Choose Sunglasses Wisely

One of the top benefits that LASIK vision correction provides is the opportunity to wear any type of sunglasses you want. Patients who achieve 20/20 vision after LASIK are usually excited to get rid of their expensive prescription sunglasses and start choosing a variety of fashionable sunglasses off-the-rack.

While most people know that it’s important to wear sunscreen with a high SPF to protect their skin from sun damage, few worry about UV protection in their sunglasses. The fact is that UV radiation can lead to serious eye problems, including cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration, painful sunburns of the cornea (photokeratitis) and damage to the eye lens and other parts of the eye. You should wear sunglasses any time you are outdoors – even in the shade, even in winter, even if you wear contact lenses that block UV rays.

At Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, we not only help people achieve better vision through our advanced LASIK technologies in Charleston, we also want our patients to keep their eye health a priority after LASIK. When choosing sunglasses after LASIK, it’s important to look for UV protection details on the labels and choose shades that provide 100% UVA and UVB protection. The color and darkness of the lenses has no impact on the amount of protection. Frames that wrap around and cover the sides of the eyes are also beneficial in protecting your eyes from harmful rays. 

This subject is so important that scientists in Brazil have developed and installed a free self-serve sunglass UV testing kiosk in San Carlos so people can test how well their sunglasses block UV rays. In a test of 800 users of the kiosk, 20% found their sunglasses provided inadequate protection. If you are unsure about your own sunglasses, talk to your optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist or invest in a new pair of sunglasses that meet the right requirements.

To find out if you might benefit from LASIK and have the opportunity to choose any sunglasses you want, take the free online LASIK Self-Evaluation at charlestoncornea.com. Then call Dr. O'Day at 843-856-5275 to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. 

Get More Enjoyment from 3D Movies

Movies, televisions and even theme park rides in 3D really help to bring the action to life. Of course, in order to get the full effect of 3D experiences, the viewer must wear special 3D glasses. In fact, if you view a 3D movie without the glasses, the blurry image on the screen can be very uncomfortable on your eyes.

     If you currently wear regular eyeglasses for nearsightedness (myopia) in Charleston to see distant objects clearly, going to a 3D movie can be a real hassle. You have the options of:

• Wearing 3D glasses over your regular eyeglasses (this is also uncomfortable)
• Wearing contact lenses instead of your regular eyeglasses (although not everyone can wear contacts)
• Purchasing special 3D clip on glasses that you wear over your regular eyeglasses to watch 3D movies (you have to remember to bring them with you)
• Watching the alternate 2D version of movies instead of the 3D version (and miss out on some special effects) 
• Having LASIK vision correction to possibly correct your myopia and eliminate your need for glasses 

Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery has performed thousands of LASIK procedures on myopic patients. While not all of them have been fans of 3D movies, they all wanted to find out what life could be like if they didn’t have to wear glasses or contacts. Most of them didn’t enter into the decision to have LASIK lightly. They researched the LASIK process in Charleston. Then they learned if their eyes were right for LASIK (through a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery) and interviewed Dr.O' Dayextensively to make sure he had the best experience, the best LASIK technologies and best “chair-side” manner. 

There are a lot of 3D movies coming out in spring/summer 2014: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction; Maleficent, Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Guardians of the Galaxy and more. If you would like to have a more enjoyable 3D summer, find out if Charleston LASIK vision correction is right for you. Call Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com.

Give Dad What He Really Wants

Father’s Day is June 15, 2014. Rather than the traditional neck tie or golf accessories, why not give Dad the chance at improved vision? If you know a Dad who wears glasses or contacts, think how much easier his life would be if he could work and play without those hassles. By arranging a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, you just might set in motion one of the very best Father’s Day gifts ever.

Some people simply aren’t very proactive when it comes to scheduling health appointments for themselves. Your Dad may need a little extra push to schedule that LASIK Consultation. But you can assure him that this is a very simple and pain-free process that is only meant to provide him with information about:

• His overall eye health
• His vision characteristics
• His vision correction options (LASIK may not be right for him)
• His possibilities for 20/20 vision
• LASIK technologies
• LASIK costs
• LASIK financing

You can also assure him that the LASIK Consultation will not include any hard sales tactics. The ultimate decision to proceed with LASIK in Charleston is his choice and his choice alone.

By the way, it also happens to be Men’s Health Week June 9-15, so it’s the perfect time to get Dad thinking about his overall health and well-being. Encourage your Dad to get plenty of sleep, stop smoking, exercise, eat healthy, reduce stress and have preventative check-ups. Included in this wellness checklist may also be that LASIK Consultation mentioned earlier.

If you have a well-deserving Dad in your life that might benefit from improved vision, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery today at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com to schedule a free LASIK Consultation in Charleston for him. 

LASIK & Large Pupils

If you have large pupils, you may have heard that having LASIK vision correction in Charleston, South Carolina might increase your risk of certain side effects, such as halos/glare around lights at night.

There have been numerous studies over the past 10+ years about the effect of pupil size on LASIK outcomes. While there is no conclusive evidence, researchers have found some correlations in the size of the surgical ablation zone (the section of the cornea that is reshaped by the laser), the follow-up period and night vision problems. 

No Night Vision Problems

• Ablation zone 6.0 mm in diameter or larger
• Follow-up period at least three months

Some Night Vision Problems

• Ablation zone smaller than 6.0 mm in diameter
• No ablation size specified
• Less than three months follow-up

The advanced LASIK technologies we use at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery may reduce the chance of night vision problems for many patients. However, if you are considering LASIK and are concerned about night vision problems, it’s best to schedule a free LASIK Consultation in Charleston to first find out if your eyes are right for LASIK. During the Consultation you can ask the doctor specific questions about LASIK side effects and inquire about the results of past LASIK patients.

Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today to schedule your LASIK Consultation. You can also take our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation prior to your appointment. 

LASIK & Large Pupils

If you have large pupils, you may have heard that having LASIK vision correction in Charleston, South Carolina might increase your risk of certain side effects, such as halos/glare around lights at night.

There have been numerous studies over the past 10+ years about the effect of pupil size on LASIK outcomes. While there is no conclusive evidence, researchers have found some correlations in the size of the surgical ablation zone (the section of the cornea that is reshaped by the laser), the follow-up period and night vision problems. 

No Night Vision Problems

• Ablation zone 6.0 mm in diameter or larger
• Follow-up period at least three months

Some Night Vision Problems

• Ablation zone smaller than 6.0 mm in diameter
• No ablation size specified
• Less than three months follow-up

The advanced LASIK technologies we use at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery may reduce the chance of night vision problems for many patients. However, if you are considering LASIK and are concerned about night vision problems, it’s best to schedule a free LASIK Consultation in Charleston to first find out if your eyes are right for LASIK. During the Consultation you can ask the doctor specific questions about LASIK side effects and inquire about the results of past LASIK patients.

Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today to schedule your LASIK Consultation. You can also take our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation prior to your appointment. 

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. 

Using Flex Plans to Pay for LASIK

Tired of wearing glasses or contacts but not sure how to pay for LASIK? If your company offers a Flexible Spending Account, you can choose to place a portion of your pre-tax earnings into this short-term, tax-free savings account to use for non-reimbursable medical expenses, such as LASIK. You can save up to $2,500 on LASIK, depending on your annual income. This program lowers your taxable income.

Use it or Lose it! Most Flex Plans have strict usage rules. If you don't spend your money on your procedure within the specified timeframe, you will lose your savings.

Follow These Steps for Flex Plan Savings

1. Find out if you are a candidate for LASIK by scheduling a Free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery.
2. Find out your company's deadline for open enrollment to sign up for Flexible Spending Accounts.
3. Find out how the cost of your LASIK procedure so you’ll know how much to set aside in your account. This will be determined during the Consultation. Dr. O'Day cannot pre-determine what procedure will be best for you without examining your eyes first.

Combine Flex Plan Savings with LASIK Financing! Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to learn more about our 0% interest LASIK financing program, how LASIK is performed and what advanced LASIK technologies Dr. O'Day uses. Contact us today at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com.