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Media Release

Media release –

Alcon Announces First Fully Personalized LASIK Treatment with wavelight plus in the U.S. and Canada

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  • Wavelight plus is the first fully tailored refractive treatment that considers each patient’s unique optical system, including the cornea, anterior chamber, and crystalline lens1,2
  • Wavelight plus uses ray tracing technology to simulate, test and optimize a personalized treatment plan on a patient’s Digital Eye Twin before applying it to their eye2-5,*
  • Real-world data shows that this technology delivers outstanding patient outcomes with 100% of myopic patients restoring their vision to 20/20, and 89% experienced the ability to see 20/163,4,*,**
     

FORT WORTH, September 9, 2025 – Alcon, the global leader in eye care dedicated to helping people see brilliantly, today announced the launch of the first fully personalized Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) treatment, wavelight® plus in the U.S. and Canada.1-5 Alcon has been a leader in refractive vision correction for more than 25 years. Its next-generation wavelight plus technology unlocks a new era of precision in refractive surgery, with unprecedented levels of personalization that lead to outstanding visual outcomes with predictability and minimal risk.2-5,*,**

“Wavelight plus marks an exciting new chapter in Alcon’s journey to provide personalized precision in laser eye surgery,” said Sergio Duplan, Alcon Senior Vice President, President, Americas.2-4,*,** “For the first time, surgeons in the U.S. and Canada will have the opportunity to deliver a fully-tailored refractive treatment that takes into account the unique features of each patient’s eyes.” 2-5,6,†,††

In the U.S., an estimated 13 million people suffer from myopia, and that number is expected to grow to nearly 50% by 2050.7 Since LASIK became widely available in the U.S. in 1999, refractive technologies have continually advanced from keratometry and refraction to corneal tomography and wavefront aberrometry, benefiting millions of patients around the world.8

Wavelight plus is the first fully personalized laser vision correction of its kind, leveraging innovative ray tracing technology, powered by the Sightmap diagnostic device, to consider a patient’s individual eye shape and vision needs.2 Based on over 100,000 data points, this advanced device precisely creates a three-dimensional (3D) model or “Digital Eye Twin” of each patient’s eyes, using a combination of ocular wavefront, biometry and corneal tomography measurements. The 3D eye model guides a highly personalized procedure to improve visual acuity and correct more complex vision problems.3,4,6,9 The measurements are done without nomogram inputs—ultimately streamlining planning time.1,2,4,5,10

“Patients come to my practice with increasingly high expectations for their vision after surgery. With wavelight plus, I can now offer a premium, personalized treatment with a high probability of achieving visual outcomes surpassing 20/20 vision, and even pushing the boundary of visual possibilities,” said Dr. Mark Lobanoff, refractive surgeon and CEO of OVO LASIK + LENS in St. Louis Park, MN. “This not only benefits my patients but also provides my colleagues and me with streamlined surgical planning and exceptional diagnostics through the Sightmap.”

Real-world clinical evidence from 200 patients who underwent wavelight plus LASIK found that the technology delivered exceptional visual acuity results, which is in line with Alcon’s clinical study. Key results from Dr. Chandra Bala’s study include:3,4*,**

  • 100% of myopic eyes achieved uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20 at 3 months.3,4*,**
  • 89% of myopic eyes achieved postoperative UDVA of 20/16 and 50% achieved 20/12.5 at 3 months.3,4*,**
  • 98% of eyes achieved postoperative UDVA within 1 line of their preoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) by 3 months.3,4*,**
  • 94% of eyes achieved the same or better postoperative CDVA than their preoperative CDVA by 3 months.3,4*,**

“I’m excited to offer my patients ray tracing LASIK, a significant advancement in refractive technology that delivers better results than standard LASIK,” says Dr. Raymond Stein, Medical Director of the Bochner Eye Institute and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto.3-6,11,12,*,‡,‡‡ “With this next-generation technology, I can deliver highly personalized refractive surgery, precisely tailored to the unique optical system of each individual. It’s incredibly rewarding to help my patients achieve the lifestyle they want while advancing my practice to the forefront of ophthalmic care.”2-5,*

For patients, the decision to undergo refractive surgery is personal and wavelight plus can help people reach 20/20 vision and beyond to live free from glasses. Interested patients should consult with a refractive surgeon to find out if they are eligible.2-5,*

Prior to launching in the U.S. and Canada, wavelight plus was first launched in China and has since been made available in several European and Asia-Pacific markets. The commercial launch for wavelight plus in Canada is late 2025. For surgeons interested in more information, please speak to a local Alcon representative.

Refer to the wavelight plus Operator’s Manual for a complete listing of indications, warnings and precautions.

About Alcon

Alcon helps people see brilliantly. As the global leader in eye care with a heritage spanning over 75 years, we offer the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people’s lives. Our Surgical and Vision Care products touch the lives of more than 260 million people in over 140 countries each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors. Our more than 25,000 associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with Eye Care Professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care. For more information, please visit:
U.S.: www.alcon.com
Canada: www.alcon.ca

 

*In a real-world private practice setting-200 patients (400 eyes).
**At 3 months post-op; n = 212 eyes
†At 3 months post-op; n = 30 for wavelight plus, n = 30 for wavefront optimized 
††For 4.5-mm pupil, mean (±SD) RMS of total HOAs (µm)=: 0.14 ± 0.05 (wavelight plus) vs. 0.17 ± 0.05 (wavefront optimized), p = 0.016; for 6.0-mm pupil, mean (±SD) RMS of total HOAs (µm) = 0.32 ± 0.10 (wavelight plus) vs. 0.42 ± 0.11 (wavefront optimized), p<0.001
‡Wavelight plus: UDVA was ≥20/20 in 100% (95%CI: 88.6–100%) and 93.3% (95%CI: 78.7–98.2%) of eyes, and ≥20/16 in 83.3% (95%CI: 66.4–92.7%) and 73.3% (95%CI: 55.6–85.8%) of eyes after wavelight plus and wavefront-optimized LASIK, respectively. 
‡‡Quality of vision represented by percentage of eyes gaining one line and by improved MRSE. At Month 3, uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 or better in 208/212 (98.1%) eyes, and it was the same as, or better than, the preoperative best-corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) in 161/212 (76.4%) eyes; 76.212 (35.8%) eyes gained ≥1 line of CDVA. MRSE was within ±0.5 D in 195/212 (92.0%) eyes. (n = 212)
 

References

  1. Schumacher S, Seiler T, Cummings A, Maus M & Mrochen M. Optical ray tracing-guided laser in situ keratomileusis for moderate to high myopic astigmatism. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2012;38:28-34.
  2. Mrochen M, Bueler M, Donitzky C, Seiler T. Optical ray tracing for the calculation of optimized corneal ablation profiles in refractive treatment planning. J Refract Surg. 2008;24:S446-S451.
  3. He G, Bala C. Ray-tracing-guided myopic LASIK: real-world clinical outcomes. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023;49(11):1140-1146.
  4. Kanellopoulos AJ, Maus M, Bala C, et al. International Multicenter, Myopic and Myopic Astigmatism Femto LASIK, Customized by Automated Ray-Tracing Ablation Profile Calculation: A Post market Study. Clin Ophthalmol. 2024;18:525-536.
  5. InnovEyes Sightmap Diagnostic Device User Manual 1089. [REF-03359].
  6. Khoramnia R, Naujokaitis T, Blöck L, et al. Prospective intraindividual comparison of automated customized ray-tracing-guided vs wavefront-optimized laser in situ keratomileusis. Ophthalmology. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2025.05.025.
  7. Banashefski B, Rhee MK, Lema GMC. High Myopia Prevalence across Racial Groups in the United States: A Systematic Scoping Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12(8):3045. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12083045; https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/8/3045.
  8. Faktorovich EG, Ibach M. 30 years of LASIK. Optometry Times. 2019;11. Accessed July 17, 2025. https://www.optometrytimes.com/view/30-years-lasik.
  9. Thananjeyan AL, Bala C. Higher-order aberrations following ray trace LASIK and the impact of eye movement on coma. Clin Ophthalmol 2024: 18; 3389–3398.
  10. Penna RR, de Sanctis U, Catalano M, Brusasco L, Grignolo FM. Placido disk-based topography versus high-resolution rotating Scheimpflug camera for corneal power measurements in keratoconic and post-LASIK eyes: reliability and agreement. Int J Ophthalmol. 2017;10(3):453-460. Published 2017 Mar 18.
  11. Stulting RD, Fant BS; T-CAT Study Group. Results of topography guided laser in situ keratomileusis custom ablation treatment with a refractive excimer laser. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2016;42(1):11–18.
  12. Cummings A, Kelly G. Optical ray tracing-guided myopic laser in situ keratomileusis: 1-year clinical outcomes. Clin Ophthalmol. 2013:7 1181-1191 

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Media Relations (U.S.)

Kevin Nicoletti
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Media Relations (Canada)

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