Wavefront technology is used to measure and track the aberrations in the eye’s visual field to target specific abnormalities that prevent perfect vision. The human eye has many special characteristics that vary from person to person. The wavefront technology attempts to capture that information to help surgeons perform a personalized procedure to get the desired effect out of a LASIK procedure. Combined with the excimer lasers, wavefront has proven more successful in achieving perfect 20/20 vision in patients. The wavefront technology is also approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
The wavefront technology is helping to achieve better results because it detects the intricacies of each eye. Even though two people might share the same eye refraction or prescription, each eve is different. The custom LASIK procedures using wavefront detect those characteristics and the surgery is adjusted to fit the eyes.
However, with increasing and more sophisticated technology, costs do tend to increase. In January 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2004 that adding the wavefront technology to a LASIK procedure increased the cost of the procedure by $100 - $400 per eye. This cost to the surgeon translates into a $500 - $2,500 cost per eye passed along to the patient. Premiums for custom LASIK average between $375 and $500 per eye. Some doctors only do custom LASIK and their fees are priced accordingly as one cost; not an extra fee for wavefront in addition to the conventional LASIK.
There are also other factors that contribute to the bottom line costs of LASIK procedures that patients might not see on their bills, but contribute to the overall cost. Most manufacturers of the lasers, or microkeratome carry a per eye royalty fee per procedure to cover the machine development costs. This cost can be anywhere from $100-150 per eye. There are other costs that trickle down into the bills of patients like the cost to lease equipment and supplies like gloves, masks and other sterile equipment for surgery. Extra costs factored into the overall cost of procedures are also derived from overhead for the doctor’s office and insurance costs.
In addition, pre-operative procedures can add to the cost of LASIK procedures. Candidates for LASIK need to inquire if pre-operative screenings and tests are included in the overall estimated fee for the surgery. However, the importance of pre-operative procedures should not be diminished. It is essential that the doctor you choose performs through pre-operative procedures and tests. First of all, these pre-operative screenings determine if you are a good and healthy candidate for the surgery, and can detect ahead of time if preexisting conditions make you a poor candidate for the procedure. Also, these tests help to avoid problems before and after the procedure. If you are opting for the wavefront, custom LASIK, you might find that the pre-operative screening is more extensive, and should plan for additional costs related to the advanced technique.
Source: http://aboutlasikeyesurgery.com/wavefront-lasik.html