A new refractive error, Aberrophia, which reveals aberrations in the ocular media resulting in loss of vision in the eye, has been claimed to have found for the first time by a Chennai based-ophthalmologist, Dr. Amar Agarwal.

According to Dr. Agarwal, Aberrophia was hitherto diagnosed as Amblyopia (lazy eye) and patients were given glass or contact lenses to correct the refractive error but used to be in vain.

"Ophthalmologists normally treat patients only for myopia and hypermetropia. Now there is another refractive error where aberrations are present in the coular media resulting in loss of vision," he added. This refractive error can be treated using wavefront technology laser, he said.

"Patients suffering from the disorder could be examined using a special machine, the Aberrometer. They could be treated with wavefront technology laser. Once these aberrations are removed, the patient regains normal vision of 6/6 and will be capable of reading all the seven lines in the vision chart," he added.

The discovery has gone in for publication to leading international ophthalmic journals. Dr. Agarwal is to be honoured with the "Barraquer Award" by one of the largest ophthalmic societies in the world for his discovery at a function in Chile on December 6.

The laser using the wavefront technology is the Zyoptix laser machine which is a highly advanced lasik laser providing customized treatment for refractive errors. The laser machine is a patented invention of Wavefront Technology, USA. The machine will now help patients suffering from refractive errors leading to myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia and astigmatism to have perfect vision and discard the spectacles or contact lenses that they currently use.

Personalized treatment can now be given to patients suffering from these refractive errors in less than 15 minutes. The Aberrometer, takes images from patients' eye and analyses the aberrations present. After this, the patient is put on another machines called Orbscan, and the data from these two machines are used to analyse the extent of aberrations and defect. The data obtained is linked to the Zyotix Laser which ablates the cornea and removes not only the patient's myopia or hypermetropia but also removes all aberrations in the eye which provides for better results. The advantages of the treatment are that it requires no hospitalization, no pads, no stitches and no injections.