Wavefront Guided LASIK with AllgrettoWave
The Nielsen Eye Center we believe that technology should be a major factor when choosing a laser vision correction center, this is because the excimer laser is the device that physically corrects your prescription. In fact, our doctors feel that the excimer laser is one of the greatest inventions in ophthalmology, which is why they have chosen to treat their patients with the Allegretto Wave.
Approved by the FDA in 1995 The Allegretto Wave is the newest generation of excimer laser technology. This revolutionary approach to laser vision correction minimizes problems associated with older generation lasers such as problems with night vision, glare and halos. The Nielsen Eye Center is pleased to be one of the first centers in New England to offer this technology. when you are comparing this technology to the other lasers that are on the market we are confident that you will see why our doctors have chosen to bring only the best technology to our center.
Why Consider The ALLEGRETTO WAVE?
Vision—Accuracy, Total Control
Performance—Superior Clinical Results
The success of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® can be directly measured by our patients’ remarkable improvement in visual acuity and low occurrence of side effects.Safety—PerfectPulse Technology™
Smart energy control and eye tracking technology combine to provide an ultra-fast solution to laser vision correction. Innovative and redundant safeguards make ALLEGRETTO WAVE® a leader in the field.
PerfectPulse Technology™
PerfectPulse Technology™ represents a new approach to laser vision correction – it accounts for speed, precision, and safety in the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® laser and offers improvements that are revolutionary in the field. Smart energy control measures and adjusts energy levels in the laser pulse from creation to delivery. High-speed eye tracking charts the eye’s movement 200 times per second. As a result, every laser pulse is completely controlled and accurate, achieving the most accurate level of correction possible.
Smart Energy Control
You can have peace of mind that the amount of energy in the laser has been calibrated to exactly the right level. After the beam has been created, it passes through three checkpoints on its way to your eye. At each of these points, the energy level is checked and adjusted if necessary, ensuring that the beam is perfectly attuned at its destination.
ALLEGRETTO WAVE®’s laser is essentially a precise, controlled beam of energy. The laser employs a proprietary overlapping method to ensure accurate laser placement, and is one of the ways that ALLEGRETTO WAVE® achieves a rounder, more natural corneal surface than many other lasers used for vision correction.
Eye Tracking Technology
Due to the remarkable speed of both the eye and the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® procedure, the laser beam needs to be constantly and minutely adjusted to the position of the eye at any given time. Every 4-6 milliseconds, the eye’s location is measured and the internal mirrors of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® are automatically aligned. Right before the pulse is released, a second check is made to confirm that the eye has not moved. This happens 200 times every second, once for every laser pulse. If, at any time, the eye moves too quickly to be measured or moves out of range, the laser will stop and wait for the eye to move back into position.
Speed
At 200 laser bursts per second, it only takes about four seconds of treatment to correct one diopter. Of course, spending less time under the laser means less stress and discomfort for the patient.
Wavefront Technology
Wavefront-Guided Treatments—For Patients Requiring Even Greater Personalization
The Wavefront-Guided treatment involves an additional step where the results of a detailed scan with the WaveLight ALLEGRO Analyzer provides further measurements for the treatment plan, the data is validated, and then it is transferred to the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® laser system. Next, the final treatment profile is calculated, and then the laser treatment begins.
If you are a candidate for Wavefront-Guided treatment, you should be pleased to know that patient outcomes from our clinical study results and important distinctions are impressive. A few of the highlights which may be of interest include:
- Glare, and night driving glare, improved for the majority of patients over the glare they experienced with eyeglasses or contact lenses.
- 93% of patients achieved UCVA 20/20 or better.
- The ALLEGRETTO WAVE® is the first system to allow customized correction for patients with presbyopia (those who need reading glasses).
For a complete list of the clinical outcomes, visit the website www.allegrettowave.com.
Wavefront Optimized™ Laser Vision Correction
One of the most innovative features of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE® is the way it uses Wavefront-Optimized™ technology to automatically compensate for the curvature of the cornea. In earlier laser correction systems, the “optical zone,” or area of correction, was centered on the front of the cornea; the result was a flattened circular area that ended with an abrupt edge, causing unwanted side effects like poor night vision, glare, and halos.
The ALLEGRETTO WAVE® changes all that. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE® sends extra pulses to the peripheral corneal area in order to compensate for the angle of the laser beam. In this manner, the aspherical shape of the cornea is preserved to a degree that older lasers simply could not achieve. This compensation, combined with the incredibly small, 1mm size of the laser, produces a smooth, effective optical zone that results in what can only be described as high performance vision. Imagine a glass ball. If you took a flashlight and aimed it directly at the top of the ball, the light would form a circular shape on the surface of the ball. If you now aimed the flashlight towards the side of the ball, the light would form an elliptical shape and not seem as bright anymore. This is because the same amount of light is suddenly distributed over a larger area and some of the light is reflected away due to the angled surface of the glass ball.
High Performance Vision
Large Optical Zones
ALLEGRETTO WAVE® is capable of producing some of the largest available optical zones. The optical zone refers to the portion of the cornea that has been corrected by the laser. A larger optical zone is especially important for night vision, and for patients with very large pupils. If a patient’s pupil is larger than the optical zone, they may experience poor peripheral vision, poor night vision, and a higher than normal incidence of “halos” and glare. In the past, this has been one of the biggest drawbacks to conventional laser correction surgery. Wavefront-Optimized™ technology built into ALLEGRETTO WAVE® addresses this limitation.
Better Night Vision and Glare Control
At night and in dark conditions, the pupil becomes larger to permit the maximum amount of light to enter the eye. Laser eye correction needs to take this fact into account. If the optical zone is smaller than the size of the pupil at its largest, there is a good chance that the patient will experience poor night vision or problems with glare and halos around bright objects such as oncoming headlights. ALLEGRETTO WAVE® is able to produce a larger optical zone, virtually eliminating glare and night vision problems associated with older generation lasers.
"I can't explain how exciting it is to wake up in the morning and see the alarm clock without fumbling around to find my glasses! I have worn glasses or contacts for 25 years, and my life is much simpler now without the hassle and expense associated with them. I am so happy with my 20/20 vision and with the professionalism and expertise of Dr. Nielsen and his entire staff. Thanks again!"
Katie Garrett Arlington MA. LASIK PATIENT
Clinical Results
When it was approved in 2003 as the first new laser in five years, the FDA granted ALLEGRETTO WAVE® the widest approval range ever initially given to a new laser for both myopic and hyperopic vision correction. Since then, the results have been astoundingly positive. ALLEGRETTO WAVE® has been proven to provide superior clinical results, as shown by the following statistics:
- At one year after treatment, more than 93% of patients said they saw at least as well or better than they had with glasses or contacts before treatment.
- More than 98% of patients achieved 20/40 vision one year after treatment; 20/40 is the level of visual acuity required to pass most driving tests.
Is ALLEGRETTO WAVE® Right for Me?
ALLEGRETTO WAVE® expands the boundaries of candidacy for LASIK. However, there are certain people who are less than ideal candidates for LASIK and ALLEGRETTO WAVE®. These patients are encouraged to speak with their doctor to find the best vision correction option:
- Your age is under 21. In this case your growth phase has not been fully completed, meaning that your eyes can still change. In that case LASIK is not a good option.
- You are pregnant or nursing. Pregnancy causes changes to your hormone system. This can also cause your vision to change. It is therefore better to wait until your child is born and you have finished nursing.
- Glaucoma or high blood pressure
- Keratoconus a corneal irregularity
- Inflammation of the eye (uveitis, blepharitis or iritis)
- Herpes simplex that has infected your eye
- Previous severe injuries on the eye
"I went to The Nielsen Eye Center (NEC) because I heard of them through a friend, who heard through the radio, and so on and so forth. So the minute I called NEC, I felt like part of the family. They were friendly, and talked me through everything I needed to do to get started for Lasik Surgery. I set up an appointment and the moment I walked in the Eye Center, I was greeted with a smile and everyone was completely professional. I went through all my appointments and especially the surgery feeling at ease and comfortable. Thank you Neilsen Eye Center for one of the greatest experiences of my life."
Wayne Griggs, TSgt, USAF LASIK PATIENT