By: Edward Yee, MD

When Westfield Eye Center introduced LASIK laser eye surgery to Nevada, there was only one type of LASIK surgery, but today patients can opt for either the “standard” Las Vegas LASIK surgery procedure and a newer option that utilizes a technology called Wavefront to assess and correct the lens more precisely.

Choosing between them can be a little difficult, and unfortunately in these cost-cutting times some patients who really would benefit from the Wavefront approach are opting for the slightly more affordable standard method. Each patient’s case is different, but here are a few quick guidelines to help give you a better idea how they work and which option might be right for you.

Standard LASIK: The Basic Option for Clear-Cut Problems

The standard LASIK procedure uses a laser to create a flap of skin in the cornea, allowing access to the lens so that the laser can then smooth out the anomalies that cause lower-order vision problems like astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness.

• Limitations: For the right patient, standard LASIK can produce 20/20 vision, but it may not be enough (and may even pose extra problems) for patients with more complex, higher-order eye problems.
• My perspective: In general, standard Las Vegas LASIK surgery is only right for very clear-cut cases where astigmatism, nearsightedness, or farsightedness is the only problem. Aging and other factors may also come into play in your vision impairment, but as long you are a good candidate for the procedure and your lens doesn’t have abnormal or multiple types of refractive errors, standard LASIK might be your best choice.

Wavefront LASIK: Advanced Treatment for Advanced Problems

Wavefront technology adds additional steps to the LASIK procedure at the beginning, when the extremely precise Wavefront system performs a highly detailed assessment of the refractive abnormalities, and then creates a “map” to guide the LASIK system and surgeon in more complex corrections.

• Limitations: LASIK plus Wavefront cannot correct farsightedness, and it costs a bit more than LASIK alone.
• My perspective: In general, when a patient is an appropriate candidate for either LASIK procedure but they fall into a “grey area” where their refractive error seems slightly less typical, I will recommend the Wavefront LASIK to help ensure a better result. This approach isn’t right for every Las Vegas laser eye surgery candidate, but in most cases the higher-precision analysis offers distinct benefits.

The bottom line: Choose an eye doctor and Las Vegas laser center you trust to assess your needs accurately, and don’t make the mistake of assuming that the technological advantages or longer track record of one approach makes it automatically “best” for you.