What is the Latest Equipment on the LASIK Procedure?

The CATz laser is the gold standard of Lasik. The catz laser uses 7,000 plus points of light to map the cornea and create a customized atmospheric treatment zone. Traditional lasers and ReLex SMILE lasers cannot achieve this map as they only utilize a few hundred points of light to analyse the corneal surface. Look for a surgeon in your city who performs CATz. Call and ask, most surgeons do not perform CATz because it takes advanced training to operate the laser. I am the only surgeon in Michigan regularly performing CATz.  

In my opinion the best laser technology is Custom WaveFront available on the Visx S4 laser.  This allows a personalized treatment specific to you and your eyes.  With WaveFront technology, their is a decreased need for enhancement or fine tuning, 85% of patients have less glare at night and it is possible to achieve better vision than the best pair of glasses or contacts postoperatively.

I like to have the most up-to-date equipment at my facility, IQ Laser Vision, so that is why I use the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q, manufactured by Wavelight AG.  It is the fastest LASIK platform available in the country today.  The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q laser boasts of state-of-the-art technology for safe, accurate and customized vision correction.  Featuring wavefront-optimized technology for customized corneal ablation as well as an advanced eye-tracking system, this technology enables me to correct each individual’s unique refractive errors while preserving the cornea’s natural shape and minimizing post-procedure effects such as glares and halos.  Also, the laser’s one-of-a-kind eye tracking system is able to automatically adjust to changes in a patient’s pupil size during their procedure. The result is a safe and precise vision correction procedure for every patient. The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q delivers 400 treatment pulses per second correcting each patient’s refractive errors within seconds. 

I would ask to see the laser or lasers during your consultation and even watch a procedure or two.  Most centers will have the laser open to view through a viewing window where you can see for yourself what technology is being used.  If a surgeon has top-of-the –line equipments then he/she would be proud to display them.  The main thing to know is if the surgeon lives and breathes LASIK surgeries.  You want to find someone that performs LASIK on a regular basis so their skills remain sharp. 

Good luck with your research!

The best laser in my opinion is the VISX S4 IR It's the most expensive to buy And the most costly to operate Yet has the greatest market share More than all other brands combined So doctors like myself Think it's worth spending more money on If you want to get a cutting procedure You should have a laser make the cut As it reduces the risk over a metal blade I personally think The surgeon matters more than the equipment A top surgeon can get great results On a variety of platforms While a not so great surgeon Can get bad results on great equipment The tools are only as good as the user Does a great paintbrush make a great painter? No a master can create great art w a crayon I can have the best camel hair brush and draw like crap:) Does an expensive hammer make you a good carpenter? Choose a surgeon who: Has completed a refractive fellowship Has performed over 10,000 refractive cases Performs over 1,000 refractive cases per year Doesn't perform cataract surgery ie specializes in laser Graduated from a top medical school and top residency Is a member of ASCRS Owns his own laser and runs his own center Doesn't let other surgeons borrow his laser Had laser vision correction himself I feel these are the best criteria But they're probably only 100 surgeons in the US Who meet all of these criteria And we all know each other;) Good luck and hope this helps

The modern day state of the art equipment for the best Lasik result consists of the combination of two laser devices. The first is a Femtosecond laser that precisely, rapidly and painlessly makes a corneal flap, perfectly, every time. The second is the Wavelight Allegretto 400 hz excimer laser system. This laser reshapes the cornea to the degree calculated by the diagnostic equipment, as well as the experience of the surgeon, and is, in my opinion, the best laser platform in the world. I love this laser. I have used it on my sons eyes and other family members, as well. The combination of a beautiful laser designed and created flap and this excimer laser platform has allowed me to treat both simple and complicated prescriptions alike. Their treatment of corneal astigmatism is superb, in addition to longstanding great results with nearsightedness and farsightedness. These are the two lasers that I use everyday, and I wouldn't trade them for anything!!