I recently announced that our practice was one of the first in the country to offer topo-guided LASIK eye surgery. The response at our Charleston, SC, practice has been tremendous, and I am thrilled that so many of our patients will experience better vision than they ever thought possible with this new technology. For those wondering what makes this latest innovation in LASIK so noteworthy, I thought I’d share some more in-depth information about topo-guided LASIK.
Until now, we have achieved remarkable results using wavefront-guided custom LASIK. The wavefront measurement devices allow us to analyze the curvature of the cornea at either 168 points or 240 points on a section of the cornea, depending on which technology is used. The Topolyzer we use for topo-guided LASIK measures corneal curvature at approximately 22,000 locations across the entire cornea. This is truly the most customized LASIK available.
The procedure itself isn’t performed differently than our other LASIK procedures; the difference is in the preoperative diagnostics and planning. Using Alcon’s Wavelight Topolyzer Vario, which maps the unique topography of the cornea with the amazing precision referenced above, I can customize the LASIK procedure for what some people are calling “super vision.”
In the U.S.-based clinical trial, at 12 months after surgery, 96.5 % of eyes treated with topo-guided LASIK could see 20/25 or better. If we break it down a little further, the numbers get really impressive. 92.7% of treated eyes could see 20/20 or better; almost 70% could see 20/16 or better; 31.6% could see 20/12.5 or better; and 15.7% could see 20/10 or better. 60% of patients could see better than was possible with glasses or contacts. Symptoms such as glare, light sensitivity, and problems driving at night were significantly reduced as well.
Needless to say, topo-guided LASIK has the highest satisfaction rate of any LASIK procedure, and offers the most custom results. Over the past 8 months, I have been extremely pleased with the outcomes we’ve seen. At my practice, I want my patients to have the absolute best results achievable, which is why I’m so excited about this technology.
