LaserVue Eye Center is proud to to offer the latest WaveLight Plus technology for LASIK!
Glasses Off. Life On.
LASIK has evolved. WaveLight® Plus takes personalization beyond your glasses prescription by analyzing how light travels through your individual eye and using those measurements to create a treatment designed specifically for you.
For patients who want more than simply “good enough” vision correction, WaveLight® Plus represents a new generation of LASIK technology. Instead of treating every eye according to a conventional prescription-based model, the system uses ray-tracing technology and a three-dimensional model of your eye to calculate an individualized treatment profile.
In a real-world clinical study of 200 patients,
- 100% achieved 20/20 vision or better,
- 89% achieved 20/16 or better, and
- approximately 50% achieved 20/12.5 or better at 3 months.
A New Approach to Personalized LASIK
Traditional LASIK has become extraordinarily successful because it can accurately correct the major refractive errors responsible for blurred vision—particularly nearsightedness and astigmatism.
But your prescription is only part of the optical story.
Every eye has its own combination of corneal shape, internal anatomy and optical characteristics. Some of these characteristics can contribute to subtle imperfections in the way light is focused, including higher-order aberrations that are not captured by a conventional glasses prescription.
WaveLight® Plus was designed to take more of that information into account.
Using the INNOVEYES SightMap™ diagnostic system, the technology gathers detailed measurements of your optical system and creates a three-dimensional representation of your individual eye. Ray-tracing calculations then simulate how light travels through that eye to help determine a highly personalized laser treatment profile.
Instead of asking, “What prescription does this patient have?” WaveLight® Plus allows us to ask a much more sophisticated question: “How does this individual eye actually handle light?”
What Makes WaveLight® Plus Different?
WaveLight Plus Looks Beyond Your Prescription
WaveLight Plus Looks Beyond Your Prescription
A conventional glasses prescription describes how much correction you need for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
It does not describe every optical characteristic of your eye.
WaveLight® Plus incorporates measurements of the eye’s optical system into the treatment calculation, allowing the laser plan to account for characteristics beyond the basic prescription. This includes higher-order aberrations and asymmetric optical patterns that conventional prescription-based approaches may not fully characterize.
Two people can have the exact same glasses prescription and still have different optical systems. Your LASIK treatment should not necessarily be identical to someone else’s simply because you share the same prescription.
Ray Tracing Creates a 3D Model of Your Eye
Ray Tracing Creates a 3D Model of Your Eye
WaveLight® Plus uses ray tracing to model how individual rays of light pass through the optical structures of your eye. This is the fundamental technological difference.
The system uses these measurements to create an individualized treatment calculation rather than relying solely on a conventional refractive prescription. Think of it as moving from a two-dimensional prescription to a three-dimensional optical model.
The treatment software can repeatedly calculate and refine the optical model to determine the ablation profile intended for your individual eye.
It Can Address More Than Conventional Astigmatism
It Can Address More Than Conventional Astigmatism
Astigmatism isn’t always perfectly symmetrical. Some eyes have more complex or asymmetric optical patterns that cannot be adequately described by the cylinder value on a glasses prescription alone.
WaveLight® Plus is designed to incorporate the eye’s measured optical characteristics into the treatment calculation, including asymmetric aberrations.
That makes it particularly interesting for patients whose visual quality cannot be completely explained by their ordinary prescription.
It Addresses Higher-Order Aberrations
It Addresses Higher-Order Aberrations
Your eye has optical imperfections beyond nearsightedness, farsightedness and ordinary astigmatism. These are known as higher-order aberrations.
Depending on the individual, higher-order aberrations can contribute to visual symptoms such as:
- Glare
- Halos
- Starbursts
- Reduced contrast
- Difficulty seeing fine detail
- Reduced quality of vision in low-light conditions
Glasses and conventional contact lenses correct the major refractive components of your prescription, but they do not necessarily correct every higher-order optical aberration.
WaveLight® Plus incorporates these optical characteristics into its individualized treatment calculation, supporting your surgeon to deliver outstanding results.
Benefits of WaveLight® Plus
In a real-world clinical study involving 200 patients treated for myopia with ray-tracing-guided LASIK:
100% achieved 20/20 vision or better
89% achieved 20/16 vision or better
50.5% achieved 20/12.5 vision or better
These measurements were reported at approximately three months following treatment.
20/20 is considered normal distance visual acuity. 20/16 represents vision sharper than 20/20, while 20/12.5 represents an even higher level of measured visual acuity.
Your outcome depends on your anatomy, prescription, ocular health, healing response and other factors. When you work with an experienced LASIK surgeon, they will discuss your unique treatment plan in detail so you can know what to expect from your procedure.
Why Visual Quality Matters
A person can technically achieve 20/20 vision and still feel that their vision isn’t as crisp or comfortable as they expected. This is because visual acuity is only one measurement of vision.
Contrast, low-light performance and optical aberrations also contribute to how clearly the world appears. For someone who spends a significant amount of time:
- Driving at night
- Working on detailed visual tasks
- Playing sports
- Traveling
- Looking at distant signs
- Working in visually demanding environments
those distinctions can be extremely important.
WaveLight® Plus was developed to provide a more comprehensive approach to visual correction by incorporating the eye’s broader optical characteristics into the treatment plan.
Wavefront-optimized LASIK remains an established and effective option for many patients. WaveLight® Plus represents a different level of treatment personalization by incorporating measurements of the entire optical system into its treatment calculation.
The right technology is not necessarily the newest technology for every patient. The right technology is the one that best matches your eyes.
The Technology Behind WaveLight® Plus
Innovative Eye Measurements
The process begins with detailed diagnostic measurements.
The INNOVEYES SightMap™ system combines multiple measurements to characterize the eye’s optical system, including corneal and internal optical information.
Rather than relying on a single measurement, the system builds a more comprehensive picture of your individual eye.
Personalized Plan
Your measurements are incorporated into a three-dimensional optical model.
Ray tracing then calculates how light travels through your eye and uses those calculations to develop an individualized ablation profile.
Delivering Treatment
The personalized treatment is delivered using the WaveLight EX500 excimer laser, translating the individualized treatment plan into the corneal reshaping performed during LASIK. The EX500 is the laser system included in the FDA-approved WaveLight Plus indication.
Faster Treatment Without Compromise
The WaveLight Plus treatment itself is renowned for remarkable efficiency. The WaveLight EX500 is a high-speed excimer laser, while the personalization occurs during the diagnostic and treatment-planning stages.
The sophisticated part of WaveLight® Plus happens before the laser ever begins treating your cornea. Your eye is measured. Your optical system is modeled. Your treatment is calculated. Then, the laser delivers that individualized treatment.
This means the sophistication of the technology doesn’t require you to have a longer laser treatment.
What Is It Like to Experience LASIK with WaveLight Plus?
LASIK is already known for a relatively rapid recovery compared with many surgical procedures. With WaveLight® Plus, the overall LASIK experience remains similar to modern LASIK because the underlying procedure is still LASIK.
Most patients can expect:
Before surgery
A comprehensive evaluation determines whether LASIK is appropriate for your eyes and whether WaveLight® Plus is the appropriate treatment strategy. Additionally, a discussion of financing options to ensure that your procedure fits within your current budget.
During surgery
Sophisticated diagnostic and treatment-planning work occurs before treatment. The procedure itself is performed with numbing eye drops. The laser treatment is quick and painless.
After surgery
Vision commonly improves substantially within the first day, although your vision can continue to stabilize and refine as your eyes heal.
Alcon lists an expected recovery period of approximately 1–2 days for WaveLight Plus LASIK. Your individual recovery may be different, and your surgeon will give you specific postoperative instructions.
Who Is A Candidate for WaveLight Plus?
WaveLight® Plus is FDA-approved for LASIK treatment of myopia, with or without astigmatism, in patients 18 years of age or older who meet the specified refractive and stability criteria.
The FDA-approved indication includes:
- Spherical equivalent greater than −1.00 D and up to −9.00 D
- Up to −8.00 D of spherical component
- Up to −3.00 D of astigmatic component
- A documented stable manifest refraction
Candidacy is about more than your prescription.
During your evaluation, we also need to consider:
- Corneal thickness and shape
- Overall eye health
- Tear-film and ocular-surface health
- Stability of your prescription
- Previous eye procedures
- Your visual goals
- Your lifestyle and expectations
Is WaveLight® Plus Right for Everyone?
No, and that’s an important part of an honest LASIK consultation. A sophisticated technology doesn’t automatically make it the best choice for every eye.
Some patients may be excellent candidates for another form of LASIK. Others may be better candidates for PRK, EVO ICL, refractive lens procedures, or may not be candidates for refractive surgery at all.
The purpose of advanced diagnostics is precisely to determine which treatment is appropriate for you. That is why we believe the technology should serve the patient, not the other way around.
WaveLight® Plus and Night Vision
Night vision is one of the most common concerns patients have when researching laser vision correction.
Symptoms such as halos, glare and starbursts can be associated with optical aberrations, particularly when the pupil becomes larger in low-light conditions.
Because WaveLight® Plus incorporates higher-order optical information into its treatment planning, it is designed to address aspects of the optical system that conventional prescription-based correction may not fully address.
No LASIK technology can promise perfect night vision or guarantee the absence of halos, glare or other visual symptoms. That is exactly why your preoperative evaluation matters.
The Evidence Behind Ray-Tracing LASIK
Ray tracing is not simply a marketing concept created for WaveLight® Plus. The underlying optical approach has been studied for years.
Earlier clinical research evaluating ray-tracing-guided LASIK found that the approach could produce effective, predictable outcomes in patients with myopia and astigmatism, including visual acuity outcomes exceeding preoperative best-corrected vision in some patients.
More recently, He and Bala evaluated ray-tracing-guided LASIK in everyday clinical practice. Their 2023 study included consecutive myopic eyes treated using individualized ray-trace LASIK and reported the strong visual outcomes that helped establish the clinical evidence base for the technology.
And importantly, the technology has now progressed from research and clinical investigation into an FDA-approved WaveLight Plus treatment platform in the United States. The FDA approved the expanded WaveLight EX500 indication incorporating INNOVEYES SightMap in March 2025.
Choosing Your WaveLight Plus Surgeon
Even the most advanced laser cannot independently determine whether surgery is appropriate for you. That is where your choice of surgeon comes in.
A successful LASIK outcome depends on much more than the laser itself. It requires appropriate patient selection, interpretation of diagnostic data, treatment planning, surgical technique and careful postoperative care.
That is why, when comparing providers, we encourage patients to look beyond the name of the laser. You should compare the following characteristics between providers:
- Who is evaluating my eyes?
- Who is interpreting my measurements?
- Who is performing my surgery?
- Will my LASIK be performed in an environment with high safety standards?
- What alternatives will I be offered if LASIK isn’t the best option?
- Will someone actually take the time to explain the risks and benefits to me?
Meet Dr. Jay Bansal
Leading WaveLight® Plus LASIK Expert
Jay Bansal, M.D. brings 30 years of specialized experience in advanced refractive surgery to Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area through LaserVue Eye Center.
As both a physician-scientist and practicing ophthalmologist, Dr. Bansal combines cutting-edge research with clinical excellence.
Your Consultation: Where Modern Technology Becomes Personal
Your consultation at LaserVue Eye Center is an opportunity to understand your eyes. Your evaluation will include detailed measurements of your refractive error, corneal anatomy and optical characteristics using our advanced diagnostic technology.
We then consider those findings together with your medical history, visual needs and expectations. From there, we can discuss whether WaveLight® Plus is a great option for you, or whether another vision correction procedure would make more sense.
During your consultation, your doctor will help you understand:
- Whether you are a candidate for LASIK
- Whether WaveLight® Plus is appropriate for your eyes
- What your diagnostic measurements mean
- What vision you may reasonably expect
- How your recovery is likely to progress
- Potential risks and side effects
- How WaveLight® Plus compares with other vision correction options
- What alternatives are available if LASIK isn’t right for you
You don’t need to arrive at your consultation knowing which procedure you want. That’s what the consultation is for.
Conclusion
The future of LASIK is not simply a faster laser. It’s a more personalized understanding of your eye.
WaveLight® Plus represents an important evolution in refractive surgery because it combines sophisticated diagnostics, three-dimensional optical modeling and ray-tracing calculations to create a treatment designed around the individual eye.
For appropriately selected patients, the clinical evidence is compelling:
100% 20/20 or better.
89% 20/16 or better.
50.5% 20/12.5 or better.
Those numbers don’t mean everyone will achieve those results.
They do demonstrate what becomes possible when vision correction is approached as an individualized optical problem rather than simply a prescription to be corrected.
Your eyes are unique. Your treatment should be, too.
Schedule a consultation to find out whether WaveLight® Plus Ray Trace LASIK is the right vision correction option for you.
A Note From Dr. Bansal
When you are considering LASIK, you are trusting someone with one of the most important senses you have. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.
There is an enormous amount of information available today about LASIK, lasers and technologies. I understand why it can be difficult to know what is genuinely important and what is simply advertising. At LaserVue, our philosophy is straightforward: you deserve to understand your options before you make a decision.
If you have questions, I am happy to discuss them with you. Reach out to LaserVue to receive a free, no-obligation consultation and get support to make an informed decision.
Take the Next Step to Better Vision with LASIK Laser Eye Surgery at LaserVue
Please call 1.800.LASER.45 (1.800.527.3745) to schedule a free LASIK Vision Correction to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery or other vision correction procedure.
Try our LASIK self-evaluation to see if LASIK might be a good option for you before visiting one of our 3 locations.
*Not all patients are candidates for LASIK. Candidacy must be determined by a medical professional. Risks, side-effects, and realistic expectations will be discussed during your exam prior to LASIK. Individual results do vary.
References
- Alcon WaveLight® Plus Technology
- Alcon WaveLight® Plus LASIK
- FDA WaveLight EX500 PMA Record
- He G, Bala C. Ray-tracing-guided myopic LASIK: real-world clinical outcomes.
- Cummings AB, Kelly GE. Optical ray tracing-guided myopic laser in situ keratomileusis: 1-year clinical outcomes. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. 2023;49(11):1140–1146. DOI: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001286. PubMed — Ray-tracing-guided myopic LASIK: real-world clinical outcomes
- Clinical Ophthalmology. 2013;7:1181–1191. DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S44720.
PubMed — Optical ray tracing-guided LASIK: 1-year outcomes - Alcon Clinical Support for WaveLight Plus
- Alcon Laser Eye Surgery Options
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WaveLight® Plus Ray Trace LASIK?
WaveLight® Plus is a personalized LASIK treatment platform from Alcon that uses the INNOVEYES SightMap™ diagnostic system and ray-tracing calculations to develop an individualized laser treatment profile. Rather than relying only on a conventional glasses prescription, the technology incorporates measurements of the eye’s optical system into treatment planning.
How is WaveLight® Plus different from regular LASIK?
The fundamental difference is the amount and type of information used to design the treatment.
Traditional and wavefront-optimized LASIK approaches can produce excellent results for many patients. WaveLight® Plus goes further by using a three-dimensional model of the individual eye and ray tracing to calculate a personalized treatment profile.
Can WaveLight® Plus give me better than 20/20 vision?
The fundamental difference is the amount and type of information used to design the treatment.
Traditional and wavefront-optimized LASIK approaches can produce excellent results for many patients. WaveLight® Plus goes further by using a three-dimensional model of the individual eye and ray tracing to calculate a personalized treatment profile.
What Does “Better Than 20/20” Actually Mean?
The fundamental difference is the amount and type of information used to design the treatment.
Traditional and wavefront-optimized LASIK approaches can produce excellent results for many patients. WaveLight® Plus goes further by using a three-dimensional model of the individual eye and ray tracing to calculate a personalized treatment profile.
Many people assume that 20/20 represents perfect vision. It doesn’t. 20/20 simply represents a standard level of visual acuity.
Someone with 20/16 vision can resolve smaller details on a standard eye chart than someone with 20/20 vision. 20/12.5 represents even finer measured visual acuity.
That distinction becomes especially important when evaluating your options for premium vision correction.
The goal of modern LASIK with the WaveLight® Plus isn’t necessarily limited to getting you to the point where you can read the 20/20 line. The goal is to give you the best visual outcome your individual eyes can reasonably achieve.
What is 20/16 vision?
20/16 vision is sharper than 20/20 vision. A person with 20/16 visual acuity can resolve smaller details on a standard eye chart than someone with 20/20 vision.
Can WaveLight® Plus correct astigmatism?
Yes. The FDA-approved WaveLight Plus indication includes myopia with astigmatism within specified refractive limits.
One of the advantages of the ray-tracing approach is its ability to incorporate more complex optical characteristics, including asymmetric aberrations, into treatment planning.
Can WaveLight® Plus improve night vision?
WaveLight® Plus is designed to incorporate higher-order aberrations into treatment planning, which may help optimize visual quality beyond simple correction of the glasses prescription.
However, no refractive procedure can guarantee perfect night vision or eliminate halos and glare in every patient.
Is WaveLight® Plus more painful than regular LASIK?
No. WaveLight® Plus is still performed as LASIK, and the personalization occurs primarily in the diagnostic and treatment-planning process. The procedure itself is designed to be brief, and patients receive numbing eye drops.
How quickly will I see after WaveLight® Plus?
Many patients experience significant improvement within the first day. Alcon describes a typical recovery period of approximately 1–2 days, although individual healing varies.
How long does WaveLight® Plus LASIK take?
The laser treatment itself is very brief. The more sophisticated portion of the process is the diagnostic measurement and personalized treatment planning performed before the laser treatment.
Is WaveLight® Plus FDA approved?
Yes. The FDA approved the WaveLight EX500 laser system in conjunction with INNOVEYES SightMap for the WaveLight Plus LASIK treatment indication on March 5, 2025.
Am I too nearsighted for WaveLight® Plus?
Not necessarily. The FDA-approved indication includes myopia within specified refractive limits, including spherical equivalent greater than −1.00 D and up to −9.00 D, with additional limits on spherical and astigmatic components.
Your complete evaluation is necessary to determine candidacy.
What if LASIK isn't right for me?
That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have no options.
Depending on your eyes, prescription and goals, alternatives may include PRK, EVO ICL or other refractive procedures. The most appropriate procedure should be determined after examining your eyes—not selected solely on the basis of the technology you initially researched.
Is WaveLight® Plus better than SMILE or EVO ICL?
There isn’t one procedure that is best for everyone.
WaveLight® Plus, SMILE, PRK and EVO ICL work in fundamentally different ways and have different candidacy requirements. The appropriate choice depends on your prescription, corneal anatomy, ocular health, lifestyle and visual goals.
The best procedure is the one that is best suited to your eyes.
Are There Any Risks With WaveLight Plus?
WaveLight® Plus LASIK is still LASIK, and LASIK is a surgical procedure. With any surgeries, there is some chance for risks and complications post-operatively. LASIK has a strong safety record in appropriately selected patients, and choosing an experienced and trustworthy LASIK surgeon can help ensure that you receive an ideal outcome.
The rare potential risks and side effects of LASIK can include dry-eye symptoms, glare, halos, starbursts, changes in contrast sensitivity, undercorrection or overcorrection, regression or changes in refractive error, infection, corneal complications, and the possibility of requiring additional treatment.
Your individual risk profile depends on your eyes and medical history. The FDA-approved labeling specifically includes indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions that should be reviewed with your physician before treatment.
Bring Life Into Focus with LaserVue Eye Center
Over the past 30+ years, LaserVue Eye Center has helped over 25,000 people in Northern California and around the world to gain freedom from refractive errors, providing the most advanced vision correction solutions available.
We are results-driven, with the experience and technology to back up our pledge. We herald an excellent record of successful procedures, satisfied patients, and outstanding results.
“Each person has unique eye care needs. I believe in taking the time to get to know their individual vision needs and goals. When we get to know each patient, and meet or exceed their expectations … That is the true measure of success.” — Jay Bansal, MD, Medical Director