The latest techniques in lasik eye surgery could eliminate night vision problems and other side-effects of the treatment, allowing many more people to put aside their spectacles and contact lenses.

While existing lasik eye surgery treatments can correct mild sight impairments for the majority of patients, they are not suitable for those with more severe problems or natural fluctuations in the shape and thickness of the cornea , because of the risk of complications. Common problems include painful dry eyes, blurred vision and bursts of blinding light or "halos" at night.

However, by scanning and measuring the eye carefully before taking aim with a laser, surgeons are now able to assess the likely results of treatment and select the right procedure from a number of options.

Sight was restored to near-perfect levels as soon as a month after treatment in recent trials - patients could read more lines on a chart, and in higher definition, very quickly after the operation. This is a marked improvement over previous methods, where vision often deteriorates after the procedure and only gradually returns to normal after about six months.

Prior to surgery, the iris image of each patient's eye is captured on software. Iris recognition technology can then be used to build up a personal map of the fine optical aberrations that might affect the outcome of surgery.

This new lasik eye surgery technique allows options to remove less tissue, eliminate night vision problems (Waterfront surgery) and to leave the natural shape of the cornea. The surgery is also more comfortable for the patient, since the surgeon fires the laser for about 20 seconds, compared to 60 seconds during older techniques. The procedure has been in clinical trials for about a year but if it lives up to its promise we could see many patients benefiting from it within a year or two.