LADARWave™ CUSTOMCORNEA®

Many patients do not realize the eye is an imperfect optical system. As light rays from distant objects pass through the individual optical components of the eye, they are subject to being distorted by the imperfections found in the cornea and the crystalline lens. These distortions are referred to as "aberrations". 90% or more of these aberrations create the common refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Refractive errors can be treated by optical devices like glasses and contact lenses, or by Laser Vision Correction, using the conventional methods of LASIK or PRK. The remaining 10% of optical aberrations create images that are altered by chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, diffraction, curvature of field, coma, trefoils and quadrafoils, collectively known as "higher order aberrations".

When higher order aberrations occur, they are entirely unique to a particular patient, much like a fingerprint. For these patient, the use of a wavefront-guided laser technique to create a completely customized reshaping of the surface of the cornea may be the best treatment option. To achieve a customized corneal shaping, the higher order aberration must be measured using a wavefront analysis system called an aberrometer, and then digitally interfacing it with a laser using high speed computerized control to direct the delivery of the tiny beam of laser energy across the cornea.

The Alcon LADARWave™ CUSTOMCORNEA® Wavefront System (aberrometer) lets the surgeon see refractive aberrations in clear and accurate, rotating 3-D images. This is accomplished by the aberrometer sending low-energy laser light into the eye. The light reflects off the retina and travels back through the lens and cornea as an outgoing wavefront.

This wavefront is captured by the LADARWave™, which then measures it to determine both higher and lower order aberrations of the entire optical system. The aberrations are then displayed on-screen in precise 3-D images.

To then create a customized corneal ablation from the aberrometer measurements, we digitally interface that data with the LADARVision® Excimer Laser System. This allows us to create a completely personalized corneal shape that precisely corrects all aberrations produced by your eye.

To learn more about LADARWave™, LADARVision®, and CustomCornea®, visit www.customcornea.com