Eye Associates First in Kentuckiana to Use World's First Intraoperative Wavefront Aberrometer

June 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Eye Associates is excited to be the first ophthalmology practice in Kentuckiana to introduce the world's first intraoperative wavefront aberrometer -- ORange® Custom Cataract. ORange allows cataract surgeons to measure refraction during surgery; something only previously possible following the surgical procedure.

ORange® is named because it is used in the "O.R." on a "range" of applications. The device is made of an optical head that attaches directly to the surgical microscope then connects to the ORange processor and touch screen monitor. It allows doctors to check a patient's refraction during surgery with a narrow beam of light directed into the patient’s eye.  The ORange processor then analyzes the captured data to calculate the refractive value of the eye.  Refraction is the ability of the eye to bend light that enters it and form an image on the retina. Knowing the refraction of the eye after various steps in the procedure can help guide decision making and verify correction during surgery.

“This allows us to more precisely predict and customize how patients will see following the procedure than ever before,” said Dr. Bradley Black. “Unlike a traditional aberrometer that is designed for use in the office, the ORange is designed for use in the O.R. The system allows real-time analysis of the refraction during the cataract procedure so that adjustments can be made while the patient is still on the table – we, and our patients, no longer have to wait days or even weeks to see potential results. “

ORange employs a different form of wavefront analysis, known as Talbot-Moire' interferometry, from that used in LASIK and other refractive surgeries. The optical design of a Talbot-Moire' system makes two very important characteristics of the ORange system possible. First, it can be made very compact and lightweight, so it can be attached directly to the underside of the surgical microscope without interfering. Second, the system is configured to have a dynamic range (of -5 D to +20 D); enabling its use at any point in the surgery and on almost any eye likely to be encountered.

“An increasing number of patients are choosing lifestyle intraocular lenses (IOLs) such as multifocal, accommodating or toric IOLs, with the desire to reduce reliance on glasses. In many cases they pay additional money out-of-pocket (over what Medicare or traditional insurance pays for cataract surgery) for those options. Those patients have an increased level of expectations following eye surgery. It is no longer enough that we meet the expectations of patients; we are now expected to exceed them,” said Dr. Black. “Using the ORange during surgery allows us to take individualization of a cataract procedure to a whole new level!”

About Dr. Black’s Eye Associates - Eye Associates has been providing expert, personalized eye care for over 25 years, with locations in Jeffersonville, New Albany and Salem, Indiana; Louisville and Brandenburg, Kentucky as well as 13 satellite areas. It is a premier multi-specialty vision care practice including:  Advanced Cataract Surgery, LASIK, Pediatric Eye Care and Strabismus, Retina Services/Macular Degeneration, Dry Eyes, General Optometry and preventive eye care, with the most experienced doctors, using advanced, innovative technologies to provide the best possible individualized care to their patients. Dr. Bradley Black has served as a clinical advisor for several FDA trials, including a recent study comparing the use of the Acrysof® Toric Lens to the LRI (Limbal Relaxing Incision) procedure to treat astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery. The Vision Surgery Center, at which the surgeries take place, is affiliated with Dr. Black’s Eye Associates and is an AAA –HC certified surgery center that has been designated as an Alcon Center of Excellence.