LASIK Can Correct Astigmatism

Many people hear that they have astigmatism and it means almost nothing to them except the fact that they cannot see well. Astigmatism is a little harder to correct than just simple nearsightedness or farsightedness. Glasses and contacts may help, but only while you are wearing them.

What is Astigmatism?

Your eyeball is a round sphere. When you are looking at something, your eye detects the light reflected off of the object. This light enters your eye through the cornea, where it is then refracted onto the retina. The retina then sends images to your brain.

If your cornea is not a perfect circle shape, it can distort the light and make it so the light does not reach the retina accurately.

For someone who has astigmatism, their cornea is slight oblong, or shaped more like a football. This results in the person seeing images as extremely blurry.

Can LASIK correct astigmatism?

Many optometrists, or eye doctors, tell their patients that LASIK cannot correct astigmatism. This is untrue.

LASIK CAN correct astigmatism.

However, in order to be 100% sure that LASIK can correct your personal degree of astigmatism, you must have a LASIK exam. It’s the only true way to find out if LASIK can help.

How LASIK Corrects Astigmatism

An ophthalmologist, or eye surgeon, can correct astigmatism with a LASIK laser. The laser will reshape the cornea into a round shape, thus allowing light to accurately refract directly on the retina.

Our LASIK patients are amazed that as soon as the surgery is over, they can see more clearly than they ever have before. The correction with LASIK is fast and permanent. You’ll be able to see clearly right away.

We encourage everyone to participate in our Free LASIK Consultation. Without any obligations, you can find out if you are a candidate, regardless of your degree of astigmatism, and then you can decide if you would like to further pursue the question of “Should you have LASIK?”

Schedule online today!

Common Consultation Questions – Part 3

For the past couple of weeks, we have addressed some of the most common questions asked by different patients about LASIK. Here are a few more.

How old do you have to be to have your vision corrected, either by LASIK or another laser vision correction procedure?

The rule of thumb on this question is 18. Your eyes are like any other organ in your body. They grow and develop as you age. The most important thing is for your eyesight to be stable prior to having LASIK. If a LASIK surgeon corrects your cornea and your vision hasn’t stabilized, they run the risk of under- or over-correction. You wouldn’t be happy with your results and most experienced LASIK surgeons won’t take that chance.

Isn’t it just safer to wear my glasses/contact lenses?

 

The truth to this question may come as a surprise. While contacts or glasses may be a viable option for many patients, the longer you wear them, the more likely you are to experience complications.

Complications of glasses or contacts include contracting bacterial infections, dry eyes from long exposure, or even trauma caused from an accident. Some patients may wear contacts or glasses for decades and never experience an issue. However, keep your contacts in your eyes for too long (or sleep in them) and you can instantly understand the issues these devices can cause.

This isn’t to say that LASIK isn’t without its risks as well. You can experience dry eye after LASIK. While the majority of patients overcome this side-effect quickly, some patients may need prescription eye drops to solve it.

The true question is not one of safety, but rather what you are willing to do to see clearly. LASIK can provide clear eyesight for many years to come, without the continual expense of lenses, solutions, etc.

We’d love the opportunity to discuss the possibility of life without lenses with you. Please feel free to call our office at 843.856.5275 with anymore questions, check out our website, or schedule a Free LASIK Consultation.

Common Consultation Questions

The purpose of the free LASIK consultation that we offer is three-fold:

1. To ensure you are even a candidate for the procedure
2. To answer all of your questions and make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision
3. If you are not a candidate, we will also take the time to educate you on some of the other options to correct your vision

Often people come into our offices rather reluctantly, afraid of being sold on something they aren’t quite sure they even want. It’s more often that people won’t even come near our offices until they are absolutely SURE they are even considering having LASIK.

We offer a free consultation to anyone willing to consider vision correction because we believe that education is the key to making an informed decision. We don’t wish to “sell” any patient on a procedure that they may not want. We don’t like the stereotypical “car salesman” approach, and we know you don’t either. That’s why we train our staff to be patient, answer any and all questions, and we don’t pay them a commission to book surgeries. 

During the consultation, we often hear some of the same questions asked by different patients about LASIK. We’d like to take a moment to address a few of them.

My [optometrist/doctor/friend/family member] told me that LASIK won’t correct Astigmatism. Is this true?

No, this is not true. LASIK can actually correct astigmatism. While not every patient suffering from astigmatism is a candidate for LASIK, it does not mean that everyone with this refractive error cannot have their vision corrected. The only way to know for sure if LASIK will correct your astigmatism is to have a full evaluation by an ophthalmologist. We perform these exams during our free consultation and we will describe exactly how we can correct your astigmatism to help you see clearly.

Note: LASIK can also correct nearsightedness and farsightedness.

If I have LASIK this young (20s or 30s), will I have to have it again as I get older?

No. LASIK is a one-time correction of the cornea in your eye. This correction helps to fix the way light refracts onto your retina and transmits signals to the brain. Once corrected, your cornea will remain that shape, unless you contract an eye disease that may affect the cornea. LASIK will not give you any such disease.

It may be necessary to do what is called a LASIK enhancement. This is where the ophthalmologist may need to finish the correction of the cornea. However, if you seek out a board-certified, expert ophthalmologist, they will have an enhancement rate of less than 8% of their patients. 

My refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism) is very severe. Does this mean I will have to have LASIK a few times to get the accurate correction?

This is usually not the case if you visit an expert ophthalmologist who has performed thousands of operations. During the consultation and pre-op appointments, your ophthalmologist will plan a thorough and complete treatment plan for your eyes. This treatment plan is very precise and should not require additional surgeries. 

Every pair of eyes is unique. There may be the need for enhancements, but again, with a qualified and experienced surgeon, they will have a very low rate of enhancements needed to get a patient seeing clearly.

We will continue this discussion next week. If you are seeking answers immediately, please feel free to call our office at 843.856.5275, check out our website, or schedule a Free LASIK Consultation.

Fears and Misconceptions of LASIK – Is the Price Worth it in the Long Run?

We have personally seen many different types of people come through our Free LASIK Consultation. Some people question technology, some concern themselves with safety, and many are concerned that the cost of the procedure may not outweigh the benefits. Since our website deals largely with the issues of technology and safety, let’s address the issue of cost versus benefits.

First, let’s look at the benefits of a laser vision correction procedure, like LASIK or PRK:

It is possible for a patient to achieve 20/20 eyesight, or even better, with laser vision correction. You could live your life waking up and seeing immediately instead of searching for your glasses. You can experience the spontaneity of life, such as jumping in a swimming pool, playing in the rain, or going out on a windy day, without the fear of how any of these actions may affect your contacts and your ability to see. You can take a nap, free from the worry of taking your contacts out of your eyes first. You don’t have to rush to the store every time you are out of contact lens solution or order more glasses when yours accidentally break. You will be able to see life, naturally.

Is all that worth the cost of LASIK?

Our patients think so. 

“I’d worn corrective lenses of some type for 48 years and words fail me to describe how good it was to wake up the first morning and see the clock!” 

– Tommy Rutledge

“After nearly fifteen years of not being able to see without lenses, I decided to have LASIK surgery. It has changed my life. I see clearer than I ever did with glasses or contacts. If I had to make the choice again, I would without a doubt choose to have LASIK by Dr. O’Day at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery.”
- Tina Campbell

However, some people have heard that people who have had LASIK eventually return to wearing glasses. How can this be if they have already had their vision corrected?

Let’s clear up one fact – LASIK or laser vision correction will NOT give you excellent vision for your whole lifetime.

Wait – what?

It’s true. Your eyes are living organs and there are certain, inevitable conditions that occur due to aging. One of these conditions is known as Presbyopia. Presbyopia is when the natural lenses in your eyes begin to harden. When you are young, your lenses are flexible so they can adjust to seeing near and far. As you age, these lenses harden. When they lose their flexibility, bifocals or reading glasses are used to help your eyes adjust.

Another inevitable is cataracts. Everyone will develop cataracts as they age. The affect that a cataract has on your vision depends largely upon the degree to which they form. Some people will never notice the affect while others may go blind.

The age at which you develop cataracts and/or presbyopia is not predetermined. For some, the symptoms of presbyopia can begin appearing as early as 40. For others, they may not have any side effects until 50 or older. For cataracts, most don’t appear until your early 60s or even into your 70s.

So back to the question – is the cost of LASIK worth it in the long run?

Let’s say you are nearsighted and you purchase disposable contact lenses every month. Then you have to purchase cleaning solution each month. If you lose a contact, tear it, it falls out, etc., then you have to replace your monthly supply faster than anticipated. You also have to get a pair of glasses for the times you don’t have contacts or if you have an eye infection or you’ve worn your contacts for too long. These glasses can easily be lost or broken, so it’s not just a one-time expense. 

This is a cost you have to pay, every month, consistently for 20 or more years. You are stuck with plastic on your eyes and the constraints they present just so you don’t have to compromise the ability to see. 

Or you can have laser vision correction and have your procedure paid off in two years or less. You'll gain the extra money in your budget and excellent eyesight to view life as it is. You’ll also gain the spontaneity that life has to offer because you can see clearly, naturally.

LASIK versus PRK

Refractive errors occur when the cornea of your eye, or the front part of your eye, is misshaped. These refractive errors produce nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Laser vision correction is the procedure through which a laser is used to reshape the cornea of the eye, in order to achieve better vision.

While the actual correction of the cornea is completed with a laser, the steps leading up to this correction, and subsequently the healing after, will differ depending on the specific procedure the surgeon chooses for the patients’ eyes. The two main procedures most commonly used are LASIK (Laser-Assisted Sin-Situ-Keratomileusis) or PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy).

LASIK and PRK

Most people have heard of LASIK; however, in some cases, LASIK isn’t the best procedure for them. This can be due to a multitude of reasons, but most often if their cornea is too thin, LASIK will not be advised. This is why visiting an ophthalmologist that performs more than just LASIK is so important. Other procedures, such as PRK, can be recommended and performed to achieve the same, and sometimes even better, results.

The main difference between LASIK and PRK comes during the first step of the process – creating the corneal flap. During LASIK, the surgeon creates flap within the first few layers of the outer surface of the cornea, so that the laser can reach the area that needs to be corrected. This can be done with a microkeratome (a mechanical oscillating blade), or during bladeless LASIK, it can be done with a second laser that separates the outer layer of the cornea. After the primary laser is applied to correct the refractive error, this flap is folded back into place where it bonds readily.

PRK, which is usually performed on patients with thin corneas, removes the surface layer of cells on the cornea. This is why it is often referred to as a surface treatment. After treatment, the body will regenerate new cells to replace the cells removed through a relatively quick healing process. The results of PRK are equal to that of LASIK though the healing times are slightly longer.

Visiting a Qualified Ophthalmologist

Performing LASIK on a patient that is better suited for a procedure like PRK will increase the likelihood of potential risks, such as poor night vision or less than optimal results. To decrease these risks, visit a board-certified ophthalmologist who is skilled at multiple vision correction procedures. This will ensure you the best possible chances to achieve the vision results you are seeking.

Fears and Misconceptions of Vision Correction – Losing Your Vision

Glasses and contacts have their benefits – mainly helping people with refractive errors see clearly. Since the late 90’s, lasers have been used to correct these refractive errors in very safe and effective ways. Procedures such as LASIK and PRK have been providing patients with clear vision for over 15 years now. However, many people continue to put up with the inconveniences of glasses and contacts because they have fears or misconceptions about laser vision correction, like LASIK.

One of the most common fears of laser vision correction is losing vision as a result of the procedure. This fear comes from not understanding how your eye works and how specifically laser vision correction works.

How LASIK Works

There are three main parts to the human eye: the cornea, the lens, and the retina. In normal vision, the cornea refracts (bends) light so it can be directed correctly through the lens and onto the retina. The retina works as a transmitter to transfer the message to your brain, where it processes the message to tell you what you are looking at. Refractive errors – nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism – are caused by the cornea being slightly misshapen. LASIK utilizes cool lasers to reshape the curve of the cornea so you can have normal, clear, vision.

Prior to surgery, Dr. David O'Day maps out your specific eye and plans out exactly how to correct your vision. He then programs this plan into the laser, ensuring that the correct amount of your cornea is altered.

There are risks associated with laser vision correction, mainly dry eye. It is essential to ensure that you are an excellent candidate prior to receiving treatment, to give you the best results possible.

Officially there is no reported case of a patient losing their eyesight from LASIK.

To find out more about LASIK, including risk information, see our website. To schedule a Free LASIK Consultation, give us a call today at 843-856-5275.

Why Your Eye Surgeon Needs to be Local - Part 3

Corporate medicine has its benefits and its downfalls. In regards to the refractive surgery field, there are more downfalls to a corporate practice than there are benefits. Last week we discussed the availability of other vision correction procedures and why this is important. This week we will look at technology.

Technological Differences

LASIK has been around since the late 1990s, and since then, technology has been improved, advanced, and refined, all to increase the customer experience. There are many options today for LASIK technology, some still using a metal blade while others are 100% blade-free. While all of the technology is safe for your eyes, the benefits of the newest technology often reduces the risk of side-effects and may result in faster healing times.

If you want the optimal outcome for your eyes, selecting a doctor that uses the most advanced and latest equipment is the best option. However, not all doctors have access to this equipment. Take doctors that work at a corporate LASIK practice, for example. They don’t even get to choose which equipment they use to perform your procedure. They have to use the equipment provided to them by their board of directors. They may know the convenience and benefits of newer technology, but they have no say when it comes to what they get to use.

In contrast, a doctor who owns his/her own practice gets to choose the technology they use in their practice. They have 100% authority over what tools and technology goes into the practice. This makes them accountable to their patients and the patients’ outcomes. If they provide inadequate technology and the outcomes aren’t the best, they’ll lose out on new patients.

Not all doctors will provide the best technology. Some doctors don’t want to make the investment so they will continue to use outdated technology on their patients. When you visit a new LASIK practice, make sure to ask about the technology that the doctor will use. Understand your options and why that doctor chose the technology that they use at that practice. The technology and the doctor’s previous patient outcomes may mean the difference between an exceptional LASIK experience, and something else.

Why Your Eye Surgeon Needs to be Local - Part 2

Corporate medicine has its benefits and its downfalls. In regards to the refractive surgery field, there are more downfalls to a corporate practice than there are benefits. Last week we discussed the difference between the doctors at each type of practice. This week, let’s look at the services offered.

The Right Procedure for Your Eyes

Another big difference between local and corporate owned practices are the services they offer. When a corporate practice is set up, it’s one of hundreds, maybe thousands of locations. In order to keep control over the brand name, these practices only offer a very small number of services, sometimes just LASIK and nothing else. Performing LASIK on patients that are not excellent candidates increases the likelihood of side-effects and less than optimal outcomes.

By providing only one service, the headquarters can ensure that each practice is exactly the same, offering the same service, providing the same website, and the same marketing and advertising collateral. They also don’t have to worry too much about training doctors who don’t know anything other than LASIK. This brings the cost of operation down for them and allows the board of directors to earn more money.

All of this is quite the opposite for a local doctor and local practice. The doctor (or a small group of local doctors) decides to open up a practice in order to improve the eye health of the community. The doctor will spend his/her own money because they know they can provide excellent eyesight to their patients. They are vested in their community because they know the people and they care about them.

These doctors will offer different types of services because they know that the best care that can be provided isn’t through one single solution. LASIK isn’t the best procedure for someone with very thin corneas. A patient with this issue may be better suited for PRK. Some patients may not be suited for laser vision correction at all. If this is the case, there are other options but usually only provided by a local ophthalmologist. 

A local ophthalmologist can decide which procedures to offer his/her patients. They will be the one responsible for your treatment and follow-up care and they wouldn’t provide anything less just to earn a dollar. They are held accountable by their patients, not a board of directors looking to make a profit.

This all points to a new consideration on your quest for excellent vision:

Would you rather have vision correction performed on you that may not be right, but it’s all the practice offers? Or would you want to be fully examined by the surgeon performing your procedure who can offer other proven procedures that may actually be better for the health of your eyes? 

Check back in next week when we continue this topic and discuss Technology.

Why Your Eye Surgeon Needs to be Local - Part 1

Corporate medicine has its benefits and its downfalls. In regards to the refractive surgery field, there are more downfalls to a corporate practice than there are benefits. But first, let’s take a look at what the difference is between a local ophthalmology practice and a corporate one.

Local Ophthalmology Practice

A local ophthalmology practice is one that has one or just a few locations, all found within the same state, the same geographical region. The doctors and staff are all from the area as well.

Local practices, like Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, are usually owned by the doctor or surgeon, or a small group of doctors or surgeons. They are responsible for all of the decisions regarding staffing, technology, services offered, and everything else that is included with their particular practice.

Corporate-Owned Ophthalmology Practice

A corporate-owned ophthalmology practice is one that has multiple locations, usually nationwide. These practices are run through a company, which is run by a board of directors. They often only offer one or two services, usually just LASIK, and maybe PRK. They employ thousands of doctors and traditionally these doctors work at multiple locations. They travel to different locations, perform surgery and then travel to another location. Some doctors even travel to different states just to perform surgeries.

All decisions are made by a board of directors, not the staff or doctors working in each particular location.

The Difference

So what’s the difference? Why should you choose one location over the other?

Doctor Availability

Perhaps the biggest factor in why you should really know the difference between the two types of ophthalmology practices is doctor availability. In a locally owned practice, the doctor lives in or near town. S/he works at the practice full-time and performs consultations, the planning of treatment, the surgery, and the post-operative follow-up exams on each patient that comes through the door. They have a relationship with their patients, and they are most likely there for anything the patient may need.

In a corporate practice, the doctor sees patients at multiple locations. S/he will fly in, review the chart and work-up of the patient without even meeting or personally examining the patient, perform the surgery, and then fly off. This means that the surgeon that performs your particular surgery is not available for pre-surgery exams, follow-up, or even during emergency-related issues that may have resulted from your surgery. They usually have an optometrist perform these tasks. An optometrist, while a perfectly capable doctor, is not trained in the actual performance of the surgery. If a complication arises that the optometrist is not qualified to respond to, where are you going to go? Who’s going to help?

Sometimes an optometrist refers a patient for LASIK. When this happens, the LASIK surgeon will perform the surgery and then refer you back to your optometrist for follow-up exams. This works well when you are referred to a local practice, so that your surgeon will still be available for any emergency issues that may arise.

So which would you prefer – a surgeon operating on your eyes, someone you’ve never met, who’s never actually seen your eyes and who won’t be around if you have an emergency? Or would you rather have someone who is local, available throughout the week, and who takes it as a personal responsibility to care for you and your eyesight?

Check back in next week when we continue this topic and discuss The Right Procedure for Your Eyes.