I got this latest information from Opthonix, which is making the wavefront glasses:

With wavefront (iZon) lenses, eye movement isn’t an issue because they blend the high order which allows normal eye movement.

There is a design in the works that uses a specific zone but that is in research and isn’t being released at this time.

Bifocals are scheduled for next year and will be a progressive design with the add being placed in the matrix of the iZon lens.

The iZon lens will be available in the East at the end of this year.

The rep told you eye movement isn't an issue.

What else could he say and still hope to market the lens?

If eye movement proves to be an issue, unhappy customers will bring the lenses back to their optometrists for a refund.

Bill,

Did you ever try the wavefront glasses?

I'm wearing iZon glasses as I type this. In bright sunlight they remove the glare that glints off shiny car roofs and chrome. But at night they don't remove the starbursts that radiate from headlights, streetlights and such. Also they aren't bifocal. It occured to me that the wavefront was done in normal light. At night my pupils dilate, causing the starbursts. I called the optometrist and asked if it's possible to have the wavefront done while my pupils are dilated. Would that allow a lens that is better for nighttime driving? He didn't know the answer but said he'd get in touch with the iZod developer for his opinion.

What's the latest on your Wavefront glasses?? How have you been doing?

I'm also waiting for my opthonix glasses. My pupil measurements were done with lights off. I honestly don't think the glasses will help to totally alleviate my GASH symtoms but hope it will help somewhat.

My opthalmologist informed me that Opthonix just recently performed a major upgrade to their software system, which provides for a more precise detection of aberrations.

I don't wear the iZod glasses at all. They never really helped enough. In bright light I see well with them but not quite as good as my 5yr old glasses. But at night the starbursts are not improved. I still have the glasses because I like the frames.

I ended up having PRK in one eye a couple months ago. So far it hasn't fixed the starburst problem but it's still early in the healing phase. Assuming it doesn't work, the next step for me might be trying SynergEyes contacts. I could never tolerate standard RGP lenses although they do remove 90% of the starbursts. SynergEyes are a hard lens with a soft coating or skirt.

Kevin,

Hope the PRK heals well and improves your aberrated vision. I've talked with a number of patients who've tried the SynergEyes lens, but none has been very successful at fixing the visual issues. For most of us, the lens does not come in enough curves to fit well, but supposedly, they are expanding the range and size to adapt it to surgically altered corneas, so it will be interesting to see how post-RS patients fare.

I have had the lenses in my eyes, but while the Rx was OK, the quality of vision wasn't much improved. I am unable to wear any kind of lens at all due to the damage done to the left eyelid during the second surgery. I have an almost constant foreign object sensation in that eye now. Some days it drives me crazy, but then, it's probably a short trip for me.

BTW, I have not heard from anyone that the wavefront glasses have helped.

Hi - Can you tell me what wave front glasses are, what issues they overcome and where they are manufactured. Also how do Synergeyes lenses help again and for what problems?

Also I now know non prescription contact lenses help - I have occular surface problems - guess this is another terminology for aberrations. Tried bandage lenses - flexible 55 extreme h20, prolclear - cannot tolerate any, more than an hour.

Anyone found ortho-k helped or synergeyes?

Really would appreciate any advice - Sad to say I find this web site difficult - hard to assimilate information into any logical breakthrough's perhaps I just do not have the necessary computer know-how. ]

Debbie, I hate to sound negative, but there have been no real advances in treating complications either through surgery or eyeglasses. The best we can do is help people to manage their complications, and that's mostly through RGP lenses.

SynergEyes supposedly help some with aberrations, however, I noticed no appreciable difference in mine when I tried them. They are touted as having the benefits of an RGP lens and the comfort of a soft lens, however, at this time, the lenses do not come in flat enough curves to work for most of us with complications. They were never intended to be used on post-surgical corneas.

Over the years, so much has been said about prolate and oblate corneas, negative and positive spherical aberrations, pupil size modulation of these effects and analysis (wavefront) and, of course, how this is all something that can be corrected with technology.

In the realm of cataract surgery, we now have the emergence of intraocular implants with aspheric optics designed to restore the negative spherical aberrations to "youthful" levels. Of course, for these to be patient-specific (prescribed), determining the appropriate corneal profile is essential and/or some degree of corneal reshaping may be indicated, making what is a relatively simple procedure (cataract surgery) into super high tech. The purpose? To eliminate potential haloes associated with uncorrected postive spherical aberrations.

While all the tech seems remarkable, the obvious question becomes: To what degree are cataract surgery patients complaining about their present outcomes? I follow about ten new patients a month for cararact surgery and the visual outcomes have rarely resulted in halo complaints. Most of the patients are older and we are more likely to have concerns with dry eyes and macular degeneration - either of which can offer vision complications far in excess of uncorrected positive spherical aberrations.

ALL aspheric devices (which would include wavefront glasses) depend on perfect centration along the visual axis to provide optimum results. And yet, at the present time, surgical procedures don't necessarily center the optics on the visual axis - effectively undermining the benefit of waverfront measurements.

In the case of wavefront glasses, eyes don't stay fixed behind the optical center of the lens anyway. Plus, adjusting the frame a fraction of a millimeter closer to or farther from the eye will totally alter the proposed benefit of the lens.

In the case of wavefront derived front surface optics RGPs, the same holds true. You can't glue the lenses to the cornea. The lenses move; they rotate. This is a little (actually, a lot) like bragging that your car's navigation unit is able to calculate the mileage to your intended destination within a foot. Very impressive but, when it comes right down to it, what is the real benefit? Wavefront measurements change with pupil size, with tear film irregularities, with eye movements and subtle differences in vertex distances. Implantation of an IOL is not that precise. Even after the IOL is implanted, the posterior capsule tightens up and can shift the IOL's position.

The point of this rather long post is that MARKETING can take some minor, even insignificant improvement in technology and make it sound as though the laws of the universe have been altered. Patients with complications of refractive surgery are consequently handed a measure of hope which too often proves to be a disappointment. Marketing has a "pill" for everything. The value of education and knowledge is to see past the marketing, past the selling, to maintain perspective.

All comments noted and appreciated on the shortcomings of marketing. Im sure we are all guilty of having too much faith at times, most probably how we landed in this situation in the first place. However as previously quoted the good thing about glasses and contact lenses is that they can be returned if they do not live up to the promises. Unlike refractive surgery were sadly, for us, you cannot get your old sight back and as for the cost!!!!.

I already know that soft non-prescriptive contact lenses eradicate the problems I have even though numerous opthamologist previously told me, at times aggresively, that I had no chance of seeing an improvement with lenses. The snag ( and there is always one) is I am struggling to find any comfortable/bearable ones to wear.

In this vain, has anyone tried ortho-k?

A search of the archives (under the "find" menu) reveals about 350 posts that mention ortho-k and about 70 that mention CRT, essentially a branded ortho-k.

Ortho-k lenses on LASIK'd eyes can resolve surface irregularities and be quite comfortable provided they are well-fitted. Today's approach to ortho-k is the overnight wearing of the lenses, hopefully to establish refractive error-free, contact lens-free daytime vision. Ortho-k on non-ablated corneas often creates aberrations similar to ablation procedures so the overnight process is not always satisfactory. However, while the lenses are worn, the vision complications of LASIK can be minimized provided the fitter creates a relatively aligned fit across the pupillary zone.

Your non-prescription soft lenses are altering some of the surface aberrations. While I do not know what your pre-op prescription was, it is not unusual for a soft lens to flatten across the ablation zone, disturbing the alignment of the lens edge, making the lenses uncomfortable to wear. In other instances, the lenses might be comfortable but there is no benefit to the vision.

RGPs typically give the best overall vision provided the fitter knows how to customize the lenses. Synergize lenses are not designed for post-ablation corneas but might work well on patients with minimal pre-surgery myopia. Post-LASIK Synergize lenses are due out later this year but the trick will be in the limited number of design combinations available and whether the rigid center will bear too heavily on the cornea surrounding the ablation zone. Again, if a desirable combination might be found within the limits of what the company provides, they might work out for you. I personally prefer to work with RGPs.

There are glasses that will possibly eventually come out to the public that aim to correct all HOAs.

From reading about their products, the technology exists, but a prototype has not yet been developed so seems very far away. However, these are the wavefront glasses with the "millions of little mirrors" that keep rearranging, but instead of mirrors (which is probably mechanically too complex), they use an "electro active converging lens". They already have a prototype built for presbyopia. The push will be by the DOD who would like soldiers to have better than 20/20 vision. They have given this company a grant early 2006 for research into such a product.

http://www.gravitysedge.com/pixeloptics/home.htm