Happy Thanksgiving from Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery!

All year long the team at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery is grateful to have a prominent role in the health of our community. This Thanksgiving we want to share some of the specific reasons why we are so thankful:

• We have the in-house technologies that have helped enhance, protect and preserve eyesight for literally thousands of people in our community.
• We get the opportunity to spend time with our patients, getting to know them personally.
• Our practice is based on strong ethical standards; we only recommend LASIK and other procedures if we feel patients will truly achieve the vision results they desire.
• We help patients afford a better quality of life with improved vision through financing for LASIK in Charleston and other elective procedures.
• We are able to provide our patients with a comfortable and caring environment for their eye care.

Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to think of the things you are thankful for this holiday season. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your current vision, or are experiencing vision changes in Charleston that are causing you stress, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to schedule an eye exam or a free LASIK Consultation. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com.  

LASIK vs. PRK

If you have been told you are not a good candidate for LASIK because your corneas are too thin, you may not have to abandon your dream of 20/20 vision.

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is a type of laser surgery in Charleston that can produce similar vision results to LASIK vision correction, and it can be performed on some patients with thin corneas.

The difference between LASIK and PRK is in the first step of the refractive surgery procedure.

• LASIK: A hinged corneal flap is created to allow access to the underlying corneal tissue for laser treatment
• PRK: the cornea’s outer layer (epithelial) is gently removed to allow access to the underlying corneal tissue for laser treatment

The laser refractive treatment is the same for both LASIK and PRK: the cornea is slightly reshaped to correct the refractive error and allow light to focus on the retina for clear vision. Each laser treatment can be completely customized to your unique eye.

After the laser procedure, the corneal flap is repositioned during LASIK; after PRK, the epithelial cells need time to regenerate over the eye. Recovery and final vision results for PRK will take longer and the healing process may be slightly more uncomfortable. However, there is no risk of corneal flap complications with PRK.

Take the first step in the LASIK process: take the free online LASIK Self-Evaluation on charlestoncornea.com. Then call Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 to schedule your free LASIK Consultation to find out if LASIK or PRK might improve your vision. You can also schedule your appointment online. 

Eye Makeup Safety

Are you putting bacteria on your eyes?

Studies have shown that in as little as 3-months, bacteria can grow in mascara, eye shadow, eyeliners and more, leading to eye infections such as pink eye, dry eye, loss of eyelashes and more.

If just the thought of bacteria on your eyes makes you shudder, consider this: Makeup has expiration dates. Unfortunately, those expiration dates are NOT printed on the containers, tubes and sticks. It’s up to you to keep track of when you purchase cosmetics and toss them after a certain timeframe.

Eye infections can be avoided by following these safety tips:

• Purchase new mascara and liquid eyeliner every 3 months; eye shadow every 12 months; eye pencil every 24 months
• Do not share eye makeup with friends
• Avoid using samples in stores
• Do not apply eyeliner to the inner eye lash lines
• Do not wear mascara that flakes
• Close eye makeup containers tightly
• If you wear contact lenses, put them in before applying eye makeup
• Remove eye makeup at night (remove contact lenses first)

One way to avoid the “contact lens eye infection” trap is by having LASIK vision correction in Charleston to reduce or eliminate your dependence on contacts for clear vision. Of course, even if you achieve clear vision through LASIK, it will become even more important to protect your investment in your vision by practicing safe eye makeup application.

You may be tempted to hang on to eye makeup longer than the recommended timeframe because it can be quite expensive. However, when you consider the cost of treatment for eye infections and the potential for damaged vision, it will be more cost-effective to pay attention to how long your eye products stay in your makeup bag.

If you love wearing eye makeup, but your eyes are hidden behind corrective lenses, contact Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to discuss the option of Charleston LASIK for your unique eyes. He offers a free LASIK Consultation to analyze your eyes and answer all of your questions about this popular vision procedure. To schedule your no-obligation appointment, call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com. 

Keep Your Eyes Safe in the Kitchen

At Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, we have helped thousands of people achieve lens-free vision through laser vision correction. And while our LASIK in Charleston allows most of our patients to toss out their glasses, we encourage those patients to protect their new-found clear vision by wearing protective safety glasses when performing certain activities.

Most people know that safety glasses are important when playing contact sports, using power tools or working in the yard. But did you know that they are also important in the kitchen?

According to WebMD, almost half of the annual 2.5 million eye injuries occur in and around the home…and more than 40% of those happen during everyday activities like cooking. (Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma)

Potential Causes of Kitchen Eye Injuries

Your eye can become injured during food prep, oven and stove cooking and cleaning. 

• Cleaning chemical splatters
• Grease/oil splatters
• Champagne corks
• Steam burns
• Spicy juices, such as cutting jalapeños and touching your eyes
• Oven heat

It may seem a bit silly to wear glasses in the kitchen, but whether you’ve invested in your vision through LASIK or already have excellent vision, you don’t want to risk your eyesight to a freak kitchen accident. Get a pair of protective glasses that are approved by the American National Standards Institute and get cooking!

If you are tired of wearing glasses to read recipes, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to schedule a free LASIK Consultation and find out if LASIK is right for your eyes. You can call 843-856-5275 or schedule an appointment anytime day or night by visiting charlestoncornea.com.