Advanced technology for vision correction

In addition to this innovative feature, the Alcon WaveLight Allegretto offers a number of unique optical measurement instruments:

• Eye tracker: A 500Hz eye tracker reacts to the eye's movements with just 2 milliseconds of latency so the excimer laser can be properly positioned for an increase in speed of over 1.4 seconds per diopter.
• Beam size: A small beam that is 0.68 mm in diameter with a Gaussian profile for smoother ablation.
• Speed: This system applies 200 individual laser pulses per second to help prevent adverse effects.
• Optical zones: The combination of optical zones from 1.5 mm to 8 mm allows the surgeon to perform the treatment, helping to reduce night vision problems in patients.

These features, along with the laser's ability to treat a larger area of the cornea, allow our surgeons to create a more natural corneal shape. Use of the Alcon WaveLight Allegretto results in a higher quality of vision, particularly under low luminance conditions and reduces or eliminates glare and halos when driving at night.

With a repetition rate of 200 Hz, it is the fastest flap creation laser platform in use today, taking approximately six seconds to create a corneal flap. This platform also uses leading-edge PerfectPulse Technology® to ensure exact precision and total safety in all treatments administered.

This laser also functions using low pulse energy, and it offers a unique cutting pattern for accurate flap creation. The WaveLight® FS200 Femtosecond Laser has numerous features to allow for improved usability and for more efficient procedures resulting in a quick, painless treatment.

The Pentacam is used throughout the process of laser vision correction candidacy and surgery planning. This sophisticated form of cornea mapping enables LASIK MD surgeons to more accurately identify laser eye surgery candidates by illustrating the unique corneal tissue characteristics, such as posterior surface curvature.

This map shows the bumps and valleys on the corneal surface and is used to ensure the cornea is regular and can be treated with the laser. People with irregular types of astigmatism or corneal disorders, such as Keratoconus, may be ruled as non-candidates prior to surgery. These patients may be good candidates for alternative vision correction procedures to LASIK.

Orbscan Topography is a newer technology that not only allows your surgeon to detect these irregularities on the front surface of the cornea, but also allows mapping of the posterior corneal surface. Conventional topography machines can only give information about the front surface. Orbscan Topography can also determine whether the back surface of the cornea is healthy.

This ability to look at the back surface is essential for safety reasons. The added safety allows your surgeon to better determine the suitability of your cornea for surgery.

A pachymetry unit is a machine that takes a measurement of corneal thickness. It is vital to assess this before surgery in order to determine if there is adequate thickness to create the flap and to perform the laser ablation. It is also vital in assessing the candidacy for an enhancement. People with thin corneas may not have enough tissue for a primary or a secondary treatment.

Conventional pachymetry units take measurements at one point on the cornea. This point is where the probe of the pachymeter touches the cornea, usually in the centre. The Orbscan technology takes pachymetry (measurements) optically without touching the cornea. This allows a measurement reading for the entire cornea; rather than a measurement at just one point. The ability to determine the thickness at all points ensures that a thin point is not missed and contributes to greater safety.