Compare Laser Features

* 2008 American Academy of Ophthalmology / International Society of Refractive Surgery Annual Survey

USA Market Share -  Vision correction lasers are enormously expensive, with prices exceeding $400,000 – so surgeons must carefully judge the merits of each platform before making an investment. Their verdict? The VISX Star S4 IR laser system is preferred by a wide margin, despite having the highest overall cost of operation.

Custom wavefront technology - When compared to conventional treatments, custom wavefront treatments enhance clarity and improve night vision, night driving performance and the ability to see contrasts. However, you may not qualify for a custom treatment if your prescription is outside of the FDA-approved range of your Phoenix / Scottsdale laser eye surgery specialist's laser. Because the VISX Star S4 IR has the widest approval range, it offers you the highest likelihood of qualifying for an advanced custom treatment.

Fourier algorithm - The quality of a custom treatment depends on the resolution of the wavefront data provided to the laser - the higher the resolution of the wavefront data, the higher the resolution of the treatment.

Raw wavefront data is obtained by measuring the eye with a wavefront analyzer. Sophisticated mathematical formulas are necessary to convert the raw data into the complex 3-dimensional maps that guide the laser. The VISX wavefront system is the only one that uses a mathematical technique known as Fourier reconstruction to convert the raw data. The others all use Zernicke Polynomials. As illustrated below, the Fourier technique provides the highest resolution, a finding that has been formally substantiated by a study out of Baylor University.

3-D eye tracking – Do you wonder what might happen if your eye moves during treatment? Fortunately, all current laser systems feature trackers- cameras that monitor the position of your eye and reposition the laser accordingly. However, only the VISX Star S4 IR monitors movement in all three dimensions. If your eye moves left, right, up or down, then all systems will track the movement. But, if your eye moves in the 3rd dimension – closer to the laser or farther away –  only the VISX laser will track this movement.

Iris registration – Iris registration (IR) is easily the most unique advantage of the VISX laser. In essence, IR insures that each laser spot is placed at exactly the right location on the eye.

The basic principle behind iris registration is quite simple. When the preoperative wavefront measurement is taken, the eye is simultaneously photographed and landmarks on the iris (the colored part of the eye) are identified by the IR software. Then, right before the laser treatment, another picture of the eye is taken by a camera in the laser. The iris landmarks are again identified and treatment is registered to the proper location on the eye.              

By identifying iris landmarks and registering the treatment, two goals are accomplished. First, the treatment is precisely centered on the eye. And second, compensation is made for any clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the eye.

Prior to IR, no effective means was available to compensate for mild treatment decentration, and the surgeon had to manually compensate for rotation of the eye by rotating the patient's head - a method much less precise than IR's ± 0.5 degree tolerance.

In addition to providing top quality care for laser vision correction patients, Q Vision is known as a leading provider of cataract surgery Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa patients go to in order to remove and replace clouded lenses with premium intraocular lenses (IOLs).

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