Things You Can't Do with Glasses

Take Steps to Achieve Your (Vision) Dreams

What are your dreams? Most of us have one or more personal aspirations. The Dream Come True Foundation has designated January 13, 2014 as National Make Your Dream Come True Day. So, rather than listing nebulous New Year’s resolutions this year, use January 13 to actually take steps to make those dreams a reality.

Improving vision is often a dream for individuals who have to wear glasses or contacts. When you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, seeing the world clearly without the aid of vision correction devices may seem like an unobtainable goal.

However, at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, we have helped thousands of people achieve their dream of 20/20 vision and visual freedom through LASIK vision correction. The problem is that many people leave LASIK in the “dream” category, without ever truly investigating if they can afford LASIK and if the procedure will work for their eyes.

January 13 is the perfect day to schedule a free LASIK Consultation and really take that first step. Dr. O'Day offers free LASIK Consultations to determine your LASIK candidacy, discuss LASIK financing options and answer all of your questions about LASIK.

Contact us today to make your vision dream a reality! Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com. 

Make a “New Year, New Vision” Resolution

Welcome to 2014! We all make resolutions this time of year (to lose weight, stop smoking, get a better job), but despite our good intentions of putting ourselves first, our resolutions often get buried under other responsibilities.

This year, make a conscious effort to move your own happiness up the priority list. Are you tired of the hassles of glasses and/or contact lenses? Do you wish that you could actually see your alarm clock when you first wake up in the morning? If you haven’t looked into LASIK vision correction yet, maybe now is the time to find out if the procedure is right for you.

More than 14 million Americans have had LASIK. That’s an astounding number of people who chose to simplify their lives by correcting the shape of their corneas to minimize or completely correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

Imagine how much more you could enjoy everything that 2014 has in store if you didn’t have to worry about:

• Losing your contacts
• Breaking your glasses
• Buying cleaning solutions
• Taking your contacts out at night

No ophthalmologist can guarantee you 20/20 vision after LASIK. But if you choose a surgeon who has a great track record of success, uses advanced LASIK technologies and offers a comprehensive evaluation to ensure your eyes are right for the procedure, the odds of great vision are in your favor.

Don’t just assume that awesome vision is unobtainable. Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston today to schedule a free LASIK Consultation and find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK. You can also ask about LASIK financing. Call today at 843-856-5275 or schedule an appointment online at charlestoncornea.com. 

LASIK and Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a common refractive error, which means that the eye does not focus light properly on the retina (the back of the eye). This condition causes light to focus on areas in front of and/or behind the retina, making vision blurry or distorted at all distances.

Astigmatism occurs when you have an irregularly-shaped cornea. LASIK vision correction can often correct the “football” shaped cornea of astigmatism into more of a “basketball” shape, thereby allowing light to properly focus on the retina and provide clear vision.

LASIK is not the best option for all patients with astigmatism. For example, if your corneas are too thin to support the procedure or if you have a medical condition that may interfere with healing, an alternative to LASIK (such as PRK) might be more appropriate.

Advances in LASIK technology have made this popular procedure a viable option for more patients than ever before. To find out if you might be a good candidate for LASIK, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston to schedule your free LASIK Consultation at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com. 

Ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year is almost here. December 21^st is the Winter Solstice; it’s the first day of winter and a great time to step back from all of the craziness of holiday preparations and just enjoy the simpler things in life.

Here are a few suggestions we have for unwinding:

• Make a homemade craft for a loved one
• ·Enjoy the beauty of the season: take a hike, watch the sun set, build a snowman
• Light candles in your home, build a fire in the fireplace
• Sip hot chocolate and read a book
• Have a simple dinner party (or go out to dinner) with family and friends
• Reflect on what you wish for the upcoming year

While you are reflecting, if “improving your vision” tops your list of wishes, take a moment out of your Winter Solstice celebration to schedule a free LASIK consultation. Even though this day falls on a Saturday, you can still schedule an appointment online at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery’s website: charlestoncornea.com.

LASIK vision correction helps people reduce or eliminate their need for glasses. Dr. O'Day has helped more than 55,000 patients correct their refractive errors and live a clearer life. The procedure isn't for everyone, which is why the free LASIK consultation is so important.

Enjoy the 2013 Winter Solstice! And, if you wear glasses or contacts, let Dr. O'Day show you how much more enjoyable your winter can be with LASIK. 

Lasers in Toys Pose Eye Damage Risk

With the holidays just around the corner, your kids are probably already making their “wish” list for Santa. If toys with lasers are topping the lists, you may want to reconsider letting Santa bring those products down the chimney.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that toys that incorporate lasers pose a threat of serious eye injury and even blindness, especially when the laser beams are shone into the eye.

Products with lasers like the ones listed below can injure kids, adults and even pets:

• “Weapons” such as toy guns or lightsabers
• Spinning tops
• Optical effect lasers for entertainment

When pointed at your eyes, these lasers may even be more hazardous than staring directly into the sun.

If you must purchase a toy that incorporates a laser, read the labels on the products to make sure it complies with 21 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Subchapter J. For more information about this consumer update, click here.

At Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery we use lasers for LASIK vision correction; however, this eye surgery is done in a controlled environment using extreme safety precautions. Our LASIK technology has been FDA-approved for LASIK and we continually monitor any changes to the FDA approval.  

To learn more about LASIK, contact our office to schedule your free LASIK Consultation at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com. 

Celebrate Letter Writing Day!

Did you know that December 7 is Letter Writing Day? It’s a real observance that encourages people to swap their computer keys and texting thumbs for a pen or pencil…and to craft a hand-written note to someone. Sending someone a personal letter shows that you took time out of your busy schedule to share a story or two about your recent activities…or to thank them for a kind gesture…or to ask Santa for that new remote-controlled car!

For some people, writing a letter means getting out their glasses or putting in their contacts to see their words form on the page. Farsighted people have difficulty seeing things up-close, which can make writing, reading and fine detail work just plain impossible without corrective lenses. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the ability to jot down a note anytime, day or night, without the hassles of glasses or contacts?

LASIK vision correction can make letter-writing a breeze for some patients. The process actually corrects the shape of the cornea in farsighted patients, helping light to focus directly on the retina as opposed to behind it.

LASIK won’t help you craft the great American novel, but it has helped millions of Americans see up-close more clearly. It’s also important to know that even after LASIK, some patients need reading glasses in later life due to the natural stiffening of the eye’s lenses…a naturally-occurring condition called presbyopia.

To find out if your next Letter Writing Day could be celebrated without glasses, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston today by calling 843-856-5275 or visiting charlestoncornea.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation.