CustomVue LASIK – Chicago / Des Plaines
Frequently Asked Questions
At the state-of-the-art LASIK Chicago offices of the Midwest Center for Sight, patients are offered advanced forms of laser eye surgery, including CustomVue LASIK. Please explore the questions and answers listed below to learn more about this treatment and its benefits.
Understanding the Procedure
What is laser vision correction?
What is a laser?
How does the laser know what to correct in my eyes?
What is a WaveScan® and a WavePrint® Map?
How accurate is WaveScan technology?
Does the WaveScan® hurt?
What is CustomVue™ laser vision correction?
What do you mean by Personal Best Vision?
How does the CustomVue procedure work?
What can the CustomVue procedure do for me?
Is the CustomVue procedure FDA approved?
What are some of the results of CustomVue™ to date?
What does better than 20/20 mean?
Can the CustomVue procedure improve my night vision?
What is laser vision correction?
Laser vision correction is a procedure that improves vision by permanently changing the shape of the cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) with a laser. Often referred to as LASIK (an acronym for the medical term laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis), it is the most commonly performed type of laser procedure and an effective treatment for a wide range of vision problems.
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What is a laser?
A laser is a technology that utilizes ultraviolet light to precisely reshape the inner layers of the cornea. This reshaping is capable of correcting nearsighted, farsighted and astigmatic conditions using the CustomVue procedure.
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How does the laser know what to correct in my eyes?
Laser vision correction is based on precise measurements of the imperfections in your vision. These measurements are taken with a powerful measurement tool known as the WaveScan®. The WaveScan information is transferred to the laser to guide the treatment.
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What is a WaveScan® and a WavePrint® Map?
WaveScan technology provides a measurement and a visual representation of your vision based on the behavior of light waves. It compares light passing through your eye to the same light pattern from an eye that needs no vision correction. The WavePrint Map is the output of the WaveScan, it captures the unique imperfections of a person's visual path.
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How accurate is WaveScan® technology?
WaveScan technology identifies and measures imperfections in an individual's vision 25 times more precisely than standard methods used for glasses and contact lenses.
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Does the WaveScan® hurt?
No, the WaveScan is a measurement device that you simply gaze into while it measures the vision imperfections in your eye.
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What is CustomVue™ laser vision correction?
VISX CustomVue™ is an individualized laser vision correction treatment that is WaveScan-guided. This enables Dr. James Katz to measure and correct unique imperfections in each individual's vision that could never be measured before with standard methods used for glasses and contact lenses. With the CustomVue procedure, nearsighted, farsighted and astigmatic individuals have the potential to achieve a new level of vision that we call Personal Best Vision.
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What do you mean by Personal Best Vision?
Personal Best Vision refers to the new level of laser vision correction that can be achieved with the CustomVue procedure. Since WaveScan technology can measure and correct imperfections that are unique to each individual's vision with 25 times more precision than standard measurements for glasses and contact lenses, individuals can potentially achieve the best possible vision for their eyes.
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How does the CustomVue procedure work?
First, the WaveScan technology measures the imperfections in the eyes and produces a WavePrint® Map. Much like a fingerprint, no two WavePrint maps are alike. Then, the treatment information is transferred to the VISX STAR S4™ laser. Dr. Katz then uses that information to fine-tune the procedure thereby providing a new level of precision and accuracy.
What can the CustomVue procedure do for me?
As shown in the clinical study, CustomVue has the potential to produce better vision than is possible with glasses and contact lenses. It tailors a distinct correction for each individual–in fact each treatment is “designed” by the unique characteristics of your individual eye.
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Results: Is the CustomVue procedure FDA approved?
Based on the clinical study, the U.S. FDA has approved the CustomVue procedure as safe and effective for treating nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
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What are some of the results of CustomVue™ to date?
In the FDA study, one year after the VISX CustomVue™ procedure:
- 100% of participants could pass a driving test without glasses or contact lenses
- 98% of participants could see 20/20 or better without glasses or contact lenses
- 70% of participants could see better than 20/20 without glasses or contact lenses
In addition, many participants reported that they had clearer, better vision both during the day and at night, compared to their vision with glasses or contact lenses before the procedure.
A six-month VISX CustomVue hyperopic LASIK evaluation of clinical study participants showed that more than four times as many people were very satisfied with their night vision after the VISX CustomVue hyperopia procedure, compared to their night vision before with glasses or contacts.
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What does better than 20/20 mean?
20/20 is the current standard for excellence in vision. But, as shown in a clinical study, individuals with the CustomVue procedure have the potential to see even better than 20/20. In fact, one year after the CustomVue procedure nearly 70 percent of clinical study participants saw 20/16 or better.
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Can the CustomVue procedure improve my night vision?
Yes, potentially. In the clinical study, four times as many people were very satisfied with their vision at night after the procedure as compared to their night vision before the procedure with glasses and contact lenses.
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