Pentacam

Understanding the shape and thickness of the cornea is important to any refractive procedure. The Pentacam is a diagnostic test that analyzes and measures the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye where light rays enter. When considering laser vision correction or cataract surgery, this advanced diagnostic instrument is a real advantage over all other ocular diagnostic equipment available today.

The Pentacam HR uses a specialized camera which provides sharp, crisp images of the ocular structures from the front (anterior) surface of the cornea to the back (posterior) crystalline lens capsule. In less than 2 seconds, 100 scans of the eye produce an accurate 3-dimensional mathematical model of the front of the eye.

These results provide our doctors precise measurements of the central cornea, illustrations of the individual corneal layers, and imaging of intraocular lens implants in lens replacement surgery. The Pentacam has enabled our doctors to analyze the eye with an accuracy that was previously not available. You can have the confidence that the most accurate clinical data is being collected for your refractive surgery procedure. If you are nearsighted, but not an ideal LASIK candidate…

Not everyone is an ideal LASIK candidate. If you have a high degree of nearsightedness or a thin cornea, the risk to LASIK may outweigh the benefits of the procedure. Instead, an Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) may be a better surgical option for you.

Many phakic IOLs require precise implantation to provide superior vision with minimal risk to complications. To optimize placement of the ICL, a 3-dimensional anterior chamber volume map is generated to determine the amount of intraocular space available to position the lens implant. After your surgical procedure, the distance of your lens implant is objectively measured to the nearest 1/1000 of a millimeter to ensure proper lens positioning.

If you need cataract surgery…

When the crystalline lens increases in density, it causes an excessive scattering of light and blurred vision. This is known as a cataract. Using lens desitometry readings, the Pentacam HR can measure the density of the crystalline lens and objectively measure the amount of its cataractous change. With increasing age, it will be necessary to undergo cataract surgery to maintain functional vision.

If you have had previous refractive surgery, such as radial keratotomy (RK) or LASIK, the Pentacam HR utilizes a special software program to precisely calculate the power of an intraocular lens implant used for cataract surgery. “Equivalent K-readings” determined by the Pentacam HR are implanted into the IOL calculation formulas to accurately determine the correct IOL needed for all patients, even those with abnormal corneas. Instead of using assumptions or approximations, the Holladay Report enables patients who have undergone previous corneal surgery feel assured that their previous eye surgical procedures will not interfere with the outcome of additional necessary surgery.