In order to provide LASIK that is truly customized to the individual patient’s unique eye care needs, the laser eye surgery specialists at Black Hills Regional Eye Institute in Rapid City offer CustomVue® LASIK. By utilizing the Advanced CustomVue® technology, a wide range of refractive errors can be addressed. In an eye without imperfections or focusing errors, the wavefront map created of the eye will be a flat surface. This flat surface allows light rays to travel in a uniform manner through the eye. An eye with refractive errors will have a wavy or curved wavefront. The wavy or curved wavefront causes light rays to reach the retina at different times and even at different points. Refractive errors, or focusing errors of the eye, are unique to each individual.
Customizing LASIK to Your Eyes
LASIK has helped millions of men and women achieve 20/40 vision or better. It is among the most successful, safest, and most popular procedures performed today. With that being said, traditional LASIK has its shortcomings. Traditional or standard LASIK cannot address the tiny imperfections that are unique to each individual patient’s eyes. The Advanced CustomVue® procedure is tailored to the unique characteristics and imperfections of the patient’s eyes. Using the WaveScan Wavefront™ System, a precise, detailed map of the eyes is created. With CustomVue® LASIK, patients are able to achieve clearer, more vivid vision than ever before.
Candidates for the Advanced CustomVue® Procedure
CustomVue® LASIK can address the basic refractive errors myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, as well as the minute imperfections that are unique to an individual’s eyes, known as higher order aberrations. Patients desiring to see the world around them clearly without the hassle of wearing glasses or contact lenses may benefit from CustomVue® LASIK. The first step in determining whether a patient is a good candidate for CustomVue® LASIK is a pre-operative consultation. During this consultation, a complete medical and eye history will be taken, and a comprehensive eye examination will be performed. The eye examination will include measuring scotopic pupil size using Colvard Pupillometer, Tear Film Analysis, Cyclopentolate eye dilation, corneal analysis, and computerized WaveScan WaveFront™ analysis. This thorough examination is to determine whether a patient is a suitable candidate for CustomVue® LASIK.
Other factors that are considered when determining a patient’s candidacy for CustomVue® LASIK are:
- Age: Patients must be 21 years of age in order to qualify for CustomVue® LASIK.
- Eye health: A patient’s eyes must be free from infection, disease, and injury in order to qualify for CustomVue® LASIK.
- Stable vision: A patient’s vision must be stabilized and not have changed more than 1.0 dioper within the 12 months before treatment.
- Patient education: A patient must be aware of the possible risks associated with CustomVue® LASIK before undergoing the procedure. While the majority of patients that undergo CustomVue® LASIK will be happy with their results, there is always an exception. It is important that all patients have realistic expectations going into any surgical procedure, including CustomVue® LASIK.
- The ability to follow instructions: A patient must be able to follow all pre-operative and post-operative instructions. Patients must also be able to follow instructions during the Advanced CustomVue® procedure. During surgery, a patient must be able to stay still and also be able to keep his or her eyes focused on the fixation light for the entirety of the procedure.
Contact Black Hills Regional Eye Institute
If you would like to learn more about the Advanced CustomVue® procedure, please contact the team at Black Hills Regional Eye Institute today.
