Latest Vision Articles

LASIK Eye Surgery: Important Q and A Information

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:30:42 -0700

Through modern technology and medicine, Beverly Hills Lasik surgeons have been able to improve vision and do away with spectacles or contact lenses. According to The Jakarta Post, LASIK (short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) has gained wide popularity over recent years, whether for aesthetics or for practical reasons. The following are questions and answers commonly discussed regarding laser eye correction surgery.

Question: Can Beverly Hills Lasik be individualized?
Answer: LASIK can be tailored to an individual's eyes and requirements, according to The Jakarta Post. Newer technology means that treatments can be much more accurate and for a higher degree level of correction, although some of these still need evaluation to determine their true benefits. In the past, the higher degree a person had, the more cornea had to be removed. With new LASIK technology, less tissue needs to be removed for higher levels of vision correction. It is important to choose a center with a wide range of femtosecond laser and excimer laser machines to find the best match in technology to an individual's requirement. Some refractive intraocular implants are also now available to treat extremes of myopia not amenable to LASIK surgery.

Question: Does LASIK use heat energy and can people smell the cornea being burned?
Answer: The excimer is a "cool" laser and does not use heat energy to remodel the cornea. However, there may still be an element of tissue vaporization that may result in some smell during the treatment.

Question: Is LASIK still a new technology and are there any long-term studies out there?
Answer: LASIK was first performed 20 years ago in 1989 by an ophthalmologist in Greece and then introduced to America in 1990. Since then, peer reviewed publications have shown excellent safety, efficacy and stability results for eyes up to 10 years after LASIK was first performed, and millions of LASIK treatments worldwide have shown no unexpected long-term complications.

Question: It is possible to target the LASIK laser accurately all the time as eyeballs will make involuntary movement and is there a risk of the laser zapping the wrong areas of the eye?
Answer: Most Los Angeles Lasik platforms have highly advanced eye-tracking devices that compensate for any minor eye movements during the procedure. These active tracking systems follow the patient's eye position at a speed of up to 4,000 times per second and redirect the laser pulses precisely.

According to a top local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles patients can refer to their local laser eye correction center for more information regarding Lasik and other surgical eye procedures.

Laser Eye Correction Surgery

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:22:52 -0700

A few years back, eye correction surgery was considered as one of the most time consuming and painful procedures. The advent of laser technique has made this procedure lot easier, faster, and safer. Laser vision correction is a simple clinical procedure that helps in restoring a 20/20 vision and is capable of solving the most complex problems related to your eye sight. A lot of people have been satisfied with this technique, especially those with nearsightedness. Laser eye correction surgery gets over in few minutes and people normally require a couple of days’ time to gain recovery after it. For more information on laser vision correction Orange County, please visit any of the nearest eye centres in your area.

There are two types of laser eye correction surgeries, PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) and LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). PRK involves removal of the damaged epithelial lining by rubbing the corneal surface. Originated in Colombia in 1950, LASIK is another very common laser surgery that helps in curing myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism (blurred vision), and hyperopia (farsightedness). This surgery involves changing the shape of the cornea using laser energy and is considered to be an effective technique in getting freedom from corrective eye glasses and contact lenses.

An experienced, well-reputed laser eye surgeon and adherence to his/her medical advice is all that is required to be done. As part of postoperative precautions, surgeons normally recommend protecting/covering the eyes, at least one follow up exam, and might also advice sleeping immediately after the surgery. Use of anti-inflammatory eye drops and antibiotics and wearing of sunglasses to prevent any initial harm from sunlight are also recommended by some surgeons. Advices are also provided to not to put any strain on the eyes by reading, watching television, or using computer within 24 hours after the surgery. You can check online to find a good laser eye surgeon Orange County and get more help and assistance on laser surgery.

Laser eye correction surgery is undoubtedly the most effective and powerful techniques of restoring the 20/20 vision. Lasik Orange County offers you more information on the above techniques. In Southern California Lasik procedures are custom made for your eyes.

Eye care specialists

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:57:09 -0700

With state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and techniques, Eye Care Specialists of Florida provides comprehensive eye care, from routine examination for glasses or contact lenses to highly specialized procedures for cataracts to eye conditions such as glaucoma. We are located in Kissimmee with a commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients.

LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. You may hear people calling it "LASIX," but the name is actually short for "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis."

Why is it so popular? LASIK has advantages over other procedures, including a relative lack of pain afterward and the fact that good vision is usually achieved by the very next day.
An instrument called a microkeratome is used in LASIK eye surgery to create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. Another, newer way of making the flap is with a laser.


The surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it.

When the cornea is reshaped in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.

lasik eye surgery florida
Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from the LASIK procedure. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. While this is not widely recognized by consumers, excimer lasers also can correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

lasik eye surgery florida

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:52:11 -0700

What to Expect During LASIK Eye Surgery?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:15:46 -0700

What to expect before, during, and after surgery will vary from doctor to doctor and patient to patient. The US FDA provides a compilation of patient information developed by manufacturers and healthcare professionals, but cannot replace the dialogue you should have with your Beverly Hills Lasik surgeon. Read this information carefully and with the checklist, discuss your expectations with your doctor.

The surgery itself should take less than 30 minutes. You will lie on your back in a reclining chair in an exam room containing the laser system. The laser system includes a large machine with a microscope attached to it and a computer screen.

A numbing drop will be placed in your eye by a skilled Lasik surgeon Los Angeles laser eye surgery experts tell us, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open.

Your doctor may use a mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) to cut a flap in the cornea. If a mechanical microkeratome is used, a ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring. Your doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in your cornea. Microkeratome blades are meant to be used only once and then thrown out. The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed.

According to a top Lasik doctor Los Angeles laser eye specialists may use a laser keratome (a laser device), instead of a mechanical microkeratome, to cut a flap on the cornea. If a laser keratome is used, the cornea is flattened with a clear plastic plate. Your vision will dim and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. Laser energy is focused inside the cornea tissue, creating thousands of small bubbles of gas and water that expand and connect to separate the tissue underneath the cornea surface, creating a flap. The plate is then removed.

You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge, and dry the exposed tissue. The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from the cornea. This light is to help you keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on.

When your eye is in the correct position, your doctor will start the laser. At this point in the surgery, you may become aware of new sounds and smells. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some people have reported a smell similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser energy delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your Beverly Hills Lasik eye doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the corneal tissue, the flap is put back into position.

A shield should be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.

Are you really receiving the lowest price?

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:19:28 -0800

The feeling strikes tens of thousands of contact lens buyers daily. You've just placed your order online and the relief you feel on your wallet envelopes you like a warm blanket on a cold day. The order may have saved $10, $20, even hundreds of dollars on vision care expenses. Before the feeling passes, buyers need to ask themselves, "Did I really save that much money?". The intense online fight for buyers loyalty is leading to an increase in hidden fees, handling fees, and even the loss of money through inferior customer service.

Buying contact lenses online is a great way to save money and hassle with low costs and quick shipment right to your home. Unfortunately, the widespread use of shady, and borderline criminal, selling tactics are eating away at customer’s wallets. Numerous sites have begun to add a hidden "handling" fee to orders without the customer’s knowledge. The product cost and shopping comparison sites may show the "lowest price" but buyers can find a hidden gem by simply adding up the cost of the contact lenses order in comparison to the shopping cart total. A buyer will quickly notice a discrepancy as much as hundreds of dollars more than the customers perceived order total. Sadly, most buyers are unaware of the over-charge due to the hidden nature of the fee in the shopping cart.

Additionally, some retailers are charging a handling fee on every order. These handling fees are at least shown to the buyer during checkout so they can make a quick exit if necessary. The sad part is the handling fee can add charges, which push the price higher than other retailers, and an unsuspecting buyer could easily over look this charge. While comparison-shopping engines are a great tool to find cheap contact lenses, they don't always show the final price paid.

Pitfalls of ordering contact lenses online.

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:26:46 -0800

Ordering contact lenses online have become the most convenient and money saving addition to vision care in over 20 years. While buying online can be a cheap no hassle way to purchase lenses, buyers should be very careful in how and where they order contacts.

First and foremost, contact lenses are a prescription item and to order them, you must have an up to date prescription from your eye doctor. State laws dictate when prescriptions expire but the majority of states allow one year from your last eye doctor visit to purchase contacts. A few allow two years between visits and in some cases; eye doctors are the one's who will decide when the prescription will expire. In any case, you will always receive a prescription with your name, lens measurements, contact lens brand and material, and your doctor’s name.

Some states will include additional information such as if your contacts are daily or extended wear, the date your prescription expires, and number of refills allowed prior to returning for a doctor visit. Federal law states that all Internet sites, mail-order, and phone companies must get approval from your optometrist for any prescription they fill which is why all ask for your doctor's name and phone number when you place your order. In some states, a written prescription is required which means faxing a copy of your RX to the company for approval.

Ordering from a reputable, national service is the best way to ensure your prescription is filled correctly and with your vision safety in mind. Larger companies receive more scrutiny and order manufacturer direct while small companies may receive their inventory off the grey market where there's less oversight.

When receiving your order, prior to wearing your new lenses, always make sure to double check the box with your prescription to make sure you've received the correct brand, lens type, and prescription details. Even large companies can make a mistake and wearing incorrect contact lenses can cause troubles down the road.

Following these few simple precautions can be a great way to save on contact lenses online while keeping your vision healthy.

Acuvue Trueye Offers Premium Contact Lens Comfort

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:56:28 -0800

Contact lens wearers will agree that moisture is the keep to their comfort level. For years manufacturer's have put a large amount of their research budget into making contact lens material more comfortable while maintaining health standards. The new Acuvue Trueye, available only in Europe, combines the benefits of a moist lens with daily wear pluses. Manufactured from a new material, Narafilcon A, the Trueye offers higher oxygen transmission than any other daily contact lens on the market.

It has outstanding tear film stability and optical clarity similar to premium high water content contact lenses. Dehydration is nearly non-existent so stability and oxygen flow remain at high levels throughout the day. While this contact lens is not available in the USA at this time, expectations are that Johnson & Johnson will release it sometime in 2009 and bring some competition to Ciba Visions Focus Dailies lens. With such a great lens on the way, there certainly are good times ahead for contact lens wearers worldwide.

Are contact lenses right for your children?

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:50:29 -0800

A recent Vistakon study has demonstrated safety for use of contact lenses by children. The study finds that there is no significant change in curvature nor near-sightedness in kids.

While there may be no specific problems in children with the use of contact lenses, there are several safety issues parents should keep in mind while determining if contacts are right for their kids. First, contact lenses, and contact lens cases, are a haven for bacteria and germs which can cause severe eye infections. Children should be aware, or monitored by parents, to ensure their lenses are stored in a clean, safe environment. Putting lenses in can be tricky including making sure the lens is right side out.

The benefits with contact lenses for kids are many fold including better self esteem, less risk of issues arising with eye glasses while playing, and the fun that comes with coloured contact lenses. While contact lenses could be a great idea for your children, always remember prevention is the key to all health issues and contact lenses are no different.

Contact Lens Insertion Tips

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:08:53 -0700

LENSES INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF CONTACT LENSES

Initially, you should insert and remove your contact lenses over a cloth or towel spread on the table. A mirror might be handy while learning techniques, but you should learn to do without it. If you fail in an attempt to insert a lens, the lens should be rinsed before trying again.

INSERTION

Place the lens on the index finger and retract the lower lid with the second finger. Look up, and place the lens onto the lower portion of the sclera. Remove the index finger and slowly release the lid. Close your eyes and lightly massage the lid to help centre the lens.

REMOVAL

Retract the lower lid with the second finger and place the index fingertip on the lower edge of the lens. Slide the lens down onto the sclera. Gently pinch the lens lightly between the thumb and index finger. Roll the thumb and index finger together causing the lens to double, which allows air beneath the lens, and remove from the eye.

NORMAL SYMPTOMS DURING ADAPTATION

-Blinking and watering of the eyes
-Dislike of bright lights or looking upwards
-Tension in the face or forehead
-Moments of blurred vision
-Temporary blurring of vision with spectacles after wearing contact lenses
-One lens behaving better than the other
-Reflections from lights
-Temporary doubling of vision
-Displacement of lenses on the eye
-Some inaccuracy in judgment of sizes and distances

ABNORMAL SYMPTOMS DURING ADAPTATION

Seek advice if you have any of the following signs or symptoms:

-Persistent redness of the eyes especially if it lasts overnight. A lens should never be inserted into a `red' eye as you may have a corneal abrasion that you cannot feel due to the "sensory" adaptation
-Soreness or discomfort (without the lenses in) that lasts until the next day
-If the lens is grossly uncomfortable you should remove it, clean it, and reinsert it. If it is still uncomfortable the lens should be removed and not worn until the advice of your practitioner has been sought.
-If you ever have severe pain or a very red eye advice should be sought immediately.

Every morning after you insert your contact lenses you should check the following three things:
(i) How they see – Vision should be clear for both eyes (check them separately). If not, check that the lenses are clean and that they were inserted into the correct eyes.
(ii) How they feel – The lenses should feel comfortable on your eyes
(iii) How they look – Your eyes should be essentially “white”. If your eyes turn red upon insertion, re-clean the lens. If the eye is still red and uncomfortable, remove the lens and consult your optometrist.