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LIST OF SERVICES & PROCEDURES
Laser for Vision Correction
Would you love to wake up and be able to see your alarm clock
without having to put on your glasses first? How would you like
to drive a car, play tennis, golf, or participate in water sports
without worrying about glasses or contact lenses? Thousands of Americans
are changing the way they see the world with LASIK! LASIK is short
for Laser In-situ Keratomileusis. LASIK can not treat or correct
this normal aging process of the eye.
Ophthalmologists have been performing Refractive
Surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism
since the 1970's. The approval of the Excimer Laser in December
of 1995 dramatically improved the way we correct refractive
errors. Procedures such as RK, AK and ALK allowed many people
to experience freedom from glasses and contact lenses, but
could not provide the accuracy or stability available today
with the Excimer Laser. |
There are currently 2 procedures being performed with the Excimer
Laser. One is known as PRK and the other is LASIK. The Excimer can
not successfully treat through the surface layer of your cornea
(epithelial layer). During PRK surgeons use a spatula to remove
the epithelial layer and then treat the cornea with the laser. It
takes about 2 weeks for the epithelial layer to reform and stabilize,
and your vision to clear. LASIK is performed by using an instrument
called a microkeratome to lift the epithelial layer, then the inner
surface of the cornea is treated with the laser and the epithelial
flap is put back in place without the need for stitches. The only
area to heal after LASIK is around the edge of the flap, and most
patients see well enough to drive and return to work the day after
surgery.
The Excimer Laser utilizes state of the art computer technology
to reshape the cornea and improve the way your eye focuses light.
The Excimer Laser produces a "cool" or non-thermal light beam to
reshape the internal cornea with an accuracy of up to 0.25 microns
with each pulse. It is accurate enough to remove single cells from
a human hair. The unique non-thermal light beam allows surgeons
to remove cells from the internal cornea without causing damage
to surrounding tissue.
The VISX STAR S2 Excimer Laser has been FDA approved to treat nearsightedness,
nearsightedness with astigmatism and farsightedness.
Understanding Refractive Errors
Nearsightedness (Also known
as Myopia)
In a normal eye light is focused directly on the nerve layer in
the back of your eye known as the retina. In a myopic eye the cornea
is too steep and light is focused in front of the retina creating
a blurred image.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea has an irregular shape. Light
coming into the cornea is focused at different points on the retina
instead of meeting at one point. This creates a distorted or often
double image. Patients with astigmatism can have difficulty focusing
at a distance and up close. They may also notice problems with glare
when driving at night.
Farsightedness (Also known as
Hyperopia)
In a hyperopic eye the cornea is too flat and the eye is too short
causing light to be focused behind the retina. This usually causes
images to be out of focus at a distance as well as up close.
Presbyopia (Often confused with
farsightedness)
As we age the natural lens within our eye starts to become firmer
and lose its elasticity. The loss of elasticity in the lens results
in a loss of accommodation, or ability to focus on objects less
than 2 feet away. Presbyopia occurs in most people in their mid
to late 40's whether they have LASIK or not.
HOW DOES LASIK WORK?
The goal in the correction of farsightedness is to flatten the cornea
by removing tissue from the center section of the cornea, causing
light to be refocused onto the retina. The Excimer Laser is able
to treat astigmatism by changing the pattern of the laser beam and
removing tissue from one corneal axis more than another. This creates
a more rounded or spherical cornea. To correct Farsightedness the
laser treats the area under the LASIK flap, around the periphery
of the central cornea, to steepen the central optical zone of the
cornea.
LASIK is a 2-step procedure using the Excimer laser and an instrument
called a microkeratome. Your eye is completely numbed with anesthetic
eye drops and an instrument is placed between your eyelids to prevent
you from blinking. A pass is made across the cornea with the microkeratome
to create a flap in the surface of the cornea. After the flap has
been made the laser is used to treat the inner layer of the cornea.
During the treatment you be looking at a red fixation light to properly
center your eye for the laser treatment. In most cases the laser
treatment lasts less than a minute. The flap is then put back in
place without the need for stitches, antibiotic eye drops are placed
in your eye and a clear protective shield is placed over your eye.
You will be given 2 different eye drops to prevent infection and
inflammation, as well as lubricating drops. You will be instructed
to wear the protective eye shields to bed the 1st night.
You will need to be seen the following day for your first post operative
appointment, and additional follow visits will be necessary to monitor
your healing.
You should plan to take it easy and rest the day of your surgery.
You may notice mild burning or tearing following the procedure,
and it may feel like there is an eyelash in your eye. These symptoms
are usually mild and should go away within 24 hours. Most patients
notice some glare or halos around lights for a period of time after
the surgery. These should diminish as the eye heals, but may not
go away completely. To reduce the risk of infection it is important
that you do not swim or go in a hot tub for the first 2 weeks after
surgery, we also ask that you not wear eye make-up for 1 to 2 weeks
following the procedure.
You will notice a marked increase in vision the first day, but you
should not expect perfection. Your vision will improve daily for
the first 10 to 14 days, and you may notice small changes for the
first 3 months. Most patients can see well enough the first day
to drive and return to work. You may experience a slight decrease
in near vision for the first 2 to 3 days, but this should return
to normal by the end of the first week.
(Remember, if you needed reading glasses, or had to take your glasses
off to read before surgery, there is a very good chance you will
need reading glasses after surgery.)
Your eyes may also feel noticeably more dry and scratchy and you
may need to use lubricating eye drops frequently for the first week
or two.
WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR LASIK?
Raleigh Ophthalmology is currently using the VISX Star S2 Excimer
Laser. It is FDA approved to treat the following levels of refractive
errors:
Myopia -1.00 to -12.00
Myopia with up to 4 diopters of astigmatism
Hyperopia +1.00 to +5.00
Patients should be over 18 years of age and must not have had any
significant changes in their glasses or contact lens prescription
for 1« to 2 years. Patients with any corneal disease, certain medical
conditions, and women who are pregnant are generally not considered
good candidates.
We have found that the patients who have surgery done who are the
happiest, are those who can accept that we can not guarantee perfect
vision with LASIK surgery. Although the Excimer laser is the most
precise means we have to surgically correct refractive errors, it
is not considered as accurate as glasses or contact lenses. Most
patients can see well enough to obtain a drivers license, swim,
ski, and enjoy most activities without the need for glasses or contact
lenses.
After their initial procedure:
98% of patients with myopia (with or without astigmatism) see 20/40
or better
78% see 20/25 or better
90% of patients with hyperopia see 20/40 or better
65% see 20/25 or better
HOW DO I GET MORE INFORMATION?
E-mail us or contact
one of our our offices.
Attend a free screening with our refractive counselor, Monday through
Thursday evenings at 5pm, or during regular business hours Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays. Attend one of monthly seminars given by
one of surgeons who specialize in Laser Vision Correction.
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For more information on the services and procedures we provide, please select from the list
below.
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