“Bionic Eye” Becomes Reality

If you remember television shows from the 1970s, you’re sure to remember The Six Million Dollar Man. Actor Lee Majors played Col. Steve Austin, an astronaut severely injured in a crash who was later rebuilt with bionic implants in his right arm, legs and left eye. The “bionic man” had super strength, speed and vision. Viewers of this series undoubtedly fantasized about how it would feel to be like the bionic man.

Approximately 40 years later, technology has made the “bionic eye” a reality for patients with the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa. This disease slowly causes damage to the retina (the back of the eye) and eventually leads to almost complete blindness. The Food and Drug Administration has approved an artificial retina procedure being dubbed as a “bionic eye.” The system uses a tiny camera and transmitter in special eyeglasses to transmit impulses to the retina’s healthy cells to allow for limited restored vision.

Researchers continue to develop new technologies to restore or improve eyesight. Good vision is often taken for granted; but even when people have less serious vision conditions that require them to wear glasses or contacts (nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism) they are often on the lookout for new methods of vision improvement.

LASIK vision correction is one such method that can truly change the lives of people who wear glasses or contacts. LASIK has been around since 1996 and over 14 million Americans have undergone this popular surgical process. The LASIK process works by slightly altering the shape of the cornea with an excimer laser so light will focus properly on the retina at the back of the eye. When light focuses properly, clear vision can be obtained.

Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery offers LASIK. He is dedicated to providing patients with detailed information about the LASIK procedure the risks of LASIK and what results may be achieved for each unique patient.

Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery can’t give you bionic vision; however, Dr. O'Day can analyze your eye characteristics and overall health to determine LASIK might be right for you. Call 843-856-5275 to schedule your free LASIK Consultation or visit charlestoncornea.com to schedule your appointment online.

Prepare Your Eyes for a Special Event

Weddings…reunions…barbecues…vacations…

Special events abound during the spring and summer months. Many people take measures to look their very best for special events – they go to the hairdresser, buy new clothing, maybe even lose weight. If you have a special event coming up, and don’t want to have to hassle with glasses or contacts, you may choose to add LASIK to your To Do list.

The good news is that most people can be back to their normal activities – and seeing with more clarity – the day after their LASIK procedure. It is advised that you not wait until the last minute to schedule your appointment. Some people simply aren’t good candidates for LASIK because of their overall eye health, the fact that their corneas are too thin or other health reasons.  It’s important to schedule a LASIK evaluation well in advance of your special event just in case a different type of vision correction procedure like PRK is warranted. Some LASIK alternative procedures require more recovery time even though they can provide similar vision outcomes overall.

LASIK is an investment in you. The procedure has helped millions of Americans have the visual freedom to live a lens-free life. Find out if LASIK can give you the same freedom.

Get your eyesight in tip-top shape for your next special event. Contact Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery to schedule a free LASIK Consultation at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com.

Can Diabetics Have LASIK?

Many people who have diabetes wonder if they can have LASIK to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. There is no singular answer to this question; it depends on many different factors surrounding the patient’s eye health and overall health. Any reputable ophthalmologist will demand to know your medical history and current medical condition and will perform an extensive screening process before recommending LASIK.

      LASIK should not be performed on diabetic patients who have:

• Diabetic Retinopathy, a disease that causes damage to the blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye)
• Uncontrolled blood sugar levels
• Unstable vision prescription

If you are a diabetic, the first step in finding out if it is safe for you to have LASIK is by scheduling a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery. Board certified ophthalmologist Dr. O'Day will go to great lengths to ensure that your diabetes is controlled enough to support LASIK and allow for proper healing. It is possible for people with well-controlled diabetes to have successful LASIK procedures.

To learn more about diabetes and LASIK in Charleston, schedule a free LASIK Consultation by contacting Charlston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com today.

Are You Photo-Happy on Facebook?

A 2013 study out of the UK showed that uploading too many photos of yourself to Facebook, including ‘selfies’, can make people like you less. However, Facebook also made changes in 2013 to its news feed to make room for larger pictures. The fact is that people do like to see photos of their friends, family, co-workers and old school chums on social media. It’s probably the number one reason why so many people flock to Facebook and sites like Instagram (although we can’t scientifically back this statement up).

The question is: Do you like how you look in the photos that you post – or the ones that others post of you? Are your glasses taking center-stage in your photos? Is there always glare coming off your lenses?

While these may seem like insignificant reasons to have a vision correction surgery, consider this: LASIK in Charleston may help you gain moreself-confidence in front of the camera or smart phone lens. Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery has helped thousands of patients correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism through LASIK procedures. If you want to find out if you can get rid of your glasses and contacts, Dr. O'Day offers free LASIK Consultations in Charleston to tell you more about the procedure and help you find out if your eyes are right for LASIK.

So, if you don’t want to turn off your friends and family on Facebook, post less photos of yourself. However, we will warn you that after LASIK, your appearance without glasses may have your face showing up on Facebook more often. But we feel it’s worth the risk.

Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to schedule a free LASIK Consultation at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com. 

Driving After LASIK

LASIK vision correction in Charleston is a very quick procedure that is performed to correct a patient’s myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism with the ultimate goal of 20/20 vision without lenses. While most patients do not experience pain during the procedure, it is not uncommon for patients to feel anxious prior to surgery. Some patients may elect to take a mild sedative prior to surgery just to “take the edge off” and make it easier to fully relax.

Whether or not you take relaxation medication prior to surgery, you must arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery. Some patients are able to see more clearly immediately after surgery; however, your vision will not be completely stabilized and there can be sensitivity to light, glare or starbursts for the first few days after surgery. You may also still have the relaxation medication in your system.

Slight physical discomfort after LASIK may also make it difficult to drive home. These eye discomforts can include:

• Itching
• Tearing / watering
• Mild burning sensation
• Mild pain

It is important to refrain from rubbing your eyes after surgery, which is why you will be given an eye shield to wear for protection.

Each patient will heal at a different rate after LASIK. Some patients will be able to drive themselves to their post-operative appointment the next day while others may require help getting to and from the appointment. Pay attention to your own eyes and make smart decisions about driving after LASIK.

To learn more about what to expect after LASIK in Charleston, schedule a freeLASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery. Our team will fully explain the LASIK process and perform tests to see if you are a good candidate for LASIK. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today. 

Wearing Make-up After LASIK

Many LASIK patients want to know when they can start wearing make-up after LASIK. The general rule for most patients is that you should not wear make-up or apply any facial lotions or soaps for one week after LASIK. After this one week mark, you should ask your doctor if you can start applying minimal eye make-up (eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara).

Some doctors allow patients to wear foundation and blush several days after LASIK, but you still run the risk of make-up particles and/or applicators interfering with proper corneal flap healing. You also run the risk of infection.

You may want to consider purchasing new eye make-up after LASIK to further reduce the possibility of infection.

So if you are planning to have a LASIK procedure, keep in mind that you’ll need to go for the “natural” look for at least one week after your procedure. If you are having LASIK for a special event, be sure to plan enough healing time so you can look your very best for the event.

If you would like to learn more about LASIK visioncorrection, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston to schedule a free LASIK consultation. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com.

How Do You Handle Visual Information Overload?

Have you ever experienced information overload…on your eyes? There is a real condition called Load-Induced Blindness that occurs when you have too much visual information coming at you. A new study showed that when you are faced with a lot of visual data at once, your ability to see critical information is reduced – similar to what happens when there are lower light levels on an image you need to detect.

The study included volunteers with normal vision who completed a sensory memory task involving colors, positions and line orientations on rapidly flashing squares. In high load situations (lots of visual data), participants were only able to accurately spot line orientation in 64% of the images; in low load situations, that percentage went up to 95%. In the high load situations, participants needed 50% more light contrast to increase accuracy.

The bottom line is that too much visual information at one time may cause you to miss important things. Add into the mix that your vision is impaired with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism and you may have an even more difficult time at distinguishing important images during attention-demanding situations (although this was not specifically included in the study).

Having LASIK in Charleston to correct vision problems will not change how your brain processes high loads of visual information, but it may allow you to see without the need for corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses)…removing one more barrier to seeing clearly. LASIK has changed the lives of many of our patients at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, allowing them to work, play and parent with visual freedom.

To learn more about LASIK technology in Charleston and find out how much LASIK costs, contact Dr. O'Day to schedule a free LASIK Consultation. Call 843-856-5275 or visit our website at charlestoncornea.com today.