LASIK and Vision Correction
Cornea
The Cornea is the clear, round, dome-shaped membrane on the surface of your eye that normally is about 0.5 mm thick (0.002 inches; a dime is about 1.0 thick). Contact lenses rest on the Cornea, and since the Cornea has no blood vessels, it receives most of its oxygen from the air. So, wearing a contact lens is a bit like trying to breathe through a wet towel. Rigid, gas-permeable contact lenses allow the most oxygen to pass through, so they are the best type of lenses, if you are concerned about the health of your eyes. The cornea has more pain fibers per unit area than any other place on the body, so a small scratch here hurts, a lot.
The Cornea, together with the Lens, focuses light on the Retina, much like the lenses in a camera focus light on the film. Most of the focusing power (about two thirds) comes from the Cornea. A cross-section of the cornea should give a circle, but with Astigmatism, a corneal cross-section looks slightly foot-ball shaped. Near-sightedness (Myopia), and Far-sightedness (Hyperopia) are also sometimes due to an "abnormal" shape to the cornea, although they are more often caused by an abnormally large (myopia), or abnormally small (hyperopia) shape to the entire eyeball.
Most current Refractive Surgeries irreversibly alter the shape of the Cornea.
You may have had your doctor discuss many vision correction options. Here is a breakdown of some of those vision correction options. OMNI EYE CENTERS of Kansas City offer several laser vision correction procedures including LASIK and PRK to improve nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
For those patients who are too nearsighted for a LASIK correction, we can implant the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL. The IOL is positioned in front of the eye’s natural lens and works like a pair of glasses in the eye restoring clear vision.
CK® is available for patients who have good distance vision but only need glasses to read. CK® is a blended type of vision that eliminates or greatly reduces the need for reading glasses following the procedure.
For patients with cataracts, no stitch cataract surgery using standard monovision correction is always discussed.
Laser Vision Correction
Millions of people worldwide have reduced or eliminated their need for corrective lens through laser vision correction. Laser vision correction is the most advanced technology available today to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. OMNI EYE CENTERS offers the laser vision correction procedures PRK, and LASIK.
For many individuals the decision to undergo refractive surgery is a quality of life issue. Their doctor may have discussed this due to limitations of their corrective lens. Laser vision correction procedures such as LASIK give them the freedom to experience life in a whole new way.
To date, the doctors affiliated with OMNI EYE CENTERS of Kansas City have performed thousands of successful procedures. Of those treated with laser vision correction by Dr. Moyes, 99 percent have achieved 20/30 vision or better with no reported complications.
LASIK (Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis) Refractive Surgery
LASIK has been used for years to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The procedure is known as laser vision correction and has been extremely successful at treating a wide range of visual disorders.
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LASIK is a two-step process. The first step is the flap creation. Patients are given a choice of two methods of flap creation. Traditionally the flap was created using a Hansatome. This device contains a surgical blade, which glides across the surface of the eye and back. The flap is then lifted and the laser applied for treatment.
Once the flap is created and lifted, the surgeon applies laser light to reshape the internal cornea with accuracy up to 0.25 microns. The flap is put back in its original place and bonds naturally within a few minutes. Since only the edge of the flap needs to heal, corrective vision is restored within 24 hours and there is less risk of corneal haze as with other methods.
The entire refractive surgery usually takes about 15-20 minutes with only 30-60 seconds of actual lasering. You will not experience any discomfort since numbing drops are applied to the eye prior to the surgery.
Immediately following LASIK refractive surgery, a clear eye shield will be placed on the eye to protect your new vision. Medications will be prescribed for the next several days. Since most patients experience little or no discomfort they usually return to work within a few days. |
Remember that laser vision correction is not for everyone; we are pleased that you have sought the advise of your Optometrist for your personal eye care needs.
PRK Laser Vision Correction
PRK was the first laser vision correction surgery to be performed in the United States and can treat moderate amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Arrow shows the area of cornea being treated. |
In performing this refractive surgery, the epitheal layer of the cornea is removed and the laser light applied directly to the surface of the cornea. Microscopic amounts of tissue are removed to alter the shape of the cornea. The laser does not penetrate the cornea and leaves the iris, lens, and retina intact. |
This type of refractive surgery takes only 15-20 minutes with only about 30-60 seconds of actual lasering. Numbing drops are applied to the eye prior to PRK so that the patient does not experience any discomfort. Following the laser vision correction surgery, a thin non-prescriptive contact lens is applied to the eye to provide comfort and protection for the first several days of healing. Medication will be prescribed for two to three months or more. Most patients experience minimal discomfort and usually return to work within two to three days following the surgery.
Remember that laser vision correction is not for everyone; we are pleased that you have sought the advise of your Optometrist for your personal eye care needs.
CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty)
If you're over 45 and have had great vision throughout your life, but now require reading glasses, you may be a candidate for a newer procedure called Conductive Keratoplasy (CK®).
CK® treats a condition that is known as presbyopia. Presbyopia usually sets in around the age of 40 when the lens of the eye begins having difficulty in focusing near objects. People begin to need reading glasses in order to perform everyday near activities such as, reading the newspaper or the phone directory.
In performing CK®, a tiny probe the size of a human hair is inserted into the cornea at a precise depth. Controlled amounts of radio frequency waves are applied to the eye. The waves shrink tiny amounts of corneal tissue and create a constrictive band around the eye that increases the overall curvature of the cornea and brings near objects into clearer vision. The surgery is performed in the office using eye numbing drops. It takes approximately three minutes to complete the procedure and it is considered to be painless. There is no cutting of the cornea or tissue removal, and the patient will usually see improvements in their vision over several weeks. Most patients return to work the day after the procedure.
Remember that laser vision correction is not for everyone; we are pleased that you have sought the advise of your Optometrist for your personal eye care needs.
Verisyse™ Phakic Intraocular Lens Implant
The Verisyse™ lens is used to treat moderate to extreme cases of nearsightedness in patients. The lens is implanted inside a patient’s eye where it acts like a pair of glasses or contacts to refocus light rays onto the retina to correct the patient’s vision. The Verisyse™ lens is considered a good option for patients who were previously not good LASIK candidates due to higher refractive errors or thin corneas. These patients now have a way of correcting their vision without the burden or hassle of glasses or contacts.
The Verisyse™ lens may be used in patients who are over 21 years of age with between 5 and 20 diopters of nearsightedness with up to 2.5 diopters of astigmatism. With this type of prescription, your Optometrist may request that you have additional testing at OMNI EYE CENTERS. Here, testing will occur to determine if you have adequate space inside the eye to receive the lens.
This procedure is performed on an out-patient basis under local anesthesia. One eye is treated at a time. The lens is made out of a hard plastic material. It is the same material that has been used to make cataract lens for over 50 years. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision inside the eye. The Verisyse™ lens is inserted and positioned in front of the natural lens of the eye. Because the natural lens is not removed during the procedure the patient will not experience any loss of intermediate or near vision after the surgery. The entire procedure takes approximately 30 minutes to perform.
Remember that laser vision correction is not for everyone; we are pleased that you have sought the advise of your Optometrist for your personal eye care needs.
Refractive Lensectomy
A Refractive Lensectomy is a procedure that treats nearsightedness and farsightedness by removing the eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an Intraocular Lens with the appropriate corrective power. The procedure is similar to cataract surgery, however; there is no cataract present.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. A small incision is made in the eye in order to remove the natural lens and insert the IOL. The entire surgery takes about 30 minutes. The surgeon can perform a procedure known as AK at this time to treat any astigmatism that may be present in the eye.
As with all eye surgery, there are risks. You should be educated to the benefits and risks prior to the procedure.
