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ALLEGRETTO WAVE® EYE-Q

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LASIK Laser Vision Correction

ALLEGRETTO WAVE® EYE-Q

The difference is our technology

In keeping with our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of vision correction, the Mann Eye Institute and Laser Center now offers the newest and most technology advanced laser system, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE excimer laser. We are proud to be the only vision correction center in Houston and Austin to treat our patients with latest in state-of-the art care — Blade Free LASIK with IntraLase® and the ALLEGRETTO WAVE laser system.

The Mann Eye Institute and Laser Center is pleased to be the first center in Texas to feature the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q laser system. This advancement in vision correction technology offers patients increased speed, accuracy and safety. In fact, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q is the fastest excimer laser system available in the United States today.

The ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q Excimer Laser is the newest generation of excimer laser technology and is the first system to receive concurrent approval for the treatment of both nearsightedness and farsightedness. The treatment profile for this laser was developed after intense study of individuals who have what is called “super vision,” or vision that is better than 20/20. The laser reshapes the cornea of your eye to mimic the pattern of eyes with “super vision” with unparalled customization. Due to the laser’s unique wavefront-optimized ablation algorithm, the system delivers superior clinical results and a maximum level of safety for our patients.

Only the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q Excimer Laser is a “WaveFront-optimized” system. WaveFront technology not only corrects a patient’s prescription, but aims to improve the “quality” of vision during daylight and prevent problems with night vision. The system also has a unique eye-tracking system which automatically adjusts to changes in pupil size during treatment.

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Windows Media Player is required. Mac (OS X) users can also download the Flip4Mac™ Windows Media® Components and play Windows Media files (.wma and .wmv) directly in QuickTime Player.

PERFECTPULSE TECHNOLOGY™

PerfectPulse Technology represents a new approach to laser vision correction — it accounts for speed, precision, and safety in the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q laser and offers improvements that are revolutionary in the field. Smart energy control measures and adjusts energy levels in the laser pulse from creation to delivery. High-speed eye tracking charts the eye’s movement 200 times per second. As a result, every laser pulse is completely controlled and accurate, achieving the most accurate level of correction possible.

SMART ENERGY CONTROL

You can have peace of mind that the amount of energy in the laser has been calibrated to exactly the right level. After the beam has been created, it passes through three checkpoints on its way to your eye. At each of these points, the energy level is checked and adjusted if necessary, ensuring that the beam is perfectly attuned at its destination.

ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q’s laser is essentially a precise, controlled beam of energy, which translates to heat. To make sure that this beam never causes any sort of adverse heating effect on the cornea, ALLEGRETTO WAVE’s PerfectPulse Technology places the laser pulses in such a way that only every fifth pulse overlaps. Not only does this preclude unwanted heating effects, it is one of the ways that ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q achieves a rounder, more natural corneal surface than many other lasers used for vision correction.

EYE TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

Due to the remarkable speed of both the eye and the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q procedure, the laser beam needs to be constantly and minutely adjusted to the position of the eye at any given time. Every 4-6 milliseconds, the eye’s location is measured and the internal mirrors of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q are automatically aligned. Right before the pulse is released, a second check is made to confirm that the eye has not moved. This happens 400 times every second, once for every laser pulse released. If, at any time, the eye moves too quickly to be measured or moves out of range, the laser will stop and wait for the eye to move back into position.

SPEED

Currently, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q is the fastest vision correction laser available in the United States. At 400 treatment pulses per second, it only takes about four seconds of treatment to correct one diopter. Of course, spending less time under the laser means less stress and discomfort for the patient.

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY

One of the most innovative features of the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q is the way it uses wavefront-optimized technology to automatically compensate for the curvature of the cornea. In earlier laser correction systems, the “optical zone,” or area of correction, was centered on the front of the cornea; the result was a flattened circular area that ended with an abrupt edge, causing unwanted side effects like poor night vision, glare, and halos.

ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q changes all that. Understanding that the cornea is a sphere, ALLEGRETTO WAVE uses a proprietary treatment that is adjusted to the patient’s individual corneal curvature. The ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q sends extra pulses to the peripheral cornea area in order to compensate for the angle of the laser. In this manner, the spherical shape of the cornea is preserved to a degree that older lasers simply could not achieve. This compensation, combined with the incredibly small, 1mm size of the laser, produces a smooth, effective optical zone that produces what can only be described as high performance vision.

Imagine a glass ball.
If you took a flashlight and aimed it directly at the top of the ball, the light would form a circular shape on the surface of the ball. If you now aimed the flashlight towards the side of the ball, the light would form an elliptical shape and not seem as bright anymore. This is because the same amount of light is suddenly distributed over a larger area and some of the light is reflected away due to the angled surface of the glass ball.

HIGH PERFORMANCE VISION

Large Optical Zones
ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q is capable of producing some of the largest available optical zones. The optical zone refers to the portion of the cornea that has been corrected by the laser. A larger than normal optical zone is especially important for night vision, and for patients with very large pupils. If a patient’s pupil is larger than the optical zone, they may experience poor peripheral vision, poor night vision, and a higher than normal incidence of “halos” and glare. In the past, this has been one of the biggest drawbacks to conventional laser correction surgery.

BETTER NIGHT VISION AND GLARE CONTROL

At night and in dark conditions, the pupil becomes larger to permit the maximum amount of light to enter the eye. Laser eye correction needs to take this fact into account. If the optical zone is smaller than the size of the pupil at its largest, there is a good chance that the patient will experience poor night vision or problems with glare and halos around bright objects such as oncoming headlights. ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q is able to produce the largest available optical zone, virtually eliminating glare and night vision problems associated with older generation lasers.

CLINICAL RESULTS

When it was approved in 2006 as the first new laser in five years, the FDA granted ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q the widest approval range ever initially given to a new laser for both myopic and hyperopic vision correction. Since then, the results have been astoundingly positive. ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q has been proven to provide superior clinical results, as shown by the following statistics:

• At one year after treatment, more than 93% of patients said they saw at least as well or better than they had with glasses or contacts before treatment.
• More than 98% of patients achieved 20/40 vision one year after treatment; 20/40 is the level of visual acuity required to pass most driving tests.
• Nearly 60% of near-sighted patients achieved 20/16 vision after one year of treatment.
• Both near- and far-sighted patients reported an improvement in their reaction to bright lights and night driving glare after ALLEGRETTO WAVE treatments. In addition, near-sighted patients reported an improvement in sensitivity to light.
• Predictable results are the norm for the ALLEGRETTO WAVE. More than 90% of patients achieve refraction within 1 diopter of their target correction.
• The ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q has a total re-treatment rate of less than 5% of patients.

IS THE ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q RIGHT FOR ME?

ALLEGRETTO WAVE expands the boundaries of candidacy for LASIK. However, there are certain people who are less than ideal candidates for LASIK and ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q. These patients are encouraged to speak with their doctor to find the best vision correction option:

• Under age 21
• Pregnant or nursing
• Glaucoma or high blood pressure
• Keratoconus, a corneal irregularity
• Inflammation of the eye (uveitis, blepharitis, or iritis)
• Herpes simplex that has infected your eye
• Previous severe injuries to the eye
• Corneal scars or infections
• Unstable refraction
• Other diseases of the eye such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, or others
• Patients with very large pupils, thin corneas, or dry eyes

During the consultation with your doctor, please be sure to mention all medications you are taking and any medical conditions you have that might affect the success of laser correction.

Find out if the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q laser is right for you. Email or call Mann Eye Institute & Laser Center at 1 (800) MY VISION and find out why thousands of people in Houston and Austin trust their vision to us.

The Mann Eye Institute is a leading eye care facility with six locations in Humble, the Museum District of Houston, Austin, Katy, Liberty and Cleveland, TX, specializing in Blade Free LASIK, utilizing the IntraLase laser and the Wavelight ALLEGRETTO WAVE Excimer Laser, cataract surgery, Crystalens, Conductive Keratoplasty (CK), Intacs, Verisyse IOL, the advanced treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome, laser surgery for Glaucoma, Retinal Problems, Botox® Cosmetic, and the medical/surgical treatment of eye disease.

Mann Eye Institute and Laser Center has invested in leading-edge technology to offer every Houston and Austin LASIK patient Blade Free LASIK. This procedure uses the IntraLase™ femtosecond laser and the advanced Allegretto Wave™ excimer laser. At their state-of-the-art Houston LASIK center, the surgeons of Mann Eye Institute have helped hundreds of Houston cataracts patients. In addition to serving Houston cataract surgery patients, Mann Eye also helps patients throughout the Houston and Austin, Texas areas.