If you are comparing LASIK options, you will see two names on our price list: Wavefront Optimized LASIK at $4,100 for both eyes and WaveLight® Plus LASIK at $5,100 for both eyes. Both are all-inclusive, both include our lifetime enhancement guarantee, and both are performed by Dr. Feinerman on the same WaveLight EX500 excimer laser. The difference is $1,000 for both eyes, and it comes down to how the treatment is planned.
| The short answer. Wavefront Optimized LASIK treats your glasses prescription with a laser pattern designed to limit the blur-inducing aberrations that older lasers tended to create. WaveLight Plus goes a step further: it measures your whole eye with the INNOVEYES SightMap™ diagnostic device, builds a three-dimensional model of that eye, and calculates a treatment specific to it, including small optical imperfections called higher-order aberrations that a glasses prescription cannot describe. In the only randomized head-to-head trial published so far, both treatments were safe and effective, WaveLight Plus was at least as accurate as Wavefront Optimized, and eyes treated with WaveLight Plus had measurably lower higher-order aberrations three months after surgery [1]. Whether that difference matters to you depends on your eyes, your pupils, and how you use your vision, which is what your evaluation is for. |
What Wavefront Optimized LASIK Actually Does
Wavefront Optimized LASIK has been the workhorse of modern LASIK for nearly two decades. The treatment plan starts with your manifest refraction, the same measurement used for glasses and contact lenses. The laser then applies extra energy toward the edge of the treatment zone to compensate for the way laser pulses lose efficiency on the curved periphery of the cornea. That adjustment is what “optimized” refers to: it helps preserve the cornea’s natural shape and limits the induction of spherical aberration, an optical imperfection linked to halos and reduced night contrast [1, 2].
What Wavefront Optimized does not do is measure your eye’s existing higher-order aberrations. Higher-order aberrations are irregularities in how light focuses that go beyond nearsightedness, farsightedness, and regular astigmatism. The treatment is designed not to add many new ones; it is not designed to remove the ones you already have [1].
For patients with stable, uncomplicated prescriptions and healthy corneas, Wavefront Optimized LASIK remains an excellent procedure. That is why we still offer it.
What WaveLight® Plus Changes
WaveLight Plus, which the FDA approved in March 2025, uses a different starting point [3]. Instead of your glasses prescription, the plan is built from measurements taken by the INNOVEYES SightMap device in a single sitting: corneal tomography (the shape and thickness of the front and back of the cornea), optical biometry (the length of the eye and the position of the lens), and whole-eye wavefront aberrometry (a map of how light actually focuses through your entire eye) [4, 5].
Software combines those measurements into a virtual model of your eye. A ray-tracing algorithm then simulates light passing through that model and calculates the corneal shape that would focus it best, accounting for expected healing and the cornea’s biomechanical response. The result is a treatment profile specific to your eye that addresses your refractive error and your measured higher-order aberrations together [4, 5]. Because the plan is generated from objective measurements, no nomogram adjustment or manual data entry is required, which removes one common source of small planning errors [1].
| A practical note: for the automated plan to be used, the refraction measured by SightMap has to agree closely with your manifest refraction (within 0.75 diopters of spherical equivalent under the FDA labeling) [3]. Dr. Feinerman checks this at your evaluation. If the measurements do not agree, or if your cornea does not have enough tissue margin for the somewhat deeper personalized ablation, he will tell you that Wavefront Optimized LASIK, PRK, or EVO ICL™ is the better fit. |
| → Related Article What Is SightMap™ Technology, and Why Does It Matter for LASIK? |
The Head-to-Head Evidence
The most reliable way to compare two laser treatments is to give one to each eye of the same patient, at random, with neither the patient nor the examiner knowing which eye got which. That is exactly what a University of Heidelberg team did in 30 patients (60 eyes) with myopia up to about 8 diopters, publishing the results in Ophthalmology in 2025 [1]. The study was investigator-initiated and supported by an Alcon research grant.
| Outcome at 3 months (one eye each, same patients) | WaveLight® Plus | Wavefront Optimized |
|---|---|---|
| Within 0.50 D of target refraction | 100% | 90% |
| Within 0.25 D of target refraction | 83% | 77% |
| Uncorrected vision 20/20 or better | 100% | 93% |
| Uncorrected vision 20/16 or better | 83% | 73% |
| Eyes losing any line of best-corrected vision | 0 | 0 |
| Total higher-order aberrations, 6 mm pupil | 0.32 µm (unchanged from before surgery) | 0.42 µm (increased) |
Source: Khoramnia et al., Ophthalmology 2025 [1]. Green cells mark statistically significant differences or shared results; the 20/20 and 20/16 rows favored WaveLight Plus but were not statistically significant.
How to read this table honestly: WaveLight Plus met its main goal of being at least as accurate as Wavefront Optimized, and its average refractive result was slightly closer to target. The differences in the share of eyes reaching 20/20 or 20/16 favored WaveLight Plus but were small and not statistically significant in a study of this size. The clearest difference was optical: at a large pupil diameter, the kind you have in dim light, WaveLight Plus eyes had significantly lower total higher-order aberrations, spherical aberration, coma, and trefoil. At a smaller, daytime pupil the gap narrowed [1].
The trial did not collect patient questionnaires about night driving or halos, so it cannot tell you that WaveLight Plus eyes felt better at night. Lower measured aberrations are a plausible reason to expect that, particularly in people with large pupils, but it has not been demonstrated against Wavefront Optimized in a head-to-head study [1].
What the Larger Studies Add
The randomized trial is small, so it helps to look at the broader record for WaveLight Plus on its own.
In the U.S. FDA clinical study of 334 eyes across nine centers, 92% of eyes saw 20/20 or better without glasses at three months and 94% at 12 months; 98% of participants said they were very or completely satisfied; measured dry eye symptoms improved on average compared with before surgery; and no eye lost two or more lines of best-corrected vision at the point of refractive stability [4]. Contrast sensitivity in dim light with glare improved meaningfully in about half of eyes at one year, and worsened meaningfully in about one in six, so the improvement is common but not universal [4].
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 14 studies and 1,577 eyes: 99% achieved 20/20 or better uncorrected, about 2% lost one line of best-corrected vision, spherical aberration tended to decrease, and total higher-order aberrations rose very slightly on average [5]. In a real-world Australian series of 400 eyes (200 patients), 100% saw 20/20 or better, 89% saw 20/16 or better, and 50% saw 20/12.5 at three months [6]. Those are results for those populations at those follow-up points, not a promise for any individual eye.
Which Patients Tend to Benefit Most From WaveLight® Plus
Based on the evidence above and Dr. Feinerman’s evaluation criteria, WaveLight Plus may be the stronger choice for:
- Patients with larger pupils in dim light, where higher-order aberrations have the most effect [1]
- Patients who already notice halos, glare, or “washed-out” vision at night even with glasses, provided the evaluation shows measurable higher-order aberrations that a treatment can address
- Patients with astigmatism, where ray-tracing planning has shown precise axis alignment in published series [7]
- Patients who want the most personalized correction currently available and have adequate corneal thickness for it
Wavefront Optimized LASIK may be the more sensible choice when your higher-order aberrations are already low, when corneal thickness margins are tighter, when SightMap and manifest refraction do not agree closely, or when the $1,000 difference matters more to you than a potential optical refinement. Neither platform is right for corneas that are genuinely too thin for LASIK; that is usually an EVO ICL conversation.
Is the $1,000 Difference Worth It?
At Feinerman Vision, WaveLight Plus LASIK is $5,100 for both eyes and Wavefront Optimized LASIK is $4,100 for both eyes. Both prices are all-inclusive and subject to change, and both include our lifetime enhancement guarantee, which applies to these two LASIK procedures only. The difference is $1,000 for both eyes, not per eye.
What that $1,000 buys is the SightMap evaluation, the personalized ray-tracing plan, and the evidence-backed reduction in higher-order aberrations at large pupil sizes. What it does not buy is a guarantee of 20/16 vision or halo-free night driving. Dr. Feinerman will tell you at your evaluation whether your eyes are likely to see a meaningful benefit or whether Wavefront Optimized will serve you just as well.
| → Related Article |
Recovery and Follow-Up Are the Same
Both procedures take about 15 minutes for both eyes, with the laser active for only seconds per eye. Most patients see well enough to drive and work within 24 to 48 hours. Dr. Feinerman calls every patient the evening of surgery, sees every patient himself the next morning, and asks every patient to save his cell phone number so they can reach him directly with any concern.
A Note From Dr. Feinerman
I still perform Wavefront Optimized LASIK, and I still recommend it to patients for whom it is the right fit. What WaveLight Plus adds is a treatment built from a measurement of your own eye rather than from a formula. The randomized data show it is at least as accurate and leaves the eye with fewer optical imperfections at night-time pupil sizes. For some patients that is a meaningful upgrade; for others the difference will be small. My job is to tell you which group you are in, and that starts with the evaluation, never with the procedure.
| BOOK YOUR EVALUATION WITH DR. FEINERMAN Newport Beach, CA · (949) 631-4780 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WaveLight Plus need my glasses prescription at all?
The treatment plan itself is calculated from SightMap measurements rather than from your manifest refraction. Your manifest and cycloplegic refractions are still measured and used as a safety check: under the FDA labeling, the SightMap refraction must be within 0.75 diopters of the manifest refraction for the automated treatment to be used [3].
Can I still get an enhancement with either procedure?
Yes. Both Wavefront Optimized and WaveLight Plus LASIK at Feinerman Vision include a lifetime enhancement guarantee. Enhancements are uncommon with modern platforms; in the WaveLight Plus FDA study, no eyes were retreated during the 12-month follow-up [4]. The guarantee does not apply to PRK, EVO ICL, refractive lens exchange, or cataract surgery.
Is Wavefront Optimized LASIK an outdated procedure?
No. It remains one of the most studied LASIK treatments worldwide and served as the comparison standard in the randomized trial described above, where it produced excellent results [1]. WaveLight Plus is a refinement, not a replacement.
| → Related Article WaveLight® Plus vs. Contoura® Vision: What the Head-to-Head Studies Actually Show |
References
- Khoramnia R, Naujokaitis T, Blöck L, et al. Prospective intraindividual comparison of automated customized ray-tracing-guided versus wavefront-optimized LASIK. Ophthalmology. 2025;132(10):1169-1179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2025.05.025
- Sáles CS, Manche EE. One-year outcomes from a prospective, randomized, eye-to-eye comparison of wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized LASIK in myopes. Ophthalmology. 2013;120(12):2396-2402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.05.010
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data, P020050/S043 (WaveLight EX500 with INNOVEYES Sightmap). Approved March 5, 2025. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf2/P020050S043B.pdf
- Krueger RR, Thompson V, Solomon K, et al. Myopic and astigmatic laser in situ keratomileusis using a ray tracing-based treatment algorithm with a personalized ablation profile. Clin Ophthalmol. 2026;20:567933. https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S567933
- Friedrich M, Augustin VA, Auffarth GU, Khoramnia R, Son HS. Visual outcomes and safety of ray-tracing-guided laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmol Ther. 2026;15(5):1623-1645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-026-01376-3
- He G, Bala C. Ray-tracing-guided myopic LASIK: real-world clinical outcomes. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023;49(11):1140-1146. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001286
- Shetty R, Shah A, Singh P, et al. Stability, safety, and efficacy of WaveLight Plus InnovEyes ray-tracing-guided LASIK in myopia and myopic astigmatism: a one-year prospective study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2026 Sep 10:S0002-9394(26)00510-6. Online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2026.09.006