What is Custom LASIK?

by Matthew Pruitt

Matthew Pruitt is the owner of NuVision Medicenters, which has offices throughout the tri-state area. He has been working with LASIK technology since 1995 and has assisted in over 25,000 LASIK eye procedures over the course of his career. In this article, he helps us better understand the basics of Custom LASIK technology.
Custom LASIK Basics:
Thanks to the advent of new technology, Custom LASIK has managed to essentially eradicate many of the night vision issues like halo and glare that some patients who underwent LASIK experienced the past.
Custom LASIK is basically like taking a fingerprint of your eye because the shape of your corneas and my corneas are completely different. In fac,t your right eye is different than your left eye. What custom technology does is essentially map out the fingerprint of your cornea so that the laser can actually reshape the surface of the eye based on your specific characteristics. So what you end up with is vision that actually can be sharper than what you have with your glasses or contact lenses, and 25 times more precise than what you have with your glasses.
Three years ago, before the latest generation of Visx technology came out, which is the Visx Star S4 laser that reshapes the cornea, one of the common side effects of LASIK was problems with night vision. Those problems usually occurred for one of two reasons: Either patients had extremely high degrees of astigmatism-they were in a high-risk category for that type of problem-or they came into the procedure having large pupils.
Now, new Custom LASIK technology has erased many of those issues of the past. Whereas side effects effecting night vision once impacted roughly 25% of patients, today that figure is less than 3%. So Custom LASIK has been a huge gain in regards to eliminating complications for patients and increasing the likelihood of a favorable outcome, which is why the new technology has really improved the success of LASIK and the overall benefits that patients gain from it.
Patients now have a great likelihood of getting not just perfect results, but better than perfect results. Thanks to the use of new Custom LASIK technology, 75% of patients are now getting 20/15 outcomes. That's just a bit better than perfect vision. But when you're thinking about getting LASIK, and you are looking at getting something that's going to be permanent and investing your hard earned money to do it, these are the types of technological advancements you want your surgeon to be using.
Typically, the decision of whether to use traditional LASIK or custom LASIK technology in a patient's procedure comes out during the evaluation with the doctor. However, practices like Dr. Jackson's [NuVision's medical director] typically make it Custom LASIK a standard method of care. Commonly, other doctors may have a base fee for the LASIK surgery and then will charge additional add on fees or extra charges for patients who want something like Custom LASIK. However, because Custom LASIK is something that can only benefit patients, practices like NuVision and doctors like Dr. Jackson understand that it makes sense to use this new technology on everybody.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

About the Author
Matthew Pruitt is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a plastic surgeon or more plastic surgery articles at Yodle Consumer Guide. What is Custom LASIK?