Tag: Lasik physician

Pros and Cons for Lasik with IntraLase

Those who have had a Lasik technique done, and those who are investigating having a Lasik vision correction procedure, know that the first step of that procedure is to create a small flap in order for the Lasik physician to reshape the cornea. This flap is created by the surgeon, and can be done using a small blade or using a laser. Using the laser is generally called a bladeless Lasik procedure, or IntraLasik, or IntraLase.

For those that are considering a Lasik procedure, this review should be helpful in order to determine the pros and cons of the Lasik procedure using IntraLase. One comment to be made is that the risks and complications possible using the small blade are well known and documented, since that procedure has been done for years and has a database of millions of patients.

Granted, 90% or more of all Lasik patients have no serious side effects or even minor lasting side effects, but it is true that a large part of the complications from Lasik procedures stem from the flap made with the microkeratome blade. Over the years additional techniques have been developed to further minimize such problems from the standard Lasik procedure.

The introduction of the laser to create the flap is a new frontier in the Lasik procedure. The laser is used in combination with state of the art software to create a flap of a pre-programmed size at a specific depth and position. During this process, a soft suction ring holds the eye in place, but this causes no discomfort to the Lasik client. Generally the only effect noticed by most Lasik patients is a dimming of vision in the eye being worked on for the duration of the treatment of that eye.

The use of the laser creates very small bubbles of water and carbon dioxide that serve as a good buffer between the flap and the cornea itself, and so this Lasik procedure conserves the eye very carefully. The whole process of creating a flap for one eye takes approximately one minute.

The advantages of using a laser to make the flap for the Lasik vision correction procedure is that there is no way that the cornea can be abraded, nor any chance of the wrong size or depth of flap, since it is all pre-programmed with Lasik software. The exact vertical edges of the flap produced using this Lasik procedure help healing, and also decrease the possibility that the flap might slip or wrinkle if the eye is accidentally bumped or rubbed during the healing process.

There are very few cons to using a laser to create the flap during a Lasik procedure. One is that the process takes a bit longer, up to a minute. A second reason is that the low level suction during this phase of the Lasik operation does result in eye redness for about 5% of the patients, but this goes away within a few days. The last reason is that there is still a difference in cost between this and the traditional Lasik procedure, but hopefully that will decrease as the years progress.

My Questions about the Lasik Procedure

Many people that wear glasses or contact lenses have listened to the claims of how Lasik can give them perfect vision. They have also heard great Lasik success stories, as well as stories from people that were not sure they had given the decision enough thought. This guide lists the most common questions asked by people who are considering Lasik vision correction, and answers given by reputable physicians.

The first and most important question asked about Lasik is, not surprisingly, “Is Lasik safe?” The answer is that it is normally quite a safe procedure, with success rates above 95 percent for good, experienced Lasik surgeons, and 90 percent average over all physicians that perform the Lasik procedure. This statistic about Lasik success assumes that the patient is a good candidate for Lasik surgery. The requirements have some specific details and should be gone over with the physician that will perform the Lasik procedure.

It is a very good idea to ask the Lasik physician which patients he has declined to perform the Lasik procedure on, to make sure that the particular physician has and operates with good standards. Any Lasik practitioner that tries to imply that everyone that comes in to his office is a good candidate for Lasik vision correction should be viewed with some skepticism. In any case, it is wise to interview several different physicians that perform the Lasik procedure before deciding on one.

A second frequently asked question about Lasik is “What are the possible complications from Lasik surgery?” Common side effects are starbursts or halos when looking at a light, sensitivity to light and difficulty with glare and night vision, and some sensation that a foreign body is in the eye. Most of these effects will pass within a few days after the Lasik procedure. Between 1 and 3 percent of patients will have a lasting side effect such as halos or some vision fluctuation.

It is a very good idea to discuss your particular situation with the Lasik physician to determine if you might be prone to any complications. There are also variants of the standard Lasik procedure, one of which uses additional waveforms to map out an individual eye, or techniques that only use lasers rather than a scalpel and a laser.

One question we all hesitate to ask is “Will the Lasik procedure be painful?” Since our eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, it is comforting to know that having Lasik vision correction is usually nearly painless. There is often some mild discomfort after the procedure, but this is effectively controlled with medication.

“Will I have 20/20 vision once the Lasik correction is done?” Though many patients do get nearly perfect vision, not all patients have their vision totally corrected. You can definitely expect to have improved vision and minimized dependency on any glasses or contacts.

“What is the cost and how do I pay?” A typical Lasik surgeon charges between $500 and $2500 per eye, depending on the patient and the surgeon. However, a Lasik physician should be selected on experience level and track record, not on the lowest price. Insurance rarely covers the cost of Lasik, but many Lasik centers have a type of financing program offered to their clients.

Find several Lasik physicians in your area using the Internet feature DocShop and make a point to interview several on your list. Consider Lasik as one way to significantly improve the quality of your life.

My Lasik Vision Story

I am putting this story on the web to encourage those who are interested in a Lasik vision procedure, but have read so many horror stories that they are getting ever more reluctant. I had to get off of the Internet to get enough courage to even go down to a nearby Lasik center to have them talk about my individual case. I am glad I went, and the people were very kind, professional, and encouraging.

Let me begin with why I was even interested in Lasik. I have worn glasses for thirty years, ever since I was a very little girl. I have very weak eyes, and needed to wear my glasses from the moment I woke up until I went to bed. I have a special spot where they are kept, and a number of backup pairs of glasses so that I never have to go without them. I also have had some dry eye problems for the last few years, which is often a reason that Lasik doctors do not recommend the Lasik procedure for some people.

When I got to talk to the Lasik physician, he was encouraging but realistic. He stated that one of my eyes would be a good candidate for total vision correction, but the other eye would likely see only some (though possibly major) improvement. He stated that about one of his Lasik procedures per month are with clients with the same level of poor vision of my worst eye.

I would also like to encourage those people with some problems to go ahead and visit their local Lasik center to talk to the professionals there. As I mentioned earlier, I have had some occasional problems with dry eyes. I also have pupils that dilate easily. Both of these can be reasons to be dissuaded from Lasik, but in neither case were my problems significant enough for the doctor to consider me not a good Lasik client. Do go and discuss your individual case.

I cannot say that the information I was given made me totally relaxed about the whole procedure. I did talk myself into and out of the Lasik procedure several times during the weeks before it was done. The only thing I was a little bit surprised about was that I did not lose sleep over it, and that I actually showed up at the Lasik center to get the procedure done!

I was given a mild sedative (as well as numbing eye drops) and the Lasik procedure went without a hitch. Though I did feel a mild pressure during the time on my eyeball, my hands were the things that hurt after the Lasik operation was over (I must have had them clenched the whole time!). I was so grateful to my physician who said things like “I’m using the laser for 20 seconds, 5 seconds to go, procedure done for this eye. Very successful.” In this way I was reassured that the Lasik operation was going quickly and according to plan.

I followed all my Lasik physician’s instructions to the letter after the procedure, and I am so happy with the results! I could see much better even directly after the operation was over, and things have continued to improve. I personally do not have any of the problems that are often mentioned as effects, such as halos around lights, etc. I would strongly encourage anyone to be brave enough to go down to your Lasik center and at least talk about the Lasik procedure with a knowledgeable professional.

My Intralasik Experience

I wanted to investigate Lasik vision correction for myself, and found that there were several options. After talking it over with a great Lasik physician, I decided on using bladeless Lasik, or Intralasik, or Intralase. I cannot say that I decided that for any great technical reasons, mine were mainly psychological.

The advantage of Intralasik over a traditional Lasik procedure is that a laser is used to make a flap in the eye. Every Lasik procedure needs to make a flap in order for the excimer laser to be able to reshape the corner. In traditional Lasik, the flap is made with a microkeratome, which is “a very small blade, not a scalpel”. Well, maybe to you. Somehow, even though both the laser and the blade made the same flap, the idea of someone taking a sharp object to….. well, you get the picture.

In addition (though there is a lot of argument and debate over this) using a laser to make the flap might (let me emphasize might to be fair to everyone) make the Lasik procedure have less chance of getting other cells underneath the flap. I don’t really understand all of the Lasik arguments with regard to this, but I think you should discuss the various Lasik options with the physician. They do vary in cost also.

Before I talk about the procedure itself, let me give a bird’s eye view of myself as a Lasik candidate. In short, spectacular! Seriously, all of the items for a good Lasik candidate could describe me: a healthy guy in my mid-thirties, with moderate nearsightedness and slight astigmatism, with good results on all eye exam tests (thick cornea, no eye scarring or infections, etc.).

I did visit two different Lasik surgeons to get their independent opinions of me as a candidate, and also their description of their services. One of the Lasik surgeons is on the staff at the medical college in a nearby major metropolitan center, so I was pretty assured that their opinions were valid.

On the day of the Lasik surgery I came in, paid my first payment for the procedure, and had my eye prescription rechecked. I was given post-procedure instructions on eye drops, no exercising (yeah!), and to go to sleep after the Lasik procedure. I was given a relaxant, and the Lasik physician and I went to the surgery suite.

The chair has padded pillows to rest and restrict head movement, and a teddy bear to hold if I wanted it. There was a clamp to hold my eyes open, and a suction ring, and then my vision in that eye went a bit dim. The first Lasik laser made the flap, and I focused on a small light while the other laser made the cornea changes. This took less than thirty seconds, or so I was told.

Mainly I was aware of clicking noises and some pressure, but no pain or real discomfort. After the eye flaps were put back in place, I rested in a recliner for about 20 minutes. I could see more clearly immediately after the Lasik operation was over, but was told not to try and test my eyes for a number of days, and rather concentrate on getting them healthy and healed.

I am surprised and immensely pleased it went so easily, well, and pain free. I would recommend this type of Lasik procedure to anyone.