Myth/Misconception #1 - Believing manufacturers claims

"As you research laser surgery, you will find that each manufacturer claims that their laser is the best. What is most important to you however, is to be able to sift through manufacturing propaganda, and get honest, unbiased information. To that end, we are happy to provide the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) results of the laser platforms that are currently available. The FDA data is conclusive, and represents the best results each manufacturer could produce in order to gain approval for use in the United States.

Myth/Misconception #2 - Wavefront guided treatments are always necessary to achieve a good result

Wavefront treatments are aimed at reducing aberrations, the source of most nighttime glare complaints, or poor quality of vision. Aberrations generally occur in patients who have large pupils, or more rarely, in patients with unusually shaped corneas. Wavefront aberrations are measured, not surprisingly, with dilation of the pupil. So, if you have a very small pupil, you likely won't have problems with aberrations after laser surgery, no matter what laser is used. At Vivid, two different programs can be used, "Wavefront Optimized" or "Wavefront Guided"; based on your measured aberrations, to tailor your treatment according to what has been shown to be the most effective.

In order for you to benefit from a wavefront treatment, the laser system should do 2 things. First and foremost, it should not create nor increase the aberrations of the eye. Secondly, it should decrease the aberrations that exist. Again, we present the FDA results of each laser manufacturer with respect to aberrations following laser treatment.

Myth/Misconception #3 - The most commonly used laser is always the best

While it is true that the AMO Star (formerly Visx S4) has the largest market share, it is also one of the oldest lasers in the market. Like an expensive car, you don't buy one of these every couple of years. A good indicator of what surgeons believe to be the better laser system is which laser is currently the most frequently sold. The Wavelight Allegretto is currently the best selling laser in North America. See items #1 and #2 to see why more surgeons are choosing the Allegretto than any other laser.