LASIK Technology

The Bausch and Lomb Technolas™ 217 is the newest generation flying spot laser with active tracker. It is the leading laser system in the world: more LASIK procedures are performed with the Technolas than with any other laser on the market.


The Bausch and Lomb Technolas™ 217

Flying spot technology means that the laser energy is delivered as a very tiny spot. The cornea is sculpted very accurately and smoothly, because each pulse of energy is consistent and reproducible. For further quality control, a scanner feedback mechanism monitors the accuracy of each pulse. This technology permits the treatment of very large areas of the cornea while creating a smooth transition between treated and untreated areas. A high-speed infrared pupil tracker ensures precise, continuous centration of the eye during treatment. The result is a superior quality of vision, with reduced risk of night glare and haloes.

The FDA clinical trial results have demonstrated the superiority of the Technolas laser system. Below are FDA clinical trial results for nearsighted patients with various laser systems. The results for the Technolas laser far exceeded the benchmarks determined by the FDA.

Laser System	UCVA> 20/20 @ 6 months	UCVA>20/40 @ 6 months	Loss of > 2 lines of vision @ 6 months	Prescription result within 0.5 D of target @ 6 months
Technolas 217a 0 to 7 D myopia 0 to 3 D astigmatism	87.3	99.7	0	86.7
Wavelight Alllegretto 0 to 12 D myopia 0 to 6 D astigmatism	87.7	98.3	0	85.7
NIDEK EC-5000 0 to 14 D myopia 1 to 4 D astigmatism	47.4	84.4	0.5	60.3
Alcon LADARVision 4000 0 to 7 D myopia	64.2	93.4	0	81.3
VISX Star S3 0 to 7 D myopia	68.1	99.1	0	76.9

For more information, please visit www.FDA.gov/cdrh/lasik/lasers.htm.

UCVA > 20/20: The percentage of treated eyes that achieved a vision of 20/20 or better without glasses or contact lenses after LASIK. This is a measure of the accuracy of the laser.

UCVA > 20/40: The percentage of treated eyes that achieved a vision of 20/40 or better without glasses or contact lenses after LASIK. Vision of 20/40 is slightly better than the vision required to be able to drive without corrective lenses. This is another measure of the accuracy of the laser.

Loss of > 2 lines of vision: This refers to the number of treated eyes that lost more than two lines of vision despite wearing glasses or contact lenses. This is a measure of the safety of the laser. No patients lost more than two lines of vision or became blind as a result of treatment with the Technolas laser.

Prescription result within 0.5 steps of target: Some patients were not targeted for elimination of all nearsightedness after surgery for various reasons, including lifestyle and prescription in the fellow eye. This category is another measure of the accuracy of the laser.

Wavefront "Custom" LASIK
For wavefront “custom” LASIK, the Technolas™ features the Zyoptix™ System. Zyoptix makes thousands of measurements of the eye in order to create a detailed, three-dimensional portrait of the cornea, as well as to map the various flaws and irregularities in the focusing power (wavefront) of the eye. With this detailed image of the eye, an even more customized laser treatment is performed. Zyoptix technology is particularly advantageous in patients with thin corneas, high prescriptions and/or large pupils, by allowing a wider treatment zone while preserving more corneal tissue.