What is aberrometry? Discovering the aberrations of the eye

By Cristiano Antonino On Apr 7, 2022

Aberrometry is an instrumental examination that studies optical imperfections, known as optical aberrations, both corneal and internal to the eye

What is aberrometry used for?

All eyes have optical aberrations or imperfections.

Some, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism can be corrected with lenses: contact lenses or spectacles.

These are called low-order optical aberrations.

There are other, more specific optical aberrations, however, called high-order aberrations, which cannot be corrected with normal corrective lenses and cause vision imperfections.

The purpose of the examination is to detect and measure the presence of any type of optical aberration.

Are there any preparation rules for the aberrometry examination?

There are no special preparation rules for this diagnostic examination, but it is advisable to discontinue contact lenses 3-4 days before the examination for soft lenses and at least 2 weeks before for gas permeable or semi-rigid lenses.

Which patients can undergo aberrometry?

Any patient can undergo this examination; the examination is compulsory in the selection of a patient who is a candidate for refractive surgery, but it is also very useful in the diagnostic investigation of all those pathologies in which the visual capacity is limited and other diagnostic examinations cannot detect the cause.

The answer to the diagnosis may lie in aberrometry.

Is aberrometry painful or dangerous?

The examination is non-invasive (no contact with the patient) and no pain is felt.

It consists only in fixing a light or fixation target during the detection, at which point the aberrometer acquires images of the eye that are processed to determine the optical characteristics of the cornea and the inner part.

The examination lasts only a few seconds and in most cases does not involve the instillation of drops.