Protective Flap Creation — Zeiss Lasik
Lasik is a two-step process; each step at the Caster Eye Center takes about 15 seconds and is completely painless. The first step is the creation of the Lasik protective flap. This is the part of the treatment that most concerns patients. We use the newest and most gentle laser available for this, the Zeiss VisuMax. The Zeiss laser is incredibly gentle: most patients say they feel basically nothing. It is also incredibly fast; this step takes only 15 seconds! This is a major advance over all other technologies, which do cause some (although minor) discomfort. The Zeiss laser is by far the most gentle treatment available anywhere! We are very proud to offer Zeiss Lasik at Caster Eye Center.
For some patients, it is best to not make a flap at all. This “Lasik without a flap” is known by several names, including Lasek, PRK, and Advanced Surface Treatment. For some patients with relatively thin corneas, large pupils, very high corrections (or a combination of these), Lasik without a flap may allow for the largest treatment size, which may be important in diminishing glare and halos. Also, patients with very significant dryness will benefit from Lasik without a flap, which does not cause any increase in the symptoms of dryness. Lasik without a flap does have a slower, more prolonged healing period. We will be pleased to discuss with you which option is best for your particular situation.
Alcon Allegretto Laser
The second step in Lasik is also painless and very quick, also taking about 15 seocnds. For this step we use the Alcon Allegretto laser. The Alcon Allegretto laser customizes every treatment to the patient’s individual prescription and corneal curvature while aiming to improve what nature originally designed. The Alcon Allegretto laser is the newest and most advanced laser approved by the FDA. It tracks and adjusts to your eye hundreds of times every second, so you do not have to worry about your eye moving around.
The Allegretto system uses wavefront technology to compensate for the curvature of the cornea. The natural shape of the cornea is preserved to a degree that older lasers cannot achieve. This wavefront technology, combined with the incredibly small, 1mm size of the laser beam, produces results of great optical quality.
Better Night Vision and Glare Control
At night and in dark conditions, the pupil becomes larger to permit the maximum amount of light to enter the eye. All human beings see better with bright light than in the dark. All humans see some degree of glare and halos around a light in dark conditions, such as when looking at street lights at night. In the past, laser vision correction increased these halos around lights in some people. This has been one of the biggest drawbacks to conventional laser vision correction.
The larger optical zones and the wavefront technology of the Allegretto laser system address this problem. These two aspects of the Allegretto laser — larger optical zones and wavefront technology — virtually eliminate the glare and night vision problems associated with the early generation Lasik treatments. In fact, the Alcon Allegretto laser actually improves night vision and halos compared to vision with glasses and contact lenses. The Alcon Allegretto laser is the ONLY laser that the FDA states improves night vision with less glare and halos as compared to the vision before treatment with glasses and contact lenses.
Clinical Results
- As the newest laser approved by the FDA, the Allegretto Custom Wavefront laser has the greatest treatment range for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The results are astoundingly positive.
- At one year after treatment, more than 93% of patients have vision at least as good as or better than they had with glasses or contacts before treatment. This figure can be further improved with an enhancement procedure if desired.
- Nearly 60% of nearsighted patients achieve 20/16 vision one year after treatment.
- Both nearsighted and farsighted patients report an improvement in their reaction to bright lights and night driving glare after Allegretto laser treatment. In addition, nearsighted patients report an improvement in sensitivity to light. Thus, night vision is better after Allegretto vision correction than it was prior with glasses or contact lenses.
Is Laser Vision Correction Right for Me?
The boundaries of candidacy for Lasik are much broader than even a few years ago. However, there are certain people who may be less than ideal candidates for Laser Vision Correction. We will only perform the treatment if we are very confident that you will achieve the best vision possible. Please speak to us about the alternatives for you if:
- You are 18-21 years old. Your growth phase may or may not have been fully completed. If your growth phase is not complete, then your eyes may still change.
- You are pregnant or nursing. Pregnancy causes changes to your hormonal system. This can also cause your vision to change. It is therefore better to wait until your child is born and you have finished nursing.
- You have poorly-controlled glaucoma or blood pressure.
- You have keratoconus, a corneal irregularity.
- You have inflammation of the eye (uveitis, blepharitis or iritis) .
- Your eyes have been infected by herpes simplex.
- You have suffered previous severe injuries on the eye.
- You have corneal scars or infections.
- You are taking certain medications.
- You suffer from other diseases of the eye such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, or others.
Pupil Size Assessment
In the past, one of the most troublesome aspects of laser vision correction was the lessened night-time vision that some patients have experienced. Poor night vision may be the result of the treatment area being too small in relation to the size of the enlarged pupil (your pupil enlarges when you go into the dark).
The Allegretto laser allows for dramatically larger treatment zones and a more natural treatment pattern, resulting in much improved night vision. In fact, the night vision of our patients is improved on average after Lasik laser vision correction when compared to the previous glasses or contact lenses. The Allegretto laser is the only laser that improves night vision on average as compared to vision with glasses or contact lenses.
It is essential to have an accurate way of measuring the pupil size in the dark. If you shine a light onto the eye to measure the pupil size, then the pupil gets smaller in response to the light, and you are not measuring the true maximum size of the pupil.
The Caster Eye Center was one of the first practices in California to use the Colvard pupillometer to measure pupil size in the dark. This device uses light amplification technology to allow an accurate assessment of the pupil size in the dark. A new, more accurate device is now available to measure pupil size in the dark – the Procyon 2000SA Pupillometer. The Caster Eye Center is the first practice in California to own and use this technology. This computerized device makes ten different pupil size measurements at each of three different light levels, and uses imaging software to precisely assign a size to each measurement. This has taken pupil size determination to a much higher level.
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