LASIK and Night Vision

Night vision problems have been reported as common side effects of traditional LASIK. If you have Custom LASIK, they are far less of a problem. That is because of the way your eyes are diagnosed in those two ways of doing LASIK.

Diagnosis for Traditional LASIK

In Traditional (early) LASIK, a phoropter was used, which is how prescriptions are determined for glasses and contact lenses. A phoropter is a floor-standing device with many lenses. You sit looking through its aperture at the vision chart while someone flips between lenses asking you to read the smallest line of letters you can clearly see.

The information thus gathered is used to correct three vision problems:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Astigmatism.

That meant that Traditional LASIK corrected only these three problems, and only to the same extent that glasses or contacts do it. These three problems are known as the Lower Order Aberrations of your eyes.

Diagnosis for Custom LASIK

In Custom LASIK, Wavefront technology is used for a far more accurate diagnosis. Instead of sitting at a phoropter, you sit at a large system which shines a light into each eye. It then measures and records the nature of the light reflected back from your two eyes.

The computer in this system converts this light data into two colored 3D maps showing the microscopic contours of each eye. These maps contain so much information that a more effective treatment can be based on them, correcting not just the Lower Order Aberrations but also the Higher Order Aberrations.

What Are Higher Order Aberrations?

They are mostly night vision problems:

• Halos around lights
• Starbursts (spiky brightness around light sources)
• Ghosting (faint duplicate images)
• Glare

Traditional LASIK improved visual acuity but left your eyes with their existing Higher Order Aberrations. Therefore they were noticed after treatment as defects in your quality of vision, and referred to as side effects.

Custom LASIK improves visual acuity and reduces or eliminates night vision problems as well.

Pupil Size and Traditional LASIK

Part of screening for good LASIK candidates includes measuring pupil size. If your pupils dilate wider than average they are admitting more light into the eye in dim lighting conditions. If you are asking for Traditional LASIK and already have night vision problems, you would not be a good candidate.

If your pupils are not too extremely large, your eye surgeon might be able to do Traditional LASIK safely. He could use a “blend zone”, using Variable Spot Scanning (VSS) technology to create a larger optical zone, effectively reducing these aberrations and decreasing night glare.

A Custom LASIK procedure would be a better option, as it would treat the existing night vision problems.

Help answer the question about lasik night vision

What does the future hold for LASIK eye surgery?
I’m going to school to become a commercial pilot. Obviously my career depends on being able to see 20/20 with or without correction (I’m 20/200 without contacts, slight astigmatism). I’m 30 years now but have considered eye surgery my entire life. (even RK back in the day). Obviously technology has improved by leaps and bounds. When LASIK rolled out I thought how could it get better than this? My best friend is a MD and he told me to hold off for a few years (this was 4-5 years ago) and now we have custom wavefront LASIK. I have had friends who’ve had both done with excellent results. Now with wavefront LASIK advancements, what else is on the horizon??? Are some stellar new techniques currently being developed that will roll out in the next 4-5 years?

My eye doctor is suggesting PRK. Night vision problems could also end my career. I’ve heard there is less chance of reduced night vision (halos /startbursts) with PRK. The NAVY only allows PRK surgery for their pilots.

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At the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley in California, you can have Custom LASIK using the best of current Wavefront technology. Dr. Gary Kawesch never compromises on quality. Why not contact experienced LASIK surgeon Dr. Kawesch today and schedule your free consultation?