CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK

October 2nd 2014, Dr. Paul Dougherty Performed Live CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK On ABC 7 News.

What Is CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK?

CATz provides uniquely detailed topographic maps – one of the cornea prior to surgery, and another of the cornea as it should appear after correction with LASIK. These before and after images enable the surgeon to correct any nearsightedness and astigmatism with unparalleled precision, as well as smooth out even minor irregularities.

LASIK Surgery is the process of correcting nearsightedness and astigmatism by changing the shape of the cornea. The laser fires a stream of up to 40 pulses of invisible ultraviolet light per second. Each pulse lasts only a few billionths of a second. Each pulse removes a tiny bit of tissue by evaporating it. To treat nearsightedness, the pulses are placed in a pattern that makes the cornea flatter. Excimer laser light does not penetrate the eye and does not harm the iris, lens or retina.  The laser produces very little heat and is controlled by the doctor during the operation.

Like regular LASIK, Topography-Assisted LASIK uses manifest refraction measurements of your nearsightedness and astigmatism to plan the treatment for your eye. In addition, however, it uses a corneal topography map of the shape of your cornea to treat small, local defects that cannot be corrected by glasses.

LASIK is done on one eye at a time. If all goes well with the first eye and you are having your second eye treated, the second eye may be treated on the same day or on a different day.