Contoura Vision: Topography-Guided LASIK
Topography-Guided LASIK
Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center is committed to delivering excellent vision correction results to Arizona residents by using the most advanced technologies. It is one of the first eye care centers in the country to offer Contoura Vision, a new type of LASIK. If you are nearsighted (difficulty seeing at a distance), and even if you also have astigmatism (imperfect curvature of the eye that can blur near and distance vision), Contoura Vision is the LASIK option most likely to give you clear vision without glasses or contact lenses. It’s the option that is the most personalized to your eye.
Impressive facts about the procedure:
In the clinical trial that led to FDA approval of Contoura Vision:
- 98% of people who had the procedure said they would choose it again
- 30% of eyes had better vision without glasses or contacts after the procedure than they had with glasses or contacts before the procedure
- The procedure reduced complaints of glare and decreased sensitivity to light, difficulty reading, and difficulty driving at night compared with what patients were previously experiencing
- While 20/20 is considered normal vision, and 92% of patients had 20/20 or better vision after their Contoura Vision procedure, 65% of patients achieved 20/16 vision, and 34% achieved 20/12.5 (Eagles are thought to have 20/5 vision; hawks as good as 20/2.)
In other words, Contoura Vision produced results that nearly every patient loved, outperformed glasses and contact lenses for many, and moved some closer to “eagle eye” vision than ever thought possible. How does it do this?
How Contoura Vision is Different From Wavefront-Guided LASIK
Contoura Vision, which has been used safely and effectively outside the United States for more than 10 years, is a unique topography-guided LASIK procedure because of the way it maps the eye to guide treatment. It uses a topography instrument called the Vario Topolyzer to measure every submicroscopic peak and valley on the front of the eye, the cornea, to a hyper-precise degree. While wavefront-guided LASIK can produce good results by measuring somewhere around 200 points of curvature on the cornea, Contoura Vision measures 22,000 points. That information allows a computer to create an individualized treatment profile, which is then programmed into a state-of-the-art laser that automatically applies the treatment to the cornea. The laser smooths the shape of the cornea so all of the light rays passing through it reach the retina at the back of the eye uniformly, producing clear, crisp vision. Contoura Vision is truly individualized. The topography measurements are so exact that it would be impossible for any two treatments to be the same.
Another difference between wavefront-guided and topography-guided LASIK is that wavefront measurements include all parts of the eye along the visual pathway, and topography measurements include only the cornea. This is important because the cornea is the location of most of the imperfections that can make vision less than ideal. While the lens of the eye can contribute to poor vision as well, it changes over time, which could work against the changes made to the cornea by LASIK.
What Contoura Vision has in Common with Other Types of LASIK
All LASIK treatments are applied underneath a flap that is created at the top layer of the cornea. The flap can be made with a bladed instrument, but Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center surgeons use the IntralaseiFS femtosecond laser. Femtosecond lasers are the most advanced used in eye care. They are so fast that their speed is measured in quadrillionths of a second. They create the LASIK flap to precise dimensions so it conforms to your eye’s anatomy, is less disruptive to the delicate corneal tissue, and fits securely back in place after the treatment.
Also at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center, the same German-engineered laser, the WavelightAllegretto Wave Eye-Q laser, is used to apply the planned treatment to the cornea in all types of LASIK. In addition to applying an accurate treatment, this laser places its pulses in a way that preserves the natural curvature of the cornea, which is important for preventing unwanted side effects such as glare and poor night vision. A 500Hz laser tracks even the slightest of eye movements during the procedure to ensure the exact intended location of the treatment is maintained.
Take Your First Steps Toward Improving Your Life by Improving Your Vision
Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center has built its world-class reputation by using the most advanced technologies available to deliver the most effective treatments — one patient at a time — and we can’t wait to hear from you.
For more information, schedule a LASIK consultation at one of our Phoenix, Tucson, or Flagstaff practices to find out exactly how our specialists can improve your vision so you can get right back to doing what you do, hassle-free.
Important Information about Contoura Vision
Currently the FDA has approved Contoura Vision for a wide, yet specific, range of nearsightedness and astigmatism. To undergo the procedure your vision needs to fall within that range. That is determined during a thorough eye examination. At this time, you may not qualify for topography-guided LASIK if you’ve had previous eye surgery. You also may not be able to have the procedure if you have certain ocular or systemic conditions or diseases or are pregnant or breast-feeding.
If you’re not a candidate for Contoura Vision LASIK, you may be able to have wavefront-optimized LASIK. During your consultation with Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center, you’ll learn about all of the vision correction options, LASIK and otherwise, that may be right for you. Like any surgery, Contoura Vision has risks as well as benefits, which will also be explained to you during your consultation.