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 A Closer Look
The Excimer Laser — A Medical Breakthrough
LASIK procedures feature one of the most
exciting developments in the history of eye care, the excimer laser -
used to treat low to high degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness and
astigmatism. The treatment range is 1 to 14 diopters of nearsighted
correction, 1 to 6 diopters of farsighted correction and up to 6 diopters of astigmatism correction. The excimer laser produces a "cool"
ultra-violet light that does not cut or burn tissue. An advanced
computer guides the laser to reshape the eye’s cornea, producing a
sharper image on the retina.
 The
LASIK experience begins with a consultation with Dr. Clavenna or Dr.
Fitzgerald to discuss the procedure and determine if you are a likely
candidate for LASIK and also if you are a candidate for CustomVue LASIK.
Next is a very thorough ocular examination to make a final determination
as to whether you can have the procedure. The examination includes
a complete pupil dilated exam as well as measurements of pupil size,
dominant eye, color topography and corneal thickness. Realistic
results are then discussed with you helping you decide if LASIK is right
for you and your lifestyle. If you decide to have the procedure
then we schedule it at a convenient time for you.
The day of the procedure you will be given a mild
sedative. There are no needles or injections. Numbing drops allow the
LASIK to be performed pain free. The skin and eyelashes are cleaned
using an antiseptic solution. Once in the laser suite you will be
reclined in a comfortable chair where sterile drapes are placed around
the eye. An instrument called a lid speculum is gently placed holding
your eyelids open making it impossible for you to blink. Your job at
this point is to look at a red blinking light, which is very easy to
focus on. The doctor guides you through the procedure so that there
are no surprises, which minimizes your anxiety.
The procedure itself involves creating a flap on
the surface of the cornea using an automated instrument called a
microkeratome. The flap is then lifted back and the laser is applied to
the underlying surface called the stroma. Your prescription is
preprogrammed into the laser computer and is checked three times by the
doctor and the staff. After the laser is applied, the flap is laid
back into position and allowed two minutes to adhere. The lid speculum
is then removed and your eye is checked under a special microscope to
assure that everything is perfect.
Following LASIK, most people notice
immediate improvement in their vision but it should still be somewhat
blurred. That night most people feel a slight burning lasting several
hours and we encourage you to go to bed early and let the eye heal. The
next morning the vision is usually clear and you can drive yourself into
the office for a one-day post-op check. Normal activity is resumed the
following day. However, patients should avoid rubbing the eye, swimming,
and wearing eye make-up for one week. We prefer you wear protective
clear shields while sleeping for one week to help prevent rubbing.
Our LASIK results are nothing short of
outstanding. Our latest review indicates that 90% of our patients see
20/20 or better without corrective lenses following the procedure.
Using Visx S4 Active Track laser rotating beam technology, smoother
laser treatment and larger optical zones reduce the risk for glare and
allows faster recovery of vision. This advanced laser technology,
as well as extensive testing and qualified staff, results in a patient
satisfaction rate of greater than 99%.
Enhancements are required to fine-tune any
residual prescription in less than 5% of our patients. Everyone’s eyes
heal differently with the procedure sometimes causing a small amount of
prescription needing to be retreated. When this occurs we usually
re-lift the same flap and apply additional laser. This can be
disappointing as everyone hopes for clear vision the very next day. When
this unlikely event occurs we do the enhancement approximately three
months later and the end results are as good as if no enhancement was
needed.
CustomVue LASIK-Technology ahead of its time
You may be a candidate for the advanced CustomVue
LASIK. If so, the doctor and staff will explain the differences
and answer all of your questions about LASIK and CustomVue.
Wavefront LASIK differs from conventional LASIK only in the way your
prescription is measured. Wavefront technology was first developed
for use in the field of Astronomy to help correct for atmospheric
distortion of star light. This technology was then used to improve
the image of the Hubble space telescope. Eye specialists became
interested in this technology in the 1990s. By measuring how the
cornea, lens, and transparent tissues of the eye process light, they
were able to characterize visual disorders that went beyond
nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These visual
flaws, called higher-order aberration, are associated with subtle
problems such as poor night vision and contrast sensitivity, or halo
effects around light sources. How It Works
First the eye is tested and its optical imperfections
are measured. This is done by projecting a perfect beam of light
into the eye. If the eye were also perfect, then the light would
reflect back out of the eye and still be perfect, but this is never the
case with the human eye. Instead, an irregular beam of light
comes back out of the eye and is measured by a device called an
aberrometer. This device detects all of the aberrations created by
the eye such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and newly
recognized higher order aberrations. Next, a computer determines
how to reshape the cornea to correct for all of those imperfections
created by the eye. What It Means
The results of this technology are nothing short of amazing.
Almost everyone is seeing 20/20 or better. Not only are people
reading the eye chart clearly, many are saying that they now see better
than they have their entire life. The potential side effect of
LASIK such as glare, halos, and loss of contrast sensitivity are even
more rare. In fact, these symptoms are usually better after wavefront LASIK then before with glasses and contact lenses. |
