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Aparna Rohara (21) had a myopic correction of cylindrical –5 in both her eyes. The girl was compelled to use contact lenses to see clearly. Whatmore, Rohara was eager to play squash but was afraid that she might damage her lenses. The Roharas met renowned ophthalmologist Dr. Anand Shroff, who after regular counseling solved Aparna’s problems in a matter of minutes by operating her on a wavefront laser.

Shroff operated her in front of media delegates to announce the launch of the world’s most advanced technology for customized laser corrections Wavefront 400 Hz. The live operation was performed at Shroff Eye Hospital in Mumbai. Supermodel Dr. Aditi Gowitrikar graced the event by her presence.

The latest in laser technologies, the machine is equipped with a completely automated control laser. “It provides the patient highest level of safety, accuracy and reliability available in laser technology. The technology has the most sensitive eyetracker which ensures accurate well centered treatments, with absolutely no side effects or possibilities of errors,” informed Shroff. The Wavefront technique maps the cornea of the eye at 168 individual points simultaneously through a unique Abberometer (Wavefront machine). This helps identify the corrections required to compensate for the internal refractive problems of the eye. A small – spot laser beams then treats the cornea to compensate for the error.

Shroff has imported this machine from Germany. There are only 10 other centers in the world that have access to the 400 Hz Wavefront technology. Ironically, the technology is not yet available in the so-called hitech US.

The new technique treats the eye at 400 times per second, with a computer eye tracking mechanism. “The Wavefront 400 stands a head over the older laser versions available in the country. The older versions use antiquated technology like manual eye tracking, low frequency of treatment, large beam width, putting the patient to risk of errors” said Shroff adding that “the older laser are far more slower in treating the eye, leading to an uneven distribution of energy. This leads to problems like night glaring, holes and another disorders.”

Rohara was back from the operation desk in 30 minutes. A very contented Rohara, who was very comfortable with the media attention, said later that “the operation was absolutely painfree.” Rohara will have to wait for a week for complete restoration of her eyes. However improvement in her eyesight could be experienced within the next 6 hours. “The machine cost 500,000 euros. The charges are very reasonable considering you are getting the best technique available anywhere in the world.” Said Shroff.

Recently a workshop on creating awareness about laser vision correction by Mumbai based doctors of Shroff Eye Clinic, was conducted in Surat.

According to Dr. Anand Shroff, chief surgeon of Shroff Eye Clinic, wave light technology is the latest technique in correcting refractive corrections of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism using the lasers. The wave front guided LASIK laser vision correction has been very successful in restoring the perfect eye sights, Shroff tells.

Shroff, with over 5,000 laser surgeries to this credit, says that with the launch of the wave light 400Hz Allegretto Wave Eye-Q, people in the country would have access to technology and precision now being available only at very select centres elsewhere in the world.

Already, many from Surat with various eye related ailments, have been successfully treated with this new technique and efforts are on to create awareness about the LASIK laser technology among the locals of South Gujrat and other places, says Dr. Safala Shroff.

Says Kamini Modi (25), resident of Haripura Pirchhara Road in Surat that she had serious eye sight problems and was not able to see correctly.

But, with the help of wave light laser technology recently, she now has perfect vision with no problems.

With the LASIK technique, retina has to be stimulated constantly to bring on the right track for normal eye vision, says Shroff. Kikubhai Chokhawala (73) of Surat recently had his cataract removed through the laser technology and he has no problems in his eye sight, he tells.

The wave front technology is really a marvel in vision correction and the need is to create its awareness among the public for getting back normal sight in the eyes, Shroff informs.

‘Come and watch a live surgery being performed with the latest technology’ reads the latest surge of invites from the medical world. Are we going the western way where reality shows are making a spectator sport out of surgeries?

“Live surgery is not new to India. A surgery being performed is relayed to the target audience, which comprises of medical students, general practitioners, media,” informs Dr. Ameet Pispate, orthopaedic surgeon who is credited to be the First Asian to perform the hip resurfacing technique. “The purpose is to create an awareness of new surgery techniques. It goes against medical rules to relay it to lay people.” He does not include the recorded version of the surgery, which is given to the relatives of the patient. These are now considered routine with the Shroff Eye Hospital. “Relatives watch the surgery taking place on the monitor providing transparency,” Says Dr. Anand Shroff, who conducted live surgery with the latest LASIK laser vision correction, with the media present in large groups.

Medics, at large, deny that there is any self-promotion involved in having live surgeries. “It is not self-promotion, but rather a promotion of new techniques to make people aware of it,” says Dr Sanjay Borude, anti-obesity surgeon. “One can even train even train students from other countries through live transmission of the surgery.” There, however, is a thin line between educating about a technique and promoting. “The medical world does not allow for self-promotion, at least not in allopathy,” informs Dr. Pispate who’s set to conduct a live surgery of hip resurfacing this weekend at a symposium in the city. It’ll be attended by 250 orthopaedic surgeons.

It would be interesting for the Indian medical community to note that surgeries are now being tapped as a ‘reality show’ potential abroad. Cosmetic Surgery Live on channel Five in UK has a clinic recording cosmetic surgeries live for two weeks, and the patients include some well-known local celebrities. The programme created a furore with its announcement and was slammed by many, including television viewers and professional of the medic world as something “private that should not be shown on national network and will probably start off an onslaught of copy cats.”

Dr. Shroff is aware of a similar thing happening in America and sees nothing wrong in it. “People will be less intimidated and more informed about surgeries,” he says. Dr. Pispate demurs, “A hip resurfacing or an angioplasty will require to show a part of body that I don’t think any of our patients would like to show. It’s not fair. Honestly, I don’t see surgery turning out to be a part of the reality series in India.”

With Indians quick on the uptake at the copying the West, how long will it be before they seek out the ‘lovable heart’ for dissection thrills?

India has joined the list of countries providing eye care with the introduction of Wavefront 400Hz Technology, in which eyesight detects like shortsightedness and farsightedness are corrected using high speed laser beams with hundred per cent success reports UNI.

The latest in laser technologies for refractive correction, the Wavefront 400Hz is equipped with computer controlled laser which ensures more precision than other laser technologies being used in the country at present. Dr. Anand Shroff, who has introduced the technology at the Shroff Eye Hospital in Mumbai, told UNI that by using it, eyesight of even those using very high power lenses could be corrected to be normal.He, however, said at an advanced age those suffering from shortsighted-ness would still have to use specs for reading etc even after going for treatment through the new techniques.The technology is called Wavefront 400Hz because in it laser beams with frequency of 400 Hz are used while in the existing facilities, laser beams with frequency of only 200 Hz were being used, which does not give hundred per cent precision in treatment of the detect, said Dr Shroff.

In reply to a question, he said in Delhi, eye clinics were using laser beams of only 10 to 50 Hz.

The new technology is fail-safe and error-free as it has an automatic guided precision laser which impinges the eye at 400 times each second, with a computer controlled eye-tracking mechanism. The older laser techniques have manual eye-tracking and larger beam width, putting the patient to risk of errors.

The Wavefront Hz technology has the most sensitive eye tracker in the world to ensure perfectly accurate and well centered treatment, with absolutely no side effects or possibilities of error.

The new techniques maps a pupil-sized part of the cornea at 168 points.
This mapping helps identify the corrections required to compensate for the refractive problems.”The eye is one of the most sensitive parts of the body and we often treat it as commodity, choosing the treatment that is cheapest,”Dr Shrof said.

The total cost of correcting sight detects through this technology is low, while this treatment cost about five times more in the developed countries, he said.

Others clinics in the country using a laser beam of much low speed were doing this treatment only at a cost of Rs 10,000 to 25,000. But, he said, the eye was the most precious organ of the human body and its care should not be compromised on financial considerations.

He said the technology was launched worldwide only in January this year and for the first time used in the country in Mumbai in March. In Asia, only Singapore and china were at present using this technology.

He said the cost of the entire set of machinery and equipment for Wavefront 400 Hz was Rs three crore.

In reply to a question, Dr Shroff said that since March they had treated 250 persons and all of them successfully so far.

More than it being a trend of boutique clinics, which is quite limiting, I would say the slant is in providing a happy hospital experience,” says Dr. Anand Shroff, Shroff Eye Clinic News – There’s a whole new breed of doctors out there who are getting active in trying to get back the old friendly doc back in the neighbourhood. For starters, they are doing everything they can to remove the look and smell of all things hospital, and replacing it with hospitality through a modified version of the intimidating structure called boutique clinics.

“Patients in the US are unhappy lot, where the next appointment with their doctor comes only after 15 days. The entire business works on quantity, and a doctor is able to give only 8 minutes of his times to each patient. Boutique clinics takes all this into consideration and works at removing the intimidating environment around the patient, and facilitates a more personal communication with the doctor. For that doctor reduces the number of patients he consults which improves quality,” informs Dr. Anniruddha Malpani of Malpani Clinic, the one stop destination for fertility, infertility and IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation).

Besides a more open communication, the patient is king in a boutique clinic. Right from the consultation to post operation procedure, the doctor makes sure that the patient feels at home. It includes removing all the greens and whites of a hospital and replacing it with a more warm, friendly ambience of pastel colours, printed sheets, paintings, efficient, friendly staff and transparency. “More than it being a trend of boutique clinics, which is quite limiting, I would say the slant is in providing a happy hospital experience,” says Dr. Anand Shroff, Shroff Eye Clinic. “We stress on comfort and transparency. Down from the first call that we entertain of the patient to follow-ups, there’s an open communication,” says Dr. Shroff. However Dr. Sunil Bhoolabhai goes a step forward and lights up his dental clinic in scented candles with music playing in the background. The patient can also watch television or a DVD while the treatment is on. “Work goes beyond the obvious and that’s what I try to provide to each and every clinic, a blend of the science of dentistry entwined with aesthetics,” says Dr. Bhoolabhai adding, “My office is warm relaxed and comfortable space where the intimidating effect of a hospital/clinic is blended into the relaxed ambience of a spa with the help of candles, fragrances, large screen entertainment, mood lighting, the wafting aroma of fresh coffee etc, all without compromising hygiene and infection control.”

Each room in Malpani Clinic not only sees to the colour co-ordination but also ensures an Internet, provides menu for the patient at no cost. They also ensures that all the tests and operations is done in one place. “The patient’s don’t have to run around. Our emphasis is on being patient friendly, especially in cutting down the rift between the doctor and a patient. And we never underestimate a patient, from a model to one in purdah,” says Dr. Anjali Malpani. Hospitals like Wellspring Healthcare, Wockhardt Heart Hospital, NM Medical besides offering luxury also offer health packages that can be gifted to a member of your family.

With doctors like Dr. Shroff and Dr. Malpani talking of waiving off visiting charges and making an emotional investment in patients, it’s does seems like boutique clinics are providing the perfect setting for the return of the friendly doc.

The world’s most advanced technology for customized laser correction – the Wavefront 400Hz Technology was launched at PerfectWave LASIK Centre at Shroff Eye Hospital in Mumbai.The world’s most advanced technology for customized laser correction – the Wavefront 400Hz Technology was launched at PerfectWave LASIK Centre at Shroff Eye Hospital in Mumbai.

The latest in laser technologies for refractive correction, the Wavefront 400Hz Technology is equipped with a completely computer controlled laser. This provides patients the highest level of safety, accuracy and reliability available in laser technology. Further, the technology is fully customized to the individual patient’s eye. The 400Hz technology has the most sensitive eye tracker in the world to ensure perfectly accurate and well-centered treatments, with absolutely no side effects or possibilities of errors. With the launch of the Wavefront 400Hz technology, people in India will have access to technology and precision available only at select centers in the world. Of the various technology options that we had available, we chose the 400Hz Wavefront technology since it is very safe and error-free. Further it allows patients with a much higher eye power to be treated safely and also can correct poorly done laser techniques, says Dr. Anand Shroff, Chief Surgeon, PerfectWave LASIK Centre and renowned Eye-care specialist.

Dr. Shroff elaborated on the technical advantages of the 400 Hz Wavefront and said “The eye is one of the most sensitive part of the body and we often treat it as a commodity choosing the treatment that is cheapest. Patient awareness is critical to better treatment and it will be our continued effort to educate the people about advantages of using the Wavefront 400 Hz as against using older laser technologies for corrective treatment for the eye.”

The Wavefront 400 Hz technology has treats the eye at 400 times each second, with a computer controlled eye tracking mechanism. The Wavefront 400 Hz stands a head over the older laser versions available in India. The older and discount lasers use antiquated technologies like manual eye tracking low frequency of treatment, larger beam width, putting the patient to the risk of errors.

The Wavefront 400 Hz technology, on the other hand, maps the cornea at 168 individual points through an unique Abberometer. This mapping helps identify the corrections required to compensate for the refractive problems in the internal optics of the eye. The cornea is then treated by small-spot laser beams to compensate for the correction making the treatment completely customized and error-free for the patients. Often, it has been seen that treatment with the Wavefront 400Hz improves vision and contrast to super -nominal limits.

His first-ever surgery left Sunil Wadhwa gushing. “Quick, painless and hassle free,” says the 20-year-old, describing the laser treatment that rid him of the “difficult to manage” contact lens he had worn for almost eight years.

”There’s a Lot of social stigma attached to lenses and glasses. Plus getting into college, without lenses, was something i looked forward to,” says Wadhwa. ‘”Worrying about staying over at a friend’s place and carrying the lens solution is no longer a hassle.”

The third year commerce student at HR College. Churchgate, who once had an eye power of minus 4 now has 20/20 Vision Wadhwa convinced his father, a gynaecologist, that now was the right time to have the Rs 30,000 laser guided corrective surgery known as LASIK or Laser Assisted in-situ Keratomileusis.

According to opthalmic surgeons, the average age of people undergoing refractive surgeries is 35. In fact, says Dr Sanjiv Shah, an opthalmic surgeon in Tardco, “about 50 percent of my LASIK clientele is in their mid-20s.”

The surgery takes an average of. 20 minutes, requires no stitches and allows the patient to return to the classroom or office in a day or two.
LASIK involves reshaping the cornea the external surface of the eye to correct near sightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism (an eye disorder in which the lens is severely curved).

One of the latest advances in LASIK treatments is the WaveLight Allegretto laser platform, which can “correct even internal errors of the eye such as night vision, glare, besides correcting numbered vision,” says ophthalmic surgeon Dr Anand Shroff of Shroff Eye Hospital in Bandra.

The device has one of the fastest eye trackers, which ensures accurate and safe treatments. The customised treatment, with a 3-D map of each eye is completed in a few seconds to prevent uneven drying of the corneal surface.

Globally the WaveLight Allegretto was introduced in 2002; it was used in India for the first time a year later.

According lo experts, the city’s young adults are also getting LASIK done to improve their marriage and career prospects.

“We often get harrowed parents asking us to treat their daughters’ vision far a better marital match,” says Daryus Panthakey director of Phiroze Dastoor Laser Eye Clinic in Santacruz. which performed one of the first laser vision correction surgeries in India in 1994.

LASIK treatment is, for many others, a smart career strategy.

Twenty-year-old Priti Shirke (name changed) of Tardeo knew her minus 3 vision would make it impossible for her to clear the physical tests necessary to join the police force. So she convinced her parents her father is a steel worker and her mother is a wholesale vegetable seller it was worth investing Rs 30,000 on laser vision correction.

“Treating my number was important: I couldn’t ruin my chances of a dream career,” chirps Shirke

Shirke’s surgery was done discreitly. She cleared the tests and is currently training in Nashik.

City doctors say the Rs l5,000-Rs 25,000 cost of LASIK for each eye is a third of the price abroad, but admit that it deters many patients.

“For the Indian market price is a major deciding factor. The quality of technology and surgeon is still secondary,” says Shah, ruefully.

The actual Laser treatment takes five to seven minutes:

The patient rests on a motorized bed, the head is motioned under the laser and anesthetic drops are applied in the eye.
A 3-D map called a ‘Wavefront map’ is formed to identify various higher order optical errors of the eye such that the surgeon can accurately focus the laser on these marked spots.

A soft finger-sized instrument or a lid retractor holds the eyelids open to give the surgeon clear access to the treatment area with minimal discomfort to the patient.

A precision instrument similar to a bottle opener called the ‘Microkeratome’ makes surgical corneal flap resection from each eye, exposing the inner layers of the cornea where the laser is applied.

While the patient Steadily stares at a blinking light during the procedure, the computerized laser shoots a beam of light to reshape the cornea this changes its curvature to the desired extent and corrects patient’s vision.
The resultant corneal curvature makes light entering the eye focus sharply on the retina without the need for corrective lenses.

This is the world’s most advanced technology for customised laser corrections and is equipped with a completely computer-controlled laser. This provides the patients the highest level of safety, accuracy and reliability available in laser technology

What is the Wavefront 400Hz, technology?

This is the world’s most advanced technology for customised laser corrections and is equipped with a completely computer-controlled laser. This provides the patients the highest level of safety, accuracy and reliability available in laser technology. It is also fully customised to the individual patient’s eye. Moreover, it has the most sensitive eye tracker in the world to ensure accurate treatment with absolutely no side effects or possibilities of errors. As of now, we have it in Mumbai, but we have many patients from Pune accessing it.

What is the advantage of this technology over the present laser treatment technology?

This technology is completely foolproof. As it allows patients with a much higher eye power, to be treated and can also correct poorly done laser techniques at the mushrooming ‘discount’ laser centers. This method avoids a number of side effects like glare and poor night vision since it helps remove the higher order errors of the eye (aberrations) unlike regular Lasik treatment, which is solely based on the prescription of glasses. Most doctors are using the 200Hz technology now and the 400 Hz helps us in giving faster treatments besides it being painless and the conditions of the eye is being checked by the instrument itself.

What is LASIK Method?

LASIK is a method of reshaping the external surface of the eye (the cornea) to correct low, moderate and high degrees of near-sightedness, astigmatism and far-sightedness. This complete eye assessment is required to check the patient’s suitability for LASIK. Tests include refraction, contrast sensitivity, pupil size, pupil reaction, retinal examination, tonometry and pachymetry. Other specialised treatments under the Wavefront technology include the aberrometry, topolyzer measurements, topography and tests for dry eye among others.

How does the technology function?

The Wavefront 400Hz technology maps a pupil-sized part of the cornea at 168 individual points through a unique aberrometer. This mapping helps identify the corrections required to compensate for the refractive problems at each of the 168 points of the eye. The cornea is than treated at each of these points by small area laser beams to compensate for the correction making treatment completely error free.

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