the videos where he explains what LASIK is all about. Compare your perspective surgeons website to his and you may detect a difference.
Next, you should be aware of the potential problems of LASIK surgery as you review www.surgicaleyes.com – you may find that these horror stories came from procedures that didnt use interlase and custom wavefront technology together. See-there is a reason to go with the newer technologies. You can email the people on this site and ask them questions about their procedures and the complications that they faced or are still facing.
One of the problems with LASIK, has been the LASIK 20/20 phenomenon. Some people do technically see 20/20 after the procedure but it is not normal. Instead, it is hazy or blurred. This is probably due to the higher order aberrations mentioned earlier. That is why it is important to get custom LASIK done. The custom wave front lasers can remove those aberrations, hopefully allowing you avoid the LASIK 20/20 phenomenon.
If your doctor says that you dont need the custom treatment, I would ask him if he has a custom wave front machine. There may be a few legitimate reasons to not have the custom procedure done, but I seriously doubt there are many.
If he doesnt have such a machine, I would wonder if his recommendation is based on the best thing for you as the patient. It always pays to get a second opinion anyway and in this case, you should.
These are your eyes that we are talking about and you owe it to yourself to get educated on every aspect of this surgery before undergoing treatment. The surgical eyes web site mentioned above is worth investigating. You need to know what could go wrong and how to choose a doctor and equipment that will allow you to avoid problems.
I will say it again. Try to go with Interlase to cut the corneal flap and try to go with a custom wavefront laser to reduce your risk of complications! I cannot stress this enough.
I went through a screening process to get LASIK done and was categorized as an excellent candidate. They even wanted me to participate in a study program that would save me about $600. I still turned it down. In the end, I decided that I didnt want to get my eyes lasered.
Of course, there is something to be said about not wearing glasses or contacts anymore and there are many happy patients out there. I just want you to be aware of both the pros and the cons.
Do you really need to have LASIK done? I think its worth it to investigate natural vision therapy and see what you can do about correcting your vision naturally before permanently etching your current prescription into your cornea.
Many people have gotten results from vision therapy. A few have even gotten rid of their glasses and /or contacts forever. An industry insider has informed me that this does happen but not very often.
There are a couple of books to check out on natural vision improvement if you are interested in that alternative. Relearning to See by Thomas Quakenbush is one that comes to mind.
The original pioneer in vision improvement was Dr. Bates. He was an early 20th century ophthalmologist who really stuck his neck out to go against the prevailing theories of the day (that still persist). Many of the people who he helped were very grateful, Im sure.
I have dabbled with naturally improving my vision. I have experienced a decrease of tension, but I have not recovered 20/20 vision. This type of improvement does take work and determination.
That is why there is LASIK today; everyone is different in their wishes and expectations. If you are in a hurry and you dont mind the permanent etching of a prescription in your cornea, LASIK might be for you.
I hope this helps you on your quest to learn more about LASIK Surgery and point you in the right directions to gain more information so that you can make an informed decision before deciding to undergo this often expensive elective procedure.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or suggest treatment for any health condition. Please consult a health care professional if you have or suspect you have any health related problem for proper diagnoses and treatment.
David Snape is the author of: What You Should Know about Gum Disease ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-9814855-0-8.
You can ask questions of Dave on this topic or any other health, fitness or wellness related topic at http://tobeinformed.com
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes. It does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you have an oral health problem, visit a periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated any statements about products in this article.
http://www.tobeinformed.com
-
http://www.ToothyGrinsStore.com
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/is-lasik-right-for-me-1293066.html