Two wavefront-assisted laser eye surgery systems have been FDA-approved: Alcon's LADARVision CustomCornea and VISX CustomVue.  The procedure does not feel any different nor does it take any longer than conventional LASIK.  Wavefront mapping passes an eye-safe beam of light into the eye and measures the optical distortions as the light reflects back out; these would be straight in normal eyes but are skewed by imperfections in the cornea.  The results provide a map of the patient's eyes and is used to adapt the surgery to the individual's eyes' peculiarities.

FDA clinical trial results have shown that these machines may help patients have a higher likelihood of vision perfection post LASIK surgery.   The opthamologist is able to find slight imperfections of the eye that cause poor night vision and distracting glares and halos.  According to FDA clinical trial results, when LASIK is guided by wavefront, 80 percent of the patients have 20/20 vision or better six months after surgery.  In traditional LASIK, only 50 percent of patients achieve those vision results.

The procedure may cost $300-$500 more per eye.

Wavefront technology is also used as a diagnostic device.  According to www.usaeyes.org, a wavefront diagnostic can determine if an individual has high order aberrations that would be exacerbated by refractive surgery.  No other technology can achieve this level of diagnosis.  Wavefront diagnostic can determine of wavefront guided ablations is an absolute requirement, conventional ablation would be fine, or the patient should not have surgery at all.  USAeyes believes wavefront diagnostic is an important evaluation.

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