A new LASIK refractive-laser technology offering a customized treatment that i ncorporates wavefront principles to patients with nearsightedness and farsightedness is now available for the first time in the United States . The ALLEGRETTO WAVE system is not only the first new laser to receive approval in the United States since 1999, it is also the only laser system that has received concurrent approvals for nearsightedness and farsightedness with astigmatism and clearance for the widest treatment range ever initially granted to a new laser.

The number one selling refractive laser outside the United States for the last two years, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE, designed and built by WaveLight of Germany, is the only system to incorporate wavefront principles into its standard platform. Because it is the fastest laser available in the United States today, the ALLEGRETTO WAVE delivers short and comfortable treatments, usually in less than 20 seconds depending upon the patient's prescription.

T he laser's proprietary PerfectPulse TechnologyT helps to minimize post-operative glare and night vision issues by incorporating wavefront principles directly into every LASIK treatment. The principle behind Perfect Pulse Technology is to maintain the natural corneal shape and curvature which is unique to each patient. The result is a more accurate laser treatment across the entire cornea, resulting in sharper vision, in both daylight and dim light conditions.

The ALLEGRETTO WAVE is approved for the treatment of myopia up to -12 diopters with astigmatism of up to -6 diopters and hyperopia up to +6 diopters with astigmatism of up to +5 diopters, not exceeding a mean spherical equivalent of +6 diopters. For patient information published by the FDA about the ALLEGRETTO WAVE for myopia and hyperopia, visit www.fda.gov or www.allegrettowave.com .

WaveLight also supports charitable causes and is a major sponsor to Vision for the World (www.vision-for-the-world.org), a charity organization that fights against blindness in third world countries.