St. Louis, MO — October 13, 2025 — The WashU Medicine LASIK Surgery Center is proud to announce the arrival of Wavelight® Plus Ray-Tracing Technology, a breakthrough in vision correction now available for qualifying patients following recent FDA approval.
A patient undergoing advanced testing with our new ray tracing system, which enhances diagnostic accuracy and helps refine every step of the LASIK experience. 
“With the addition of new ray tracing technology, our LASIK team can now capture even more precise measurements for each patient—leading to clearer, more customized vision outcomes. 
Technician David performs a ray tracing scan, capturing highly detailed data on how light travels through the patient’s eye to guide more customized surgical outcomes. 
Ray tracing allows for a deeper, more comprehensive analysis of the eye—giving our surgeons advanced insights to ensure the highest quality of care.
Unlike traditional LASIK methods, which rely on averaged measurements, Wavelight® Plus Ray-Tracing builds a personalized model of each patient’s eye. By accounting for the unique characteristics of every cornea, this technology corrects nearsightedness and astigmatism with unmatched precision—delivering sharper, clearer vision than ever before.
Developed With WashU Expertise
WashU Medicine’s Stephen Wexler, MD and Eric Polk, OD, FAAO contributed their expertise as part of the development team that helped bring Ray-Tracing Technology from concept to reality. Following years of FDA study participation, the WashU Medicine LASIK Surgery Center is now the only provider in the St. Louis region offering patients access to this advanced treatment.
“The main advantage of Wavelight® Plus Ray-Tracing Technology is that it’s simply more accurate. The odds of patients seeing 20/20—or even better—without glasses after the procedure are higher than what we’ve seen with traditional LASIK. We’re excited to bring this innovation to St. Louis.”
Stephen Wexler, MD, LASIK Surgeon and Medical Director at WashU Medicine LASIK Surgery Center.
Sharper Vision, Greater Freedom
Many patients treated with Wavelight® Plus Ray-Tracing LASIK achieve vision sharper than 20/20—often exceeding what glasses or contact lenses can provide. Beyond clarity, the benefits extend to greater freedom, confidence, and quality of life.
“Ray-Tracing represents the future of LASIK,” said Eric Polk, OD, FAAO. “This technology allows us to treat patients with a level of precision that was not possible before, and we’re proud that WashU Medicine is leading the way in offering it.”
Learn More
The WashU Medicine LASIK Surgery Center is currently scheduling consultations for patients interested in Ray-Tracing Technology.
Learn more about the technology here:
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.