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If you’ve dealt with the hassles of glasses and contacts, you owe it to yourself to achieve the life changing freedom of iLASIK and VISX WaveFront Custom refractive surgery, the next evolution in vision correction. Eye Center of Texas delivers the newest FDA approved all-laser Intralase iLASIK combined with the VISX WaveFront Custom technology with unprecedented safety and precision. Drs. Edward Wade and Mark Mayo are the most experienced iLASIK Custom procedure surgeons in Houston and together have performed over 40,000 procedures.
Wavefront LASIK — also known as Custom LASIK — is the most advanced laser vision correction treatment available. WaveFront LASIK is rapidly becoming the procedure of choice for qualifying patients. And it's no wonder: this procedure has helped many patients achieve 20/20 or better sight, with sharper, clearer night vision, without depending on their glasses or contact lenses.
Eye Center of Texas surgeons perform WaveFront Custom LASIK on the industry-leading VISX S4 laser along with the blade-free Intralase laser. This combination is considered the ultimate in current LASIK technology and is the required procedure of choice for even the elite Naval “Top-Gun” pilots. Below, read more about the WaveFront LASIK and blade-free Intralase iLASIK combination.
The Goal of WaveFront LASIK
Nearly 60 million Americans today suffer from nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism — the inability to focus light precisely on the retina because of optical defects of the eye. These structural defects are known as lower-order aberrations, and they are corrected with glasses, contact lenses, and conventional laser eye surgery like LASIK. The degree of correction is measured as a quantity, with 20/20 considered normal vision.
There is a second category of optical defects, called higher-order aberrations, that represent residual irregularities in the optical structure of the eye. Higher-order aberrations affect the quality of vision, and are primarily responsible for problems of contrast sensitivity, night glare, halos, and other disturbances.
The goal of WaveFront, then, is to improve a patient's overall vision quantity and quality by, one, eliminating the lower order aberrations of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism; and two, by reducing, or at least not increasing, higher order aberrations.
The Diagnostic Process
VISX Wavescan Aberrometer
WaveFront LASIK would not be possible without a measuring device called an aberrometer, which generates a complete aberration map of the eye, consisting of both lower and higher order aberrations.
The aberrometer works like this: while you stare into its display, the aberrometer projects a harmless infrared laser beam on your retina. As the light reflects off your retina and washes over the internal structures of your eye, it emerges from your eye as a wavefront, which is captured by the aberrometer's lens array. The shape of this wavefront is uniquely yours, since no other person possesses exactly the same shape and structure of your eye.
Your wavefront map is then mathematically interpreted to describe the composition of your vision error. Wavefront data can be used diagnostically for pre-operative screening and post-surgical analysis, and also as a basis to direct the operations of the laser during the treatment process.
The Treatment Process
The diagnostic data produced by the aberrometer is imported into specialized wavefront treatment planning software. This software generates a "laser session" file that's transferred electronically to the computer controlling the laser. The session file contains the instructions that tell the laser where and for how long to operate on your cornea to correct your specific vision error.
Although other systems are touted as “custom” Lasik, the principal difference is described in the treatment process above: unlike standard LASIK, in WaveFront LASIK the aberrometer data is automatically imported into the treatment planning software, which then automatically generates the file that directs the laser's operation.
What is iLASIK?
The newest technology in LASIK is the new blade-free procedure, known as iLASIK, which offers results not yet comparable to any other LASIK procedure. iLASIK combined with a custom procedure corrects or greatly improves three common refractive errors in vision: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism (irregular curvature of the cornea). In each of these conditions, light entering the eye through the cornea and lens fails to focus properly on the back of the eye, called the retina. The result is blurred vision. LASIK reshapes the cornea and restores good eyesight without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
iLASIK Surgery Is a Two-Step Process
Step 1
The surgeon creates a tiny-hinged flap in the surface of the cornea - a minute window that allows access to the inner cornea. Instead of using a surgical blade to create the flap, the Eye Center of Texas utilizes a new state-of-the-art laser, the IntraLase™ FS. The IntraLase FS allows a cool laser light to pass completely through the corneal surface without potential harm to the outer tissue. The laser light then travels to the exact computer-programmed location within the eye. The cornea is gently reshaped according to the surgeon's specifications for accurate vision correction. By eliminating the surgical blade, the IntraLase greatly improves the accuracy and precision of the creation of the flap, and enhances patient satisfaction. The risk of infections and complication related to the flap are greatly reduced.
Step 2
The surgeon lifts the corneal flap and the actual laser vision correction is performed with the VISX, Star 4 custom excimer laser.
Monovision for Patients Over 40 Years of Age
During childhood, people with normal vision have the ability to focus on objects as close as their nose and also on objects very far away. They can rapidly, without conscious thought, switch focus from near to far vision. This is called accommodation. As each year passes, that ability to focus and to switch focus decreases. By the time most people reach their forties, they need an aid, such as reading glasses or bifocals, to focus on objects close up. This condition is called presbyopia.
Monovision is a technique where one eye (usually the dominant eye) is corrected for clear distance vision, and the other eye is corrected for comfortable near vision. Monovision allows a person to see close objects clearly with one eye and distance objects clearly with the other eye. The vision part of the brain tends to filter out the image from the eye that is not in clear focus, so those who have monovision eventually do not pay attention to the eye that is not as clearly focused. Those who have monovision are often able to see well enough both at distance and near to do things at any age without corrective lenses.
Monovision can be achieved with contact lenses or with LASIK by correcting the non-dominant eye for near vision and the dominant eye for distance vision. If you are over 40 years old and are considering monovision LASIK, you can try monovision in contact lenses before you permanently correct your eyes with monovision.
What to Expect During Surgery
iLASIK is painless and fast - the creation of the flap takes about 10 minutes for both eyes. You will receive a mild sedative to help you relax, but you will remain alert and comfortable during the procedure.
Before the procedure, antibiotic drops and a topical anesthetic (numbing drops) will be applied to the eyes. A special instrument, called a lid speculum, will keep the operative eye open during the procedure. The fellow eye will be taped shut during the procedure. A sterile patient packet is used to interface the operative eye with the IntraLase FS.
Once your IntraLase procedure is complete, your surgeon will lift the flap and perform the actual vision correction procedure using the VISX, Star 4 excimer laser. The actual vision correction takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the amount of correction required.
Before leaving our office, we will review all post op medications and a doctor will check your eyes to ensure good flap position and to answer a final questions you may have.
After Surgery
Once the iLASIK procedure is completed, patients are advised to go home and rest, keeping your eyes closed as much as possible for the remainder of the day. It is very important that you do not rub your eyes for 2 months following your procedure. Antibiotic medication and lubricating eye drops will be prescribed. Protective eyewear should be worn for one week: eye shields when you are resting or sleeping and sunglasses when you’re awake. You will have a follow-up appointment the day after surgery.
While each person’s comfort level may differ, you may experience mild side effects that include tearing, sensitivity to bright lights and a feeling of “scratchiness”. Your vision may be somewhat hazy at first, but within a few days, these side effects should disappear. You can enjoy your normal activities with dramatically improved vision!
Are you an iLASIK Candidate?
During your initial free iLASIK screening, we will thoroughly examine your eyes and perform comprehensive testing to make sure that iLASIK and a WaveFront custom procedure is the right for you. A medical and eye history will be taken and several tests will be performed, including:
- Dry eye testing
- Visual acuity and refractive error
- VISX CustomVue aberrometer readings
- Pupil size in low & medium light
- Ocular pressure
- General health of the eyes
- Corneal topography & Corneal thickness
OPTIONS FOR iLasik NON-CANDIDATES
PRK is laser vision correction similar to iLASIK, performed without a flap. PRK results are equivalent to LASIK and is the preferred laser treatment of choice for patients with a variety of conditions which preclude iLASIK. Read More
NON-LASER OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS LESS THAN 45
Many patients are not candidates for either LASIK or PRK surgery due to severely thin corneas, irregularly-shaped corneas, or severe myopia (near-sightedness). A solution for these patients requiring vision correction is the Visian ICL™ (Intraocular Contact Lens). The word "phakic" means that your natural crystalline lens is left in the eye. The procedure involves placing a lens implant inside the eye similar to a soft contact lens. This is generally done in a 15-20 minute procedure under topical anesthesia, one eye at a time. The implant is between the iris and the lens (Visian ICL™). This gives the eye another focusing lens that provides high-quality, high-definition vision that, for very near-sighted people, has been shown to be better than LASIK. For patients less than 40-45 years of age, the Visian ICL™ allows for viewing at both near and far. The implant can be removed if needed. Read More
NON-LASER OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS OLDER THAN 45
Intraocular lenses, or IOLs, are artificial lenses that replace the eye's natural lens which is easily removed with a surgical procedure known as phacoemulsification. Implanted routinely following cataract surgery, IOLs have been around since the mid-1960s, though the first FDA approval for one occurred in 1981. The new multifocal IOLs (Restor™ and Rezoom™) and accommodating IOLs (Crystalens™) offer the possibility of seeing well at more than one distance, without glasses or contacts. This is especially attractive for patients who need both distance correction as well as reading correction. Read More
Once the pre-operative testing is complete, you will meet with a LASIK Counselor to discuss your testing results and your candidacy for Laser Vision Correction. You will also discuss fees and scheduling at this time.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE EYE CENTER OF TEXAS!
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