Millions of people have benefitted from LASIK. But there have always been some who couldn’t benefit. The surgery was once off-limits to people with thin corneas, dry eye and prescriptions in higher ranges. Now, however, thanks to advances in technology and technique, more people than ever before can enjoy the excellent vision—and the freedom from eyeglasses and contact lenses—that LASIK provides.
Improved technology means that we now have better outcomes than ever before and can perform LASIK on many people who once were not candidates. While there are still people whose medical conditions and vision issues make them poor candidates for LASIK, that population is shrinking due to improved technologies and therapies.
Among the recent improvements in LASIK are:
- Next-generation excimer lasers that can address a broader spectrum of prescriptions than early generations. The result is that a wider range of vision correction can be achieved with LASIK. Today’s LASIK technologies, as opposed to first-generation lasers, can benefit those patients with more extreme vision prescriptions.
- Femotosecond laser technology, a very precise system that allows some patients with thin corneas to take advantage of LASIK. The precision of the femtosecond laser for flap creation makes it possible to create very thin flaps. Thinner flaps also reduce the ocurrance of dry eye post-LASIK, making it appealing to those patients with a tendency for preoperative dry eye.
- Wavefront technology that creates a microscopically-detailed map of the eye. This personalized, high-definition measurement is unique to the patient and details minute irregularities on the surface of the cornea that contribute to quality vision. This “surface map” guides the excimer laser, making optimized and customized corrections possible and increasing the percentage of patients seeing 20/20 and better.
- Advanced diagnostic equipment that allows clinicians to evaluate both the front and the back surface of the cornea and improve results.
If you have been considering LASIK—or if you have been disqualified in the past—it’s worthwhile to consult with us to see if you are among the growing group who may now benefit from LASIK surgery.