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Why Is LASIK A Custom Procedure?
Posted by: Georgia Eye Associates in LASIK
LASIK is a popular vision correction procedure that millions have already undergone. Surgeons perform LASIK to permanently correct your vision.
Getting LASIK can be as fast as 15 minutes per eye. But if the goal of LASIK and the method is the same, then why do so many places talk about their “custom” LASIK procedures? Keep reading to learn why LASIK is a custom procedure!
Our Eyes Are Unique
While it may seem like eyes are pretty standard for everyone, it’s not true. Our eyes, and our vision, are unique to us, and us alone.
Even a single component like the shape of our corneas are as unique as our thumbprints. Making LASIK custom to individual corneal shapes makes the procedure safer. It also makes the results better.
What Makes “Custom” LASIK Custom
To customize LASIK, the surgeon will take accurate measurements of your cornea. In the past, LASIK adjustments were done purely off of prescription.
This did not take into account small irregularities of a patient’s corneal topography. Advanced computer technologies allow for a very detailed mapping of the cornea’s surface.
This technology is called “Wave Scan”. Wave Scan allows surgeons to measure corneal imperfections 25 times more precisely. The technology was originally developed for use with the Hubble Telescope.
There are three different kinds of popular custom LASIK procedures. They are Wavefront-guided, wavefront-optimized, and topography-guided.
Wavefront-guided procedures use detailed measurements from light-wave measurements of your entire eye. This creates a personalized experience. It also potentially reduces the occurrence of distracting visual problems.
Wavefront-optimized procedures measure the curvature of your cornea in great detail. They can also help prevent high-order aberrations by preserving the natural shape of the cornea.
Topography-guided LASIK is a lot like Wavefront-optimized LASIK. It is also able to address corneal irregularities like scarring when measuring the cornea’s surface.
All the procedures are valid custom LASIK operations. Talk to your eye doctor about their preferred method and why.
Results
The overwhelming opinion is that custom LASIK is better than traditional LASIK. According to one study, a year after, people who had received custom LASIK had better vision than almost 30% of others who had received traditional LASIK.
Like traditional LASIK, custom LASIK is not right for everybody. You will still need to have a LASIK consultation. This is the only way to know if LASIK is the right procedure for you.
During this evaluation, your doctor will take into consideration a variety of factors. These factors include:
- Being at least 18 years old
- Having a stable prescription that hasn’t changed in at least a year
- Not currently pregnant or nursing
- Your medical history
- The health of your eyes
- How thick your corneas are
- If you have realistic expectations about the results you’ll experience after LASIK
Like any surgical procedure, LASIK is not right for everyone. If you find out that you’re not a good LASIK candidate, you may qualify for a procedure like PRK. Talk to your doctor about other vision correction procedures you may be a better fit for.
Think LASIK could be right for you? Find out by scheduling a LASIK consultation at Georgia Eye Associates in Atlanta, GA! Why wait any longer if you know that visual freedom could be in your near future?
Tags: Georgia Eye Associates, LASIK Atlanta, LASIK Buckhead, LASIK Eye Surgery Atlanta, LASIK Eye Surgery Buckhead
