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 If the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night involves glasses or contact lenses, Laser Vision Correction may be your answer. Over a million people around the world have had LASIK - Laser Vision Correction. If you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, LASIK (Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis) could bring your world into focus.
Laser Vision Correction is becoming the most common elective surgical procedure in the United States. The surgery is painless and eliminates or reduces the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses to see objects clearly. Patients are usually able see more clearly within 24 hours. The goal of LASIK is to reduce your dependence on corrective lenses.
The LASIK Procedure
 Initially, a comprehensive dilated eye exam is performed. This exam is to confirm that your eyes are healthy and to determine your degree of near or farsightedness and also astigmatism. We use the FDA-approved VISX Star S4 Excimer Laser.
The VISX Star S4 excimer laser has state of the art technology in optics, precision eye tracking, and sophisticated variable beam delivery combining to provide the most predictable precise laser vision correction possible. The S4 laser includes the latest updates in hardware and software, making sure every available improvement is implemented to expand the laser's capabilities and accuracy.
In preparation for the surgery, hard contact lenses must be removed three weeks and soft contact lenses two weeks prior to the day of surgery. The patient should not wear eye make-up, perfume, or perfume lotions on the day of surgery. It is required that patients bring someone to drive them home from the surgery. They will be asked to arrive approximately one half hour prior to the scheduled surgery time so that eye drops can be given to prepare the eyes for surgery. Oral Valium is given to help the patient relax and numbing drops are administered to the eye in insure a comfortable treatment. There are no injections or needles and the surgery is painless.
When the time of surgery arrives, the patient is escorted to the surgical suite and the area around the eye is cleaned. The microkeratome creates a protective flap in the cornea and the laser then reshapes the cornea to correct the refractive error for that patient. Once the laser treatment is complete, the protective flap is put back in place where it heals itself without the need for stitches. Patients remain awake and comfortable throughout the procedure. It takes approximately 20 minutes for both eyes to be treated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some commonly asked questions regarding laser vision correction.
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What is LASIK? |
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 With LASIK (Laser In-situ Keratomileusis), a thin layer of the cornea is lifted to create a “flap” that stays connected on one side. Next, the excimer laser sculpts the cornea with a cool, ultraviolet light. Finally, the “flap” is returned to its original position for a quick, natural recovery. |
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What is Custom LASIK? |
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Custom LASIK is a new procedure that utilizes a wavefront analyzer that enables Dr. Kohler to customize the conventional LASIK to your individual eyes. This customized procedure can result in patients seeing clearer and sharper than ever before. |
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What is PRK? |
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With PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy), an excimer laser beam is used to flatten the front of the cornea. The laser beam removes small amounts of tissue from the front of the cornea. This differs from RK, which uses a knife to made radial incisions around the center of the cornea. |
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What is nearsightedness? |
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is when the curvature of the cornea is too steep, the focus of the rays of light that enter the eye fall short of the retina. The result is a blurry view of distant objects. |
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Click here to see an animation about Myopia.
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What is farsightedness? |
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Farsightedness (hyperopia) occurs when an eye is too short for the cornea’s curvature. Light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina, and as a result a blurred image is produced. |
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Click here to see an animation about Hyperopia. |
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What is astigmatism? |
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Astigmatism can exist alone or in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness. With this condition your eye becomes oval-shaped like a football instead or round, causing distortion when the eye tries to focus.
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Click here to see an animation about Astigmatism. |
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What is presbyopia? |
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Presbyopia is a condition where there is a diminished power of the eye accommodating near to far distances. This arises from a loss of elasticity of the lens, as is typical after age 40. Laser surgery can overcome this condition only if you opt for “monovision”. (see below) There is also a non-laser procedure called Conductive Keratoplasty that uses radio frequency energy. |
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Click here to see an animation about Presbyopia. |
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What is monovision? |
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Monovision exists when one eye has good distance vision and the other eye has good near vision, useful for reading. This is helpful in those over age 40 and can minimize the patient’s need for bifocals or reading glasses. Some people obtain monovision with the use of contact lenses. Contact lenses are fit such that one eye is left nearsighted for reading and the other corrected at distance for far viewing. Monovision can also be obtained with refractive surgery. The surgery is performed to get good distance vision in one eye and the other eye is left with the appropriate amount of nearsightedness to allow for near reading vision. |
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Am I a candidate? |
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In order to tell if you are a good candidate, you should undergo a screening assessment by Dr. Kohler. Tests will be done to determine if your eyes are healthy and the degree of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism of your eyes. You should bring your contact lenses or glasses with you to the examination. To be eligible for treatment, patients generally should be 18 years of age and in some cases, 21 years of age. Patients should have no active eye disease, and be in good health. |
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How much does it cost? |
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The Custom LASIK and PRK procedures are $1,950.00 per eye. This includes your initial evaluation, the procedure, and post op visits up to a year. We do offer a financing plan that offers payments as low as $68.00 per month with no money down.
Capitalonehealthcarefinance.com |
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Is it covered by insurance? |
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Most insurance companies do not cover LASIK and PRK, but many now offer a discount. Please let us know what you have for health insurance and we will be happy to let you know of any discounts available to you. |
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Does it hurt? |
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No. The actual excimer laser surgery does not hurt. Before surgery, you are given some medicated eye drops to numb your eyes. Some patients do experience some discomfort during the first 12-24 hours after surgery, and medication is available if necessary. |
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What are the side effects? |
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As with any treatment or operation there are risks, even though they are rare. Most common side effects, though temporary, are haziness, halos, sensitivity to bright lights, dry eye, and fluctuating vision. |
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How long will I be off work? |
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You can have the procedure and be back to your normal day-to-day activities very quickly. Most people return in three to four days with PRK. |
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Does it really work? |
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Yes! Excimer laser surgery is being performed around the world. Over 98% of patients who have the procedure obtain normal vision and are able to drive without their glasses or contacts. |
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What happens on the treatment day? |
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LASIK is an outpatient procedure, which means you will spend about 60 minutes at the laser center. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home.
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What happens after surgery? |
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A clear eye shield will be placed over your eyes. You will leave the shields in place until the next morning. Postoperative instructions, including use of eye drops, will be reviewed with you. You will be sent home with instructions to rest with your eyes closed. You will probably notice improved vision, but it will still be blurry when you leave the center. Your vision will continue to improve as the hours go by.
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