LASIK/LASEK | What is Wavefront?

Wheaton Eye Clinic was among the first eye care clinics in Illinois to begin using the VISX CustomVue laser correction system, a diagnostic technology that generates a graphic map of the eye which is 25 times more precise than what was previously measurable by standard methods. Available to ophthalmologists since 2001, wavefront technology has been used for more than three decades to measure the quality of optical lenses, such as those used in astronomy. In fact, wavefront sensing was used to correct the mirror on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Why is wavefront technology a miraculous tool for eye care? The answer lies in its ability to detect higher-order aberrations.

In order to perform laser correction, it is necessary to measure the exact shape of the eye. Most eye care centers use a method called Manifest Refraction, which depends in large part on the patient’s subjective responses during diagnosis. In the hands of experienced eye surgeons, this procedure creates satisfactory outcomes in most cases. But wavefront technology – in which an infrared laser places a spot on the retina that is then reflected through the eye and focused by a lenslet array – offers a new level of measurement and calculation. When taken together, these allow an eye surgeon to make correction decisions based on stronger, objective data for better outcomes. In short, this technology offers patients better vision correction and shorter healing times.