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Frequently Asked Questions |
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WHAT IS LASIK? |
LASIK, (Laser Assisted In-Situ
Keratomileusis) is a vision procedure that
uses a laser to change the shape of the
cornea (the clear dome over the colored part
of the eye), improving it’s ability to
focus.
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THREE STEPS TO CREATE CLEAR VISION!
· STEP
ONE: Using the Hansatome
Microkeratome, our surgeon creates a small
protective flap of corneal tissue, thinner
than the thickness of a credit card, on the
surface of the eye. This protective
flap is gently lifted back.
· STEP TWO: The
VISX Excimer Laser applies a cool beam of
light which gently reshapes the cornea,
allowing images to be more sharply focused
onto the retina.
· STEP THREE: The protective flap is then
gently placed back in its original position
and begins healing immediately.
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WHAT KEEPS THE FLAP FROM MOVING? |
The flap
adheres to the inner surface of the eye immediately
after returning the flap to its original place. The
epithelial layer of the eye begins to seal the edges
of the flap within just a few hours. Gradually, the
eye continues to settle and heal completely. You
cannot rub your eye and move the flap once the
initial healing period has passed.
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| WHO
IS A CANDIDATE? |
| A patient of at
least 18 years of age with a stable prescription for
one year, good eye health, sufficient corneal
thickness and good general health.
Nearsightedness, farsightedness and
astigmatism can all be correction with LASIK.
Non candidates include some diabetic patients, some rheumatoid arthritis
patients, all pregnant or breast feeding mothers or
patients with severe glaucoma, patients with
cataracts may or may not be candidates based on
severity and progression. This will be
determined b your doctor.
ONLY YOUR DOCTOR CAN DETERMINE IF YOU ARE
A GOOD CANDIDATE, DURING YOUR COMPLEMENTARY AND
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION.
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CAN ALL VISION PROBLEMS BE CORRECTED? |
LASIK can reduce or eliminate nearsightedness,
farsightedness, and astigmatism.
It will NOT cure the age related condition known as presbyopia, the
inability to see up close after age 40. There is,
however a procedure made just for presbyopic
patients. See the information regarding CK
(conductive keratoplasty)
There is another alternative to reading glasses that does use the
LASIK procedure. It is known as “monovision”.
At Advanced Eye Center, we have been performing
successful monovision for years. Our refractive
coordinator and doctors will explain it in more
detail during your free evaluation.
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| WHAT
ABOUT THE “OTHER GUYS” WITH AMAZING PRICES? |
A
lot of the “other guys” use deceptive and misleading
advertising to attract patients into their office.
Most patients do not qualify for the advertised
price. Usually, the advertised $999 eye will become
several thousand after the patient has to purchase
their pre and post op medication, follow-up visits
and enhancements. The amount of prescription the
patient needs corrected adds additional fees.
Some Laser vision correction centers utilize yesterday’s technology-
older lasers that do not have 3-D eye tracking,
variable spot scanning, and larger treatment areas/
blend zones. These are important for a good visual
outcome. There have even been centers reported to
re-use instruments on patients that were intended
for one use. There are a lot of ways to “cut costs”
but not at the expense of your vision.
Most importantly, our surgeons are here 7 days a week for you both before
and after your procedure. Many “high volume” centers
bring in doctors from out of town, or even out of
state. Where will your surgeon be when you need him?
At “discount” centers, your pre-op and post-op care will be farmed out to
others, including those with no medical license.
Another way some centers have cut-rate prices is to
have staff with little or no training in the LASIK
procedure.
For a CBS online expose’ of some local “cost cutters” with misleading
advertising, click here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/26/health/main546240.shtml.
(you will be directed to another page, hit BACK to
return)
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WHAT KIND OF LASER DO YOU USE? |
We
use the most advanced and proven laser, the Visx
StarS4 Active Trak excimer laser with variable spot
scanning, 3-D eye tracking, and larger treatment
zone capability with wavefront technology available.
We use this laser on all our LASIK patients.
We never use older, outdated or cheaper lasers, even
on the “easy” cases. Even patients with a
small prescription deserve the latest technology.
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WHAT IS CUSTOM LASIK? |
Wavefront (often called custom LASIK) is a
relatively new and exciting technology that measures
the eye in ways we never could in the past. It was
modified from technologically advanced telescopes
used to see very far into space. In the past we
could only check your prescription in a room with
the eye chart, but wavefront LASIK uses light rays
to capable of reading 200 individual points in the
eye and making a “blueprint” of your eye. This
information is transferred into the laser and guides
the laser during your LASIK treatment, specific to
the unique shape of your eye.
Be cautious about other centers advertising they have wavefront
technology. There are several different “brands”
that will measure a waveform, but only a few are FDA
approved to link to the laser. At Advanced Eye
Center, our Wavescan interfaces with our laser using
the latest technology available, the VISX Star 4
Active Trak excimer laser. VISX was the first laser
the FDA approved to use Wavescan images for
treatment.
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WHAT KIND OF RESULTS CAN I EXPECT AND WILL IT LAST
FOREVER? |
Depending on your prescription and how quickly you
heal, LASIK results can be seen right away.
Patients can often see a clock on the wall in the
laser room immediately after the procedure.
Since LASIK permanently reshapes your cornea, your results last a
lifetime. Patients that have had the procedure
up to ten years ago still enjoy their corrected
vision. The results of LASIK are considered
permanent. Your vision may change again in the
future due to an eye condition or natural aging of
the eyes. The chances of going completely back
to the blurred vision you may have today is highly
improbable.
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| DOES THE PROCEDURE HURT? |
LASIK is considered a painless procedure.
There are no needles, no stitches, no
bandages. We use local anesthetic (numbing)
eye drops. The rare person may feel some minor
discomfort or a scratchy sensation for a few hours
following the procedure, but most patients are quite
comfortable after having a short nap and using the
eye drops that we provide.
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| WHAT ARE ENHANCEMENTS? |
Enhancements, also called
"touch-ups," or "retreatments" are usually done in 3
months if needed. If, for any reason, there is
any residual prescription remaining after your
procedure, we would evaluate this at one of your
follow up visits and re-treat at your convenience.
At Advanced Eye Center we have less than a 1%
enhancement rate (much lower than the national
average), but it's nice to know touch-ups are
included if you should need them.
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| WHAT DOES THE COST OF THE
PROCEDURE COVER? |
Your fee covers your
evaluation, all the extensive pre-operative testing,
your consultation with the refractive coordinator,
your consultation with the doctor, the facility fee,
the doctor's fee, the procedure itself, all supplies
used during the procedure, all of your eye drops,
medications, all of your post-operative care for one
year and any enhancements should you need them,
which will be evaluated at the three-month post-op
mark.
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| WHAT WILL THE EVALUATION BE
LIKE? |
You will make an appointment to be seen
at a time that is convenient for you. You will
meet a technician who will begin the in-depth exam
that includes completely painless extensive testing.
This information will provide the physicians with
precise and detailed information necessary for your
personalized treatment.
We will measure your corneal thickness, take a personalized corneal map
and do a dilated and undilated refraction, measure
your intra-ocular pressure, and check your vision.
You will then have a personal consultation with the refractive
coordinator to discuss the LASIK procedure in
detail, and have all of your questions answered.
You will then meet with the doctor of your choice to develop a
personalized and custom plan specifically for your
eyes. This is also the opportunity to ask any
further questions you may have. You will need to
allow approximately 2 hours for this comprehensive
eye examination.
The doctor will determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK, we will
not do the procedure unless you fit the criteria for
a ideal LASIK patient.
You can drive yourself to and from your evaluation and we have dilation
reversal drops for your convenience.
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| IS LASIK COVERED BY MY
INSURANCE PLAN? |
Not usually, however we encourage you to contact
your employer and your insurance company. LASIK is
now more affordable than ever with a flexible
monthly payment plan. Vision Fee Plan (VFP) is
a financing company we work with that has monthly
payments as low as $76 and APR's as low as 5.9%.
There is also a 12 months, same a cash option with
no up front payment. Click here to link directly to
the Vision Fee Plan site.
www.visionfeeplan.com
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| ARE THERE ANY RISKS? |
Less than 1% of all patients experience any
vision reducing complications. We have had no cases
of blindness resulting from LASIK. Although
very uncommon, side effects of LASIK can include
delayed healing, haze, flap complications, corneal
irregularities, dry eyes and glare at night. A
careful and thorough review of all benefits and
risks will be addressed during your consultation and
evaluation.
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| WHAT WILL MY RECOVERY BE LIKE? |
Most LASIK patients usually see very well the
next day. So well , in fact, the majority of
our patients drive themselves to their one day post
operative appointment, and return to work that day.
Your recovery time will depend on how high your
prescription was, and on personal healing patterns.
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