An advanced form of LASIK eye surgery that employs a virtual 3D model of a patient’s eye appears to provide better vision outcomes, according to new research.
Approximately 98% of eyes treated with the “wavelight plus” form of LASIK gained improved vision, compared to 82% of eyes treated with a competing procedure called SMILE Pro, researchers reported Saturday in Orlando, Florida, at a meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Lead researcher Dr. John Kanellopoulos, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, stated in a news release: “The wavelight plus results are particularly encouraging for the future of the field.”
Understanding the Procedures
To perform LASIK, doctors create a thin flap in the cornea, through which they use lasers to reshape the underlying tissue to correct a person’s vision, researchers explained in background materials.
The wavelight plus version of LASIK generates a 3D digital model of the eye undergoing correction, based on more than 100,000 data points from each eye. This enables doctors to enter the procedure with a highly personalized treatment plan.
In SMILE Pro, doctors don’t need to create a corneal flap, which proponents say offers better structural integrity of the eye and produces fewer dry eye symptoms.
Study Design
Researchers enrolled 60 patients who received wavelight plus LASIK in one eye and SMILE Pro in the other.
Key Results
Every eye treated with wavelight plus achieved near the target prescription, compared with three-quarters of eyes treated with SMILE Pro.
More than 80% of eyes treated with this form of LASIK gained an additional line of vision beyond their baseline, compared with fewer than one-third of eyes treated with SMILE Pro, researchers reported.
Kanellopoulos stated: “We found that ray-tracing LASIK not only effectively corrected refractive error, but also improved visual performance at higher percentages than SMILE Pro.”
Additional Benefits
Wavelight plus LASIK also produced fewer optical imperfections that can affect night vision and contrast perception, and it demonstrated superior ability to correct astigmatisms. Astigmatisms result from an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, causing distorted vision or blurriness at all distances.
Clinical Implications
Kanellopoulos suggested these results indicate that patients seeking the sharpest possible vision should consider wavelight plus LASIK, particularly those with complex prescriptions or astigmatisms.
However, he noted that larger studies are needed to validate these findings.
Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
This research suggests that the highly personalized approach offered by 3D eye modeling may represent a significant advancement in laser vision correction technology, potentially setting a new standard for optimal visual outcomes.