Our Technology

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Eye Surgical Associates invests in the field's top technologies for diagnosis and treatment of vision problems and eye diseases. These proven devices and procedures ensure that you receive the safest, most effective care.

LASIK Technology

LASIK laser vision correction surgery is a two-step process. First, either a laser or blade is used to create a thin layer, or flap, of the cornea. This flap is then lifted and the inner cornea is sculpted to correct its shape. When both steps are done with lasers instead of blades, the surgery is called iLASIK. iLASIK is quicker, more accurate and safer than traditional methods. Eye Surgical Associates is the only iLASIK provider in central Illinois, and one of only 150 in the United States. The technology components include:

IntraLase® Laser
In the first step of iLASIK, the specialized IntraLase laser creates the corneal flap on the eye. This computer-controlled, bladeless laser procedure is the key to optimizing visual results of the laser vision correction surgery. While traditional methods use a hand-held blade, the IntraLase laser ensures precision with micron-level accuracy — making it a safer, more comfortable and confident choice.

VISX® Star S4 Excimer Laser
In the second step of iLASIK, Eye Surgical Associates utilizes the VISX Star S4 excimer laser to reshape the cornea, correcting your vision. The laser utilizes Advanced CustomVue™ technology to create a custom vision solution that corrects each eye's unique imperfections. Features of the laser technology include:

Ensured accuracy, even if the eye moves, because the laser's eye tracker maintains alignment.
Faster, smoother and more precise treatment through the use of seven laser beams.
A quicker, more comfortable recovery because the pupil is not dilated.
Decreased risk of glare and halo effects following surgery.

WaveScan™ Technology
Advanced CustomVue incorporates WaveScan technology into the VISX laser in order to create a custom vision solution. WaveScan technology allows the doctors at Eye Surgical Associates to measure the imperfections of your eye. Advantages of this technology include:

Exceptional power, as WaveScan technology was originally developed for telescopes.
High precision in mapping each eye's unique imperfections.
Accurate translation of measurement data to the laser, minimizing the risk of error.

General Ophthalmological Technology

Corneal Topographer
With the corneal topographer, multiple light, concentric rings are projected on the cornea. The reflected image is captured and analyzed, and then data are displayed in various formats. This technology is also effective in the detection of corneal pathologic conditions, most importantly keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration. Corneal topography is often used clinically for detecting and evaluating the severity of keratoconus.

Other disorders, such as corneal warpage from contact lens wear, can simulate early keratoconus. In our practice we utilize corneal topography in determining the candidacy of patients interested in laser vision correction (LVC) surgery, to aid in the fitting of contact lenses, to monitor the effect of contact lenses on the cornea, and in the management of corneal transplant patients before and after surgery.

Electronic Medical Records
Electronic records allow for easy, efficient appointment scheduling. The computer calls patients to remind them of their appointments in the evening hours when the Eye Surgical Associates staff is gone. The system allows doctors to access charts electronically and review entire patient histories. Electronic records are more legible than handwritten charts and easy to share with other physicians. Letter writing to other physicians is streamlined through the program, ensuring accurate care.

Fundus Photography
Photographs of the retina and optic nerve are necessary to document the health of the optic nerve, vitreous, macula, retina and its blood vessels. The photographs are used for comparison, documentation and sometimes diagnosis of certain eye conditions. They are also a useful informational tool for showing patients exactly what is occurring in the back of the eye and how treatment may help resolve their vision problems.

Goldmann Visual Field
The Goldmann visual field measurement is a form of manual perimetry used to determine if patients would benefit from eyelid surgery. This measurement helps diagnose any peripheral or central vision loss secondary to stroke, tumor, glaucoma or macular degeneration. It is also used to confirm peripheral vision for Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) physicals and disability determination.

Intraocular Lens (IOL) Master
The IOL master is a device used to obtain an extremely accurate measurement of the axial length, or length of the eye. These measurements are used for intraocular lens power calculations, or determining the custom power of the implant for an individual's eye. The device is non-contact, thus eliminating the inaccuracies that are sometimes caused by even small amounts of corneal compression when using A-scan measurement probes. The IOL master also calculates anterior chamber depth, keratometry and the standard deviation of multiple readings (a sign of how accurate the individual's testing results are).

At Eye Surgical Associates, we have invested in this new technology because we feel it will improve our ability to calculate implant powers with even greater accuracy, and will help our surgical patients have a better chance of being less dependent on glasses following their cataract or refractive IOL surgery.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
OCT is a technique for obtaining high-resolution images of the structures within the retina. At Eye Surgical Associates, we use OCT tests to detect eye disease and monitor patients with diagnoses such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal edema and diabetes. It is an effective "optical ultrasound," but because it is performed with light waves, we do not need to touch the patient's eye and the images are much clearer and of higher resolution than those created by sound waves.

Optical Lab
Our state-of-the-art optical lab includes advanced equipment that allows us to cut all our own lenses on site.

Pachymeter
Corneal pachymetry is a measurement of the thickness of the cornea using ultrasound. The test is particularly essential prior to a LASIK procedure, for ensuring sufficiency of corneal thickness. At Eye Surgical Associates, we also perform this measurement on patients who may have glaucoma to determine whether the thickness of their cornea is interfering with the accuracy of eye pressure measurements. Pachymetry is easy to obtain with no discomfort to the patient.