Ke Ala Ike offers a complete step-by-step description of preparations, procedures and post-operative actions. For details, view our video documentary in our Refractive Surgery section. Yes, most candidates are suitable for the same-day treatment. However, patients must carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages and discuss them in detail with the surgeon.

Temporary side effects following laser vision correction can include dryness of eyes, sensitivity to light or halos at night. During the healing process dry eyes can easily be treated by using artificial tears to keep the surface of your eyes moist. You are advised to wear sunglasses when outdoors following eye surgery to reduce light sensitivity and to protect your eyes. Halos or glare at night usually resolve within a few weeks and with Custom LASIK this side effect is virtually eliminated.

They both are used to improve nearsightedness and astigmatism by changing the shape of the cornea, the clear front window of the eye, to allow better vision without glasses or contacts. They both use the same laser, but they differ in technique and post operative recovery. In PRK, the outer layer of the cornea is reshaped with the laser, but in LASIK, a thin flap of the cornea is lifted; then the underlying cornea is treated with the laser, and then the flap is laid back in place.

Sight threatening complications are fortunately rare with refractive surgery, and PRK is no exception. However, PRK tends to be a process that heals slowly, allowing visual recovery to be more slow than with Lasik procedures. On the other hand, LASIK procedures are more technically complex and can have complications related to this. A full list of side effects of these procedures is available from Dr. Denman's office.

You may send in your glasses prescription and your age and sex, and we will be able to tell you which procedures would be most appropriate for you. If you are seriously considering surgery, you will come in for a complete eye evaluation, at which time Dr. Denman will determine which procedure would be most likely to succeed in your case.

In the early 1970s doctors began making radial incisions in the cornea to treat nearsightedness and astigmatism. The surgical procedure is known as Radial Keratotomy (RK). This procedure, while effective, was limited by the precision of the surgeon's hands. s, they began looking at lasers to improve the precision and predictability of altering the shape of the cornea. Researchers found that the Excimer laser could remove tissue with up to 0.25 microns of accuracy from the surface of the cornea.

Both Lasik and PRK use the excimer laser to reshape the cornea and correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Developed during the 1980's, PRK is used to treat low to moderate amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. In PRK, a thin layer of tissue is removed from the surface of the eye with a blade or laser prior to the shaping the cornea.

bull; In LASIK a very thin flap of corneal tissue is lifted out of the way to allow the laser treatment. The flap is then replaced and healing takes place within 24 hours. bull; In PRK the laser is applied directly to the surface of the eye without creating the flap. The healing process is slower but the results are the same. This procedure is better for patients with conditions such as thin corneal surfaces.

Medical researchers have been following LASIK patients for 15 years and have uncovered no detrimental long-term effects. The corneal flap procedure has been practiced widely since the 1980s with no long-term complications found. In view of these findings, we have confidence in these procedures, but it is not possible to guarantee that some rare problems may develop in the future.

All patients can have PRK surgery except for those who have autoimmune disorders (Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) or those who have a history of aggressive scar formation after a skin incision (called Keloids).

Insurance typically will not pay for PRK or LASIK surgery. Insurance companies are starting to recognize the savings and benefits of covering laser vision correction procedures; however, each company has different policies. During your LASIK consultation, ask our LASIK surgeons to dictate a letter to your insurance company to request coverage.

LASIK surgery and PRK are both effective laser procedures for vision correction. During LASIK eye surgery, a thin flap is made on the cornea. This flap is lifted and the laser treatment is performed beneath the flap. Once the laser removes the corneal tissue, the flap is replaced. Since the surface of the cornea (epithelium) is preserved, LASIK patients see well the day following their procedure.

PRK involves removing tissue from the surface of the cornea while LASIK involves creating a hinged flap in the cornea and then lifting it to reshape the exposed underlying cornea with an ultraviolet laser beam. There is less discomfort and faster visual recovery with the LASIK procedure. A LASIK patient typically sees well on the first day while PRK patients will need a week to recover. [top]

In both procedures, a specially trained ophthalmologist uses the computer-guided excimer laser to gently remove a thin layer of tissue from the cornea to achieve a desired correction. Prior to the procedures, drops are placed in the eye to numb it (like the ones your eye doctor uses to check your eye pressure for a glaucoma test) and an instrument called a speculum is placed in the eye to prevent you from blinking. There are no needles and no pain.

Some patients after laser vision correction (LASIK or PRK) find out that the glasses masked their eyelids. Such patients are excellent candidates for cosmetic eyelid surgery

Your surgeon might request a physical examination by an internist or your regular doctor. Also, blood transfusions are likely to be needed during your surgery, so you may want to donate your own blood in advance. All preparations for surgery should be discussed with your surgeon.

Several days before the surgery, wash the area to be operated several times to get it as clean as you can. This decreases the risk of infection. Be careful not to get any scratches, cuts, sunburn, poison ivy, etc. The skin has to be in very good shape to prevent problems. You do not need to shave the area. You should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the evening before surgery. It is very important to have a completely empty stomach prior to surgery for anesthesia safety reasons.

If you have a low amount of myopia we still offer PRK. Some patients are safer to have PRK than LASIK due to a thin cornea. It is cheaper than LASIK and good results can be expected for low corrections. PRK has been shown to have no significant long-term complications. However even in very low corrections there is a longer time before clear vision is obtained after PRK.

Radial Keratotomy (RK) is a surgical procedure that can also correct nearsightedness by changing the shape of the cornea. Microscopic incisions of 90% depth, placed in a radial pattern, like the spokes of a wagon wheel, reshape and flatten the central cornea, allowing light to focus more precisely on the retina. The length and number of incisions determine the effect of the surgery. Patients with less than 3 diopters of nearsightedness and stable prescriptions are the best candidates.

Laser vision correction surgery is done on an outpatient basis to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The procedure uses a “cool” beam excimer laser to reshape the cornea by removing microscopic amounts of tissue. The two most common LASIK procedures that have been approved by the FDA are conventional LASIK and custom LASIK. Custom LASIK is a personalized approach to laser vision correction.

No stitching is required during LASIK surgery. The corneal flap adheres by surface tension within a few minutes and the surface epithelial layer will migrate inwards to seal the edges of the flap within 24 hours.

PRK stands for Photorefractive Keratectomy. This was the first type of laser treatment to be approved by the FDA in the United States, and has been done world wide for about 8 to 10 years. In this technique, the energy from the excimer laser is applied directly to the surface of the cornea.

Yes. However, this depends on each patient, and needs to be assessed individually. Please call our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jovkar.