5 Tips on Choosing a LASIK Surgeon

If you’re looking for a LASIK surgeon, Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston recommends that you take the time to consider these five factors before making a decision. 

Recommendations.  Did your friends, family or co-workers recommend him or her?  If not, see if you can find a surgeon recommended by someone you trust or check online sources for strong, authentic reviews.

Professional qualifications. Check the qualifications of your surgeon.  How many procedures has he performed?  What is the success rate?  How often is a correction needed?

Friendliness.  This goes for the staff as well as the surgeon.  If you’re not getting a good vibe from your initial consultation, or the staff seems unfriendly, unavailable or inattentive, go elsewhere.

Technology.  What kind of technology does the eye surgeon use?  Is the patient able to select the type of technology used? Be sure to ask if the surgeon offers 100 percent all-laser LASIK (also known as 

Bladeless LASIK).  Some surgeons use a microkeratome blade although many patients prefer a Bladeless LASIK procedure.

Results.  Does your procedure come with a warranty for a certain period of time?  What does it cover?

If we can help you with questions on selecting a LASIK surgeon, please contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston at 843-856-5275 or www.charlestoncornea.com to schedule a LASIK consultation.

Can I have LASIK if I have Keratoconus?

Keratoconus (ker-uh-toe-KOH-nus) occurs when your cornea — the clear, dome-shaped front surface of your eye — thins and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape.

Keratoconus is a progressive disease. It can occur in one or both eyes and often begins during a person's teens or early 20s. 

LASIK is not a solution for this progressive disease due to several factors, including the thinning of the cornea and the shape of the cone.  There are, however, effective solutions available for this disease. In addition to custom toric lenses, gas permeable lenses and other lenses, Keratoconus can often be best treated with:

• KeraSoft lenses (Bausch + Lomb). These high-water silicone hydrogel lenses can correct up to 20 diopters (D) of nearsightedness or farsightedness and up to -12 D of astigmatism.
• NovaKone lenses (Alden Optical). These medium-water hydrogel lenses can correct up to 30 D of nearsightedness or farsightedness and up to -10 D of astigmatism.
• Corneal inserts received FDA approval for treating keratoconus in August 2004. The tiny plastic inserts are placed just under the eye's surface in the periphery of the cornea and help re-shape the cornea for clearer vision.
• A procedure call corneal crosslinking, which strengthens corneal tissue to halt bulging of the eye's surface.
• Corneal transplants are sometimes the best solution for people with this disease.

If you have any questions about LASIK and/or Keratoconus, please contact the staff at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston to schedule a consultation.  

Is LASIK Surgery Safe?

If you’re wishing you could wake up in the morning and not have to reach for your glasses or throw in a pair of contacts, you’re not alone.  Thousands of LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) procedures are performed each year for people who long for vision correction.  One of the top questions asked of the staff at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston before signing up is, “Is LASIK surgery safe?”

The FDA approved this procedure and it has been performed since the 1990’s.  During LASIK, a flap is created in the cornea so that a computer-controlled excimer laser can vaporize a portion of the stroma.  The stroma is located in the middle of the cornea. Once the flap is closed again, the curvature of the cornea is corrected, which improves vision.

A study conducted in 2008 by Spanish researchers on dozens of LASIK patients showed good long-term results.  The study followed patients for ten years and indicated good long term vision on the majority of patients.

If you have any questions about the safety of LASIK surgery, please contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston at 843-856-5275 or www.charlestoncornea.com to schedule a LASIK consultation.

What is The Average Cost of LASIK?

Wondering how much it costs to have LASIK surgery in Charleston?  Price is often a top concern of those considering corrective eye surgery.

Some surgeons quote a flat fee per eye, while others quote a price based on the amount of vision correction needed or the technology being used.

According to one source, the average cost overall for laser vision correction in 2013 was $2,073 per eye (up from $1,941 the previous year). The results show an average of:

• $2,223 per eye for laser vision correction procedures (LASIK, PRK, LASEK, etc.) at surgery centers where a single price is quoted regardless of technology or vision correction requirements.

• $1,543 per eye for non-customized LASIK using a bladed instrument and excimer lasers that are not guided by wave front analysis. 

• $2,177 per eye for wavefront-guided LASIK using a femtosecond laser-created flap.

Across the country, LASIK prices tend to stay in the range of $1500 to $3000 per eye.  Geographic regions with higher costs of living can also result in higher price tags for corrective eye surgery.

Fortunately, financing for LASIK may be an option to those who prefer it.  If you have any questions about LASIK pricing or the LASIK procedure, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 or www.charlestoncornea.com.        

Can LASIK Eliminate the Need for Reading Glasses?

The answer to this question is “yes” and “no.”

LASIK vision correction in Charleston is typically performed to correct a refractive error that has been present since childhood or acquired later in life:

•  Myopia (nearsightedness), which results in blurry distance vision
•  Hyperopia (farsightedness), which results in blurry up-close vision
•  Astigmatism, which results in blurry vision at all distances

Once adults hit their 40s, a different condition called presbyopia can begin to affect up-close vision. Presbyopia occurs as the eye lenses begin to lose flexibility, making it difficult to focus on things close-up. Over-the-counter reading glasses in Charleston are available in various strengths to help accommodate for this change in vision.

LASIK does not correct presbyopia. During a LASIK procedure, the cornea is slightly reshaped to allow light to properly focus on the retina (the back of the eye) to achieve clear vision. Because presbyopia is not caused by the shape of the cornea, LASIK in its basic form does not correct this vision condition.

However, there is a loophole!

Monovision LASIK in Charleston can be performed to provide clear distance vision in one eye and clear up-close vision in the other, affording clear vision at all distances. This technique can take some time to adjust to, so trial contact lenses may be prescribed before you have the procedure.

So if you don’t want to feel embarrassed about wearing your glasses to read…or feel like your grandmother with your reading glasses…you may want to consider monovision LASIK or other forms of vision correction. Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston today to schedule a free LASIK Consultation to discuss the options. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com to schedule your appointment online. 

LASIK, Glaucoma & High Blood Pressure

If you have been considering having LASIK vision correction in Charleston, your eye health is one aspect that will be examined to ensure you are a good candidate for the procedure.

For example, people who have glaucoma in Charleston may be advised against LASIK. Glaucoma patients have increased eye pressure and the LASIK procedure may raise intraocular pressure if suction is applied during the creation of the corneal flap. However, only a trained ophthalmologist can determine for sure if having LASIK with your specific glaucoma diagnosis is feasible and safe – or if another type of refractive surgery is advised. This can be determined during a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston. 

LASIK & High Blood Pressure

A new study by researchers in Australia has found that long term hypertension increases a person’s susceptibility to glaucoma. In the past it was thought that high blood pressure could actually counteract high eye pressure by raising blood pressure levels for a short time. However, this has only appeared to work for younger patients.

What the study showed is that chronic hypertension may damage the eye’s blood vessels and limit the eye’s capacity to cope with elevated pressure.  

So, if you have high blood pressure, you may want to schedule an eye exam to ensure that you are not developing the “silent” condition of glaucoma. You can also find out if you can have LASIK with your high blood pressure.

If you are tired of wearing glasses or contacts, and want to pursue the option of LASIK, schedule a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery today to find out if your overall health, eye health and eye characteristics are right for the procedure. Call 843-856-5275 or http://www.charlestoncornea.com.

Television and Glaucoma

It may be possible to identify glaucoma and other eye diseases by observing the eye movements of people as they watch television. 

A team of researchers at City University London put this idea to the test by comparing 44 patients with glaucoma against 32 elderly patients who had good vision. Eye tracking devices were used to record every patient’s eye movements as they watched three television and film clips on a computer.

The researchers were able to note which scenes the participants could focus on and which they were missing. Saccade maps were then produced to compile these movements and identify which participants had failing vision, especially in the peripheral sections. A gradual decline in peripheral vision is a common symptom of primary open-angle glaucoma in Charleston.

Even if you have inherited good vision from your parents or have undergone LASIK vision correction in Charleston to correct your refractive errors, it is important to remember that anyone can get glaucoma. Because this eye disease is often “silent” (without major symptoms in the early stages) television vision testing may help to identify the disease for early treatment.

Regular eye exams will also detect eye diseases such as glaucoma. During these exams, you may also find out that you are a good candidate for vision correction procedures like Charleston LASIK. Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery has performed hundreds of vision correcting and vision saving procedures as well as treatments to protect failing eyesight.

Don’t wait until you experience eye problems. Schedule an eye exam at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery today and stay proactive with your eye health. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today.