"The procedure was quick and painless. . . I am still amazed at the crispness and clarity of my vision. I can't believe that I can see the individual shapes of the tree leaves at the very top of the trees when I drive down the road."
--Julie Wichert, Huntsburg, Ohio
Cataract Surgery Options
When you and your ophthalmologist decide that it is the right time for cataract surgery, the defective lens that causes blurring and light distortions will be replaced with a new lens. You may choose between a clear lens referred to as a single vision "monofocal" or a full range multifocal lens. Cataract surgery is an opportunity to improve your vision and attain independence from glasses or contacts. Check out our vision chart for more information on the different options available.
Lifestyle Questionnaire
Click on the link below for a questionnaire which will help you think about how you use your eyes in order for you and your ophthalmologist to determine the best option for you.
If you're over the age of 21 and have Nearsightedness, Farsightedness, or Astigmatism, you may be a good candidate for LASIK Eye Surgery. You should:
· Be in good general health. · Have no health issues that would affect the eyes. · Have no active eye conditions that may impact healing. · Have a stable vision prescription for at least one year. · Not be nursing or pregnant on the date of the surgery. · Not have dry eye syndrome. · Understand Lasik and have realistic expectations as to results. · Not have scarring on the cornea.
An evaluation by an accredited ophthalmologist will include an examination of your eyes and measurement of the amount of refractive error and corneal thickness. This will determine the type of Lasik procedure that would be best for you. The ophthalmologist can explain more about Lasik and answer any questions you may have at that time as well as review your medical history and discuss Lasik options such as Wavefront™ vs. standard Lasik.
For more information, please contact our office.
How do you know if you are too young and or too old to have Lasik? What is the best age and conditions?
The ideal candidate for Lasik surgery should be 21 years and older. Children or teenagers under the age of 18 are not considered good candidates for Lasik. Their eyes are still changing and do not fully develop until adulthood. One of the requirements for Lasik is that a patient's eye prescription be stable for at least one year before undergoing Lasik surgery.
Patients who have reached or are close to reaching the age of 40 should consider that their vision may be affected by conditions that cannot be treated with Lasik surgery, such as presbyopia. Although Lasik will not correct presbyopia that has to do with aging and the eye's focusing muscles, there are other methods such as monovision treatment for correcting this condition.
Lasik surgery is generally not the best option for older patients suffering from age-related conditions that cannot be treated with the procedure, such as cataracts. Cataracts occur when the natural lens in the eye becomes cloudy, resulting in blurred vision. However, there are other options such as cataract surgery using multi-focal implants that can correct the vision to reduce dependency on glasses.
How do you know if you are too young and or too old to have Lasik? What is the best age and conditions?
The ideal candidate for Lasik surgery should be 21 years and older. Children or teenagers under the age of 18 are not considered good candidates for Lasik. Their eyes are still changing and do not fully develop until adulthood. One of the requirements for Lasik is that a patient's eye prescription be stable for at least one year before undergoing Lasik surgery.
Patients who have reached or are close to reaching the age of 40 should consider that their vision may be affected by conditions that cannot be treated with Lasik surgery, such as presbyopia. Although Lasik will not correct presbyopia that has to do with aging and the eye's focusing muscles, there are other methods such as monovision treatment for correcting this condition.
Lasik surgery is generally not the best option for older patients suffering from age-related conditions that cannot be treated with the procedure, such as cataracts. Cataracts occur when the natural lens in the eye becomes cloudy, resulting in blurred vision. However, there are other options such as cataract surgery using multi-focal implants that can correct the vision to reduce dependency on glasses.
I understand that there are 2 types of Lasik Correction Procedures. Can you explain the difference?
There is the standard or traditional Lasik and the custom Wavefront™ Lasik. In the past, Lasik eye surgery was based simply on your prescription: whether you were nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic, and your degrees of each. However, excellent vision is also dependent on higher-order aberrations - more complicated and personalized visual imperfections that affect the crispness and clarity of your vision.
New custom Lasik technology is able to diagnose and treat visual imperfections. If you choose to undergo custom Lasik vision correction rather than traditional Lasik, the procedure begins with the mapping of the eyes with Wavefront™ technology. This provides a blueprint of your eyes' lower and higher order aberrations, allowing for the most accurate correction of visual impairments. The treatment then proceeds in a similar manner to traditional Lasik.
Custom Wavefront ™ Lasik produces better visual improvement than one-size-fits-all Lasik procedures and has a lower incidence of undesirable side effects such as halos and glare.
Various medical conditions, eye diseases, and medications can affect your custom Lasik candidacy. Other determining factors include the stability of your refractive error, your age, and certain aspects of your eye's anatomy.
My concern is that Lasik is surgery and all surgery has risks. What if something happens during the procedure or what if I go blind?
Fear of Lasik, unfortunately, prevents many people from pursuing this corrective vision procedure. However, the more you learn about Lasik, the more comfortable you will be. Many people have a fear of the unknown.
Some common fears I hear from my patients are:
Pain. Although the procedure is performed while the patient is awake, they are given mild sedative by mouth and numbing drops in the eyes prior to surgery. It is pain-free except for some pressure they may feel.
Scalpel. There is no scalpel in Lasik surgery. A corneal flap is created by a microkeratome blade or an IntraLase® laser.
According to the FDA, there have been no reported cases of a patient going blind due to LASIK. The risk of facing serious complications after surgery is less than 1 percent. It is also very rare for a patient's vision to become worse after LASIK surgery. Should that occur, a second procedure may be possible to perform to correct the problem.
Being Awake. The procedure for both eyes generally takes an average of 10 minutes. As the surgeon talks to the patient during the procedure, those 10 minutes go by very quickly.
For more information, please call our office.
Is Lasik surgery painful? Are there side effects?
Lasik laser eye surgery is a virtually pain-free procedure because the cornea and eye are anesthetized by drops. Some patients experience a scratchy feeling or some pressure, but most report virtually no pain. The amount of discomfort patients experience after the anesthetic wears off varies with each individual, but with Lasik laser eye surgery, most irritation usually disappears within a few hours. However, you may be sensitive to light for a few days.
Generally, Lasik eye surgery side effects disappear within a few days to a few months following the procedure and most commonly include glare, sensitivity to light, halos with night vision, and dry eyes.
Sensitivity to light following surgery is common and can tempt patients to rub or touch their eyes when they experience this sensation. This could impede the healing process or damage the eyes. Light sensitivity generally subsides within the first few days after a Lasik procedure.
Also, post Lasik dry eye complications such as itchiness, crusting, or the sensation that there is a foreign body in the eye usually subside within the first three months after surgery, and are easily relieved by the use of preservative-free lubricating drops.
I'm 45 years old and I have been thinking about getting Lasik for some time. My concern is that I will still wear glasses after surgery. Is that true in all cases?
Generally yes, but there are options. Most people, age 40+ are affected by presbyopia that occurs when the eye's natural lens becomes less flexible so that it is difficult to change its focus between near and far objects. During Lasik surgery, the cornea is reshaped. The procedure has no effect on the eye's focusing muscles so it cannot correct the presbyopia. Thus, you will still have the need for reading glasses.
Another option available would be monovision treatment. This involves surgically correcting one eye to focus on near objects while correcting the other eye to focus on distant objects. The brain will learn to adapt to the vision change over time. Patients considering monovision surgery should understand they may still need corrective eyewear for optimal vision. They should also experiment with contact lenses or special glasses that simulate post-operative results before treatment to make sure they can tolerate the effects of the surgery.
Monovision can be attained through several different methods, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, in addition to LASIK monovision eye surgery. For more information on the most optimal solution for you, please call our office.
How do I select a good Lasik surgeon?
First of all, you want to find out everything you can about the ophthalmologist(s) you may be considering. You want an ophthalmologist that is knowledgeable and experienced in Lasik surgery specifically.
In order to understand the surgeon's track record, here are some questions that will help you understand and open up some important dialogue:
· How long have you been performing Lasik surgeries? At least 3 years.
· How many Lasik surgeries have you performed within the last 2 years? A minimum of 500 is good.
· What type of Lasik equipment and processes do you offer?
· What percentage of your patients achieve 20/40 vision or better after undergoing LASIK surgery? 90% is considered normal.
· What percentage of your patients still experience LASIK complications six months after undergoing LASIK surgery? Normal is 3%.
· What percentage of your patients undergo an additional LASIK procedure to achieve clear vision? Average is 10%.
· What is there cost and what type of financing do they offer? Generally insurance plans do not cover this procedure so financing may be important.
I know that insurances will not pay toward Lasik, but what does it generally cost and how else can I pay for it?
The cost of Lasik eye surgery can vary widely depending on the area of the country in which Lasik is performed, the level of experience a surgeon possesses, the technology used during the surgery, and the degree of your refractive error.
Lasik eye surgery prices can range anywhere from $499 per eye to $2,500 per eye. However, it is important to remember that you should not base your choice of a Lasik surgeon solely on the cost of Lasik eye surgery. A less skilled ophthalmologist may charge a lower Lasik eye surgery price, but he or she may not have the same experience, training, or precise equipment as a more expensive doctor.
The cost is also dependent upon the type of procedure you opt for; i.e. traditional Lasik or Wavefront™. Fortunately, many eye centers and ophthalmologists provide financing plans and/or discounts to help make this vision correction surgery more affordable.
When researching the cost of Lasik eye surgery, it is important to ask surgeons what factors contribute to their Lasik eye surgery price. However, your choice of a surgeon should be based on their qualifications and not just pricing.
I would love to have Lasik, but I can't seem to take the next step. I'm not sure the benefits outweigh my fears.
It is understandable to have a fear of the unknown. However, the benefits of Lasik are many and quite remarkable considering that the patient experiences minimal discomfort during and after the procedure. Most Lasik patients experience dramatically improved vision within mere hours of the procedure. Most are able to return to work and other activities the day after the procedure. The recovery period is short and there is little to no postoperative discomfort. Most individuals are extremely pleased with the results.
The most significant benefit and the one that creates the most excitement in patients is the freedom they will have from wearing glasses or contact lenses. Life is more enjoyable when you are no longer dependent on corrective eyewear. Traveling is easier without having to pack cleaning and storing solutions or worry about losing or breaking glasses. Leisure-time activities such as golfing, swimming, cycling, sky-diving, and even spending a day at the beach are more pleasurable without having to wear corrective lenses. The benefits vary from person to person, but many patients experience renewed self-confidence that enhances their social and professional lives creating a sense of well-being and optimism
I am a very active 65 year old. I would really like to see without having to wear glasses. I have been told that I am not a good candidate for Lasik anymore so what other options do I have?
Newer, multifocal intraocular lenses will correct vision at multiple ranges, without the use of glasses or contact lenses. This procedure can be done at any time but generally is done during cataract surgery where the old lens is replaced by a new multifocal lens. In the past, the new intraocular lens was clear and would correct for either near or far but not both. You would still need glasses for the distance that was not corrected by surgery. However, the multifocal lens corrects your vision and you usually do not need glasses to read or see at a distance. Both the clear lens, or monofocal lens, and the multifocal lens are referred to as intraocular lens implants.
Generally, you are considered a good candidate for intraocular lenses if you: • are in good health • have healthy eyes free of disease and infection • are between the ages of 55 and 80
An ophthalmologist will examine your eyes and review your medical history to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. Be sure to check this out prior to having cataract surgery.
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