Providing Residents in and near Metro Detroit and Bloomfield Hills with Leading LASIK Vision Correction Technology
At Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey, we utilize only the latest technology in providing patients in and around Bloomfield Hills and Detroit with quality LASIK vision correction. In addition to the technology described here, our facility houses state-of-the-art equipment for cataract surgery, and other vision correction procedures.
WaveLight ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ Excimer Laser
In order to provide patients with the very best in laser vision correction, our ophthalmologists utilize the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ laser for LASIK and other laser eye surgery procedures. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ stands as one of the most innovative and revolutionary laser platforms available today. It utilizes a technology the WaveLight® company helped establish called Wavefront™. This development of this technology allowed a virtual map of the cornea to be created and used to guide the laser in performing customized vision correction. Wavefront ™ mapping improved upon the quality of vision that could be achieved because it enabled surgeons to identify and treat unique corneal irregularities that would have been impossible to detect with previous methods. This accomplishment spurred ophthalmologists to begin contemplating taking vision beyond the conventional bounds of 20/20.
In October 2003, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ became the first entirely new laser platform to receive FDA approval in four years. From its inception, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ was built for the purpose of conducting Wavefront™ -optimized custom laser treatments. Whereas other laser platforms had to be modified to accommodate Wavefront™ technology, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ incorporates Wavefront™ principles directly into its standard platform, ensuring that each treatment features the utmost precision for optimal vision correction.
Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey is the first and only eye care center in Southeastern Michigan to own an ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ laser. We have provided the information on this page to show why our eye care experts rely on this advanced piece of equipment to provide residents in and around Detroit and Bloomfield Hills with LASIK vision correction of unsurpassed quality.
Small Beam Size
There are a number of attributes that a laser may possess to produce high quality vision. One of those characteristics is the size of the laser beam. A smaller the beam can produce more precise ablations, which results in better quality vision. Many lasers used by ophthalmologists today have a broad beam – about six mm in diameter – because of the limited technology available at the time of their creation. These wide beam lasers correct the cornea in a central, flat manner, which distorts its curvature by leaving angles at the perimeter of the treatment area. These spherical aberrations can result in distortions such as visual glare and halos.
Realizing this problem, some laser manufacturers have fitted their lasers with an aperture that modifies the size of the beam. However, even with such a modification, these lasers are unable to completely avoid the problem of leaving edges in the cornea. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ laser is only .95 mm in diameter. This extremely small spot size allows our ophthalmologists to execute precise ablations and preserve the natural aspheric shape of the cornea by avoiding the creation of sharp angles. In so doing, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ achieves excellent vision improvement and reduces the chance of post-op complications.
Smoother Ablations
Because of the angle in which the laser is positioned during vision correction, the periphery of the cornea does not absorb all of the energy from the laser pulses, as does the center of the cornea. This means that, after surgery, the peripheral cornea area can still produce visual distortions because it does not receive full correction.
The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ addresses this problem by sending additional energy pulses to the periphery of the cornea based on information provided by proprietary nomograms. In so doing, laser energy is distributed equally over the entire treatment area, preserving the asphericity of the cornea and decreasing the chance of glare, halos and other vision defects from occurring. This advantage combined with the extremely small laser beam, helps to create a smooth, effective optical zone for exceptional vision correction. It also accounts for the low rate of enhancements needed by patients treated with the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™.
Wider Treatment Area
With most lasers used in refractive surgery, the area of the cornea that receives correction is only about six to eight millimeters in diameter. This can create a problem for patients during nighttime and other low light situations when the pupil can expand to twice its normal size. If the pupil becomes larger than the area of the cornea that was corrected, patients will experience visual distortions such as glare and halos. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ substantially reduces the risk of such problems by delivering precise laser ablations over a wider treatment area – up to nine millimeters. This means that patients are able to experience enhanced day and nighttime vision.
Eye Tracking Ability
Our eyes are continually making tiny, abrupt changes in position known as saccadic eye movements. Such movements can negatively affect the results of your laser vision correction treatment. In order to compensate for eye movements, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ utilizes an active eye tracking system that monitors ocular activity 200 times per second and adjusts the laser to even the smallest eye movements in order to ensure the most effective vision correction treatment. If your eyes move out of range of the laser, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ will automatically discontinue treatment until your eyes are safely re-positioned.
If you would like to find out more about how the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ can provide you with a superior laser eye surgery experience, please contact our Bloomfield Hills practice, near Metro Detroit. Our LASIK vision correction staff would love to show you how you can safely and effectively enhance your vision today.
The Fastest Excimer Laser
If a patient spends too much time under the laser during vision correction surgery, he or she can suffer complications from corneal dehydration. The WaveLight® company had this in mind when they created the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ to be the fastest and most efficient laser delivery system in the United States. At 200 laser pulses per second, the speed of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ exceeds that of other lasers with similar beam sizes by three to four times. With this laser, a patient with can undergo one diopter of vision correction in just 4 seconds. The average treatment time for a patient is less than thirty seconds.
The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ allows our ophthalmologists to provide residents in and around Detroit and Bloomfield Hills with LASIK vision correction that is both quick and safe. This translates into increased patient comfort and satisfaction, as surgery time and risk of corneal complications are both effectively reduced.
Safety for Peace of Mind
Our ophthalmologists strive to ensure that patients are provided with the highest level of care and safety when they are treated for vision problems at our facility near Detroit. LASIK vision correction can produce complications if the laser used in the procedure emits excessive heat. For this reason our surgeons have chosen the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™, which utilizes an innovative technology called PerfectPulse™. The laser’s computer precisely regulates the energy of each laser pulse, ensuring that heat levels are held strictly in check. As the laser pulse travels through the system, it passes through three checkpoints during which its energy level can be adjusted if it does not meet pre-determined specifications.
Factors such as room temperature and humidity have been shown to affect the performance of excimer lasers. A study recently published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery demonstrates the importance of the ability of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ to regulate its laser energy. In this study, an increase in humidity by 10 percent was associated with a nine percent increase in the need for follow-up or enhancement procedures. With PerfectPulse™ technology, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ can maintain steady heat levels regardless of variations in room temperature or humidity. This helps our Bloomfield Hills and Detroit area LASIK vision correction specialists achieve more stable and predictable results than surgeons using other laser platforms.
Exceptional Results Clinical trials of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ produced the following remarkable results:
- 87 percent of patients demonstrated 20/20 vision a year after their surgery.
- 60 percent of patients demonstrated 20/16 vision a year after their surgery.
- A year after surgery, more than 93 percent of patients reported being able to see at least as well as they did with glasses or contact lenses prior to their procedure.
- More than 98 percent of those treated with the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ achieved at least 20/40 vision, which would allow them to pass the eye exam portion of a driver’s test in most states.
- Patients reported a diminishment of glare and problems with bright lights.
With the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™, precision and predictability are the rule, as more than 90 percent of patients achieve correction within one diopter of the intended mark.
At Grosinger, Spigelman, and Grey, our doctors are dedicated to utilizing only the most advanced technology in order to provide patients with unparalleled vision correction. Our ophthalmologists chose the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ because it is quick, safe, highly precise, and produces amazing results. We are proud to be one of the few eye care centers in Michigan to offer this cutting-edge laser vision correction technology.
If you would like more information about laser eye surgery and you live in or around Bloomfield Hills or Detroit, contact the LASIK vision correction specialists of Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ has allowed thousands of LASIK surgery patients to achieve rich, clear vision. Our doctors would to help you discover if you too can benefit from this exceptional technology.