Since the introduction of laser vision correction in the mid 1990’s, excimer lasers have improved in their ability to deliver faster and smoother treatments. These upgraded lasers have created an advanced platform to treat refractive errors such as nearsightedness and astigmatism with improved visual results. In the beginning, excimer lasers were broad- beamed and treated the eye surface in wide portions at a time. Most recently, “flying spot” lasers have been developed to treat in a more individualized pattern based upon a person’s corneal curvature and astigmatism. These advanced surface ablations use topographically guided treatments that perform the nearsighted or astigmatism correction based upon an individual’s own “fingerprint”mapping of the cornea. As the individual discrete aberrations of a person’s cornea are identified and treated, the result is a smoother surface and a better visual outcome. One can think of this as attempting to change a football-shaped surface into a basketball-shaped surface. If a perfect basketball shape is achieved, a person’s overall uncorrected vision will be the best possible. It may lead to even better than 20/20 vision.
The Alcon Wavelight Laser, with its Contoura software, can deliver such an Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) to the appropriate candidates. These Advanced Surface Ablations also have the added advantage of removing some of the main risks of traditional LASIK surgery.
LASIK involves cutting a flap of tissue on the corneal surface and applying the excimer laser under the flap. After several decades of using LASIK, we can more readily understand its side effects and complication rates. LASIK flaps can be subject to slippage, which is not possible with ASA. Material can collect and proliferate under that LASIK flap, which is not possible with ASA. LASIK flaps can have complications in their creation during the time of surgery, which is not possible with ASA. These and other difficulties lead to a FEAR FACTOR of LASIK, which is not possible with ASA.
The 21st Century is a great time to reconsider laser vision correction, given Advanced Surface Ablation safety and high success rate.