Setting the Stage

Article By Stephen G. Slade, MD

Medical practitioners, and ophthalmologists in particular, always keep an eye toward the future (pun intended), constantly devising and evaluating innovations that may better serve our patients’ needs. Although corneal refractive surgery received much of the attention in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the focus has been shifting in recent years back to the cataract market with the advent of refractive and presbyopia-correcting IOLs. Cataract surgery is an enormous industry. Each year in the United States, more than 3,000,000 cataract surgeries are performed translating to a billion dollar market for industry alone. Medicare still holds about two-thirds of the patients, although that percentage may shift as the nation adopts new healthcare laws.

The baby boomer population is entering the cataract age, and these individuals will be candidates for cataract and presbyopic treatments for years to come. In fact, it is likely that ophthalmic residents who are earning their medical licenses now will be treating baby boomers for the rest of their careers. Are we ready for them? Although cataract patients are becoming more like their refractive counterparts in terms of demanding excellent visual quality and spectacle independence, data adapted from the latest FDA trials for the Crystalens AO IOL (Bausch + Lomb, Rochester, NY) and the WaveLight Allegretto Wave excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX) show that cataract surgery does not give patients the same quality of uncorrected visual acuity as LASIK (Figure 1 [slide 7]). Yet, many baby boomers have already had LASIK surgery and expect that they will be able to see prefectly without spectacles after cataract surgery as well. Can we meet this expectation? We need to prepare ourselves for the coming boon and set the stage for meeting these patients’ demands, or else we risk disappointing our patients.

Currently, only 20% of the more than 8,000 eye surgeons in the United States consider themselves cataract and refractive surgeons, and approximately 6,000 U.S. surgeons say they only perform cataract surgery. Any ophthalmologists implanting presbyopia-correcting IOLs such as the Crystalens Accommodating IOL should consider themselves a refractive-cataract surgeon and need to organize their practices as such. For those practitioners who have not yet adopted these lenses, it is wise to do so in this changing healthcare climate. For surgeons in both camps, this monograph presents data, surgical techniques, and patient-management strategies regarding the use of the Crystalens AO IOL based on years of clinical experience. Hopefully, the information is valuable no matter what type of practice you have.

LASIK Orange County – Harvard Eye Associates in Orange County, California specializes in LASIK laser vision correction.

Experience – Not All Doctors are Equal

Harvard Eye Associates eye doctors are board certified, trained corneal specialists and a published authors on ophthalmology. Harvard Eye’s caring commitment to each of their patients, as entirely unique individuals, has put them at the forefront of fully customized LASIK procedures and technology. Harvard Eye utilizes their own proprietary mathematical formulas, plus the absolute safest and most precise LASIK equipment available. Harvard Eye is one of North America’s most experienced refractive LASIK and lens implant specialists and has completed over 100,000 LASIK and lens implant procedures. With Harvard Eye research interests and training, they are committed to excellence for each and every one of their patients.

Harvard Eye Associates explains that it is of vital importance for patients to be well acquainted with the LASIK eye surgery procedure and its alternatives in order to make an informed decision regarding the future of their vision.

Custom LASIK: is also referred to as Wavefront LASIK and involves the measurement of a person’s ability to focus and process images. If irregularities exist, the Wavefront LASIK is customized according to the findings produced and involve the reshaping of the eye’s corneal surface. Harvard Eye has embraced this type of procedure as a real breakthrough with the ability to provide patients with better overall vision quality than what was available to them in the past.

Epi-LASIK: Harvard Eye Associates explains Epi-LASIK as a cross between LASIK and LASEK. LASIK involves the cutting of a flap in the cornea while LASEK involves cutting a thin sheet on the corneas outer layer. Harvard Eye feels that this procedure certainly isn’t suitable for everyone who needs eye surgery and patients need to accept the slightly longer recovery time. However, they recommend Epi-LASIK for people with thin corneas.

Bladeless LASIK: Harvard Eye Associates explains this relatively new technique that relies on laser energy rather than the use of a cutting instrument (microkeratome), and is well known as Intralase. Harvard Eye feels that Intralase has been a boon for patients once regarded as not candidates for LASIK. Patients with thin corneas considered unsuitable for LASIK treatment, may be considered as candidates for Intralase.

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK): While PRK is not prescribed often since the advent of LASIK, Harvard Eye Associates keeps it in their practice as possibly suitable for patients with thin corneas. PRK is an extremely short eye procedure and while many patients have been able to resume normal work duties a day after surgery.

LASEK: Harvard Eye Associates finds that LASEK can be a great option for people with thin corneas or corneas that would not normally be suitable to undergo LASIK treatment. A finer blade is used to cut the outer layer of the cornea as opposed to the thicker LASIK blade and complications are less likely.

To find out how the marvels of modern medicine may advance your ability to see and function in a world of great beauty, call our office for your free LASIK consultation.

LASIK Orange County – Harvard Eye Associates in Orange County, California specializes in LASIK laser vision correction.

Harvard Eye Associates – About LASIK

Harvard Eye feels it is vital to the welfare of their patients that they research and understand the LASIK procedure before making the decision to undergo it. Harvard Eye suggests beginning with an understanding of conventional LASIK, which is the ablation pattern available on most lasers to directly treat the patient’s cornea. The conventional LASIK treatment is based upon the patient’s glasses prescription, with fixed treatment parameters for each patient. This type of LASIK treatment is effective for most patients but can result in more visual aberrations such as glare, halos, and night vision issues than other forms of laser treatment.

Harvard Eye goes on to explain that there are a variety of different types of lasers used in ophthalmology. All LASIK procedures are performed with a specific type of laser. While all LASIK procedures are similar, there are a variety of different laser manufacturers, including Alcon, Nidek, Bausch & Lomb, Visx, and Wavelight. Harvard Eye specifically mentions that each of these offers its own unique features, including patented excimer laser designs. There are also specialized types of laser ablations that can be performed, including conventional laser treatments, wavefront-optimized treatments, and wavefront-guided treatments – each has its appropriate applications. Most recently, a completely different type of laser design has been developed wherein instead of a mechanical microkeratome to create the LASIK corneal flap, the femtosecond laser does all the work for better precision.

Harvard Eye has performed over 100,000 refractive procedures, and takes great pride in prescribing just the right procedure for each patient, while utilizing the most advanced techniques and technology available. They invite you to call for your free, no-hassle, no-obligation LASIK consultation:

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Monovision LASIK

Harvard Eye understands that if you have developed noticeable presbyopia symptoms, you may not want to wear reading glasses, bifocals or contact lenses anymore. Harvard Eye suggests that if your are under age 50 and have not begun to develop cataracts, monovision LASIK may be a good option for you to consider. This is especially true if you are also nearsighted or astigmatic.

Harvard Eye explains that like ordinary LASIK eye surgery, monovision LASIK can also correct existing refractive errors besides presbyopia, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. If you’ve had LASIK before, you can still have monovision LASIK correction as a touch-up procedure, sometimes called an LASIK enhancement.

Harvard Eye has performed well over 100,000 successful refractive eye surgeries, and prides themselves on providing their patients with the kind of care they would want for any member of their own family. We invite you to talk with Harvard Eye about whether monovision LASIK may be right for you.

How Monovision LASIK Works

Harvard Eye utilizes the same technologically advanced equipment for monovision LASIK as with other LASIK surgeries – a highly specialized laser-called an excimer laser – to reshape the cornea and give you focused vision. The excimer laser emits pulses of concentrated cool, invisible ultraviolet light. When targeted to specific areas on the cornea, it precisely and gently reshapes the cornea by removing extremely tiny amounts of tissue without disturbing other tissue.

Unlike during conventional LASIK surgery, Harvard Eye corrects your vision with monovision LASIK by correcting one eye for distance vision and the other for near vision. Your brain adjusts to focus on a selected image, so you see well at near or far distances. If you haven’t experienced monovision but are interested in trying this approach, Harvard Eye can help you try monovision in advance by fitting you with specialized contact lenses. Harvard Eye may suggest this as an important step to confirm you would be able to adjust easily.

If you are interested in further information about LASIK and finding out if you are a good candidate for this amazing procedure, we invite you to call our office right now for your hassel-free, no-obligation FREE LASIK consultation.

LASIK Orange County- Harvard Eye Associates in Orange County, California specializes in LASIK laser vision correction.