Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (Lasik) is intended to eliminate or reduce dependency on eyeglasses or contacts. Beverly Hills Lasik surgery has become more and more popular as the decades progress but still Laser Eye Surgery is not for everyone. Alternative surgery procedures like PRK and Lasik are excellent alternatives to glasses and contact lenses for patients suffering from myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism as well as a wide range of other vision conditions.

A procedure like this can permanently reshape the cornea, which is the clear covering of the front of the eye with the help of a laser. Most patients do not report any problems after the Los Angeles Lasik laser surgery. There are a wide variety of different optical lasers used in this procedure but common for all of them is that the laser will remove some tissue from the cornea.

Patients who have reached or are close to reaching the age of 40 should consider that their vision may be affected by conditions that cannot be treated with Lasik surgery, such as presbyopia. Patients with certain medical conditions or taking certain medications should not choose Lasik surgery because of the implication that it might give, according to top professional Beverly Hills Lasik surgeons. If you’re pregnant or nursing you will fall out of the ideal candidate classification and as it is advised to wait before considering laser vision correction. Patients with a condition called keratoconus are ineligible for the procedure and so are patients who have high levels of refractive error. Both parties are at a slightly higher risk for post-surgical astigmatism.

Laser vision correction surgery is an extraordinary procedure that has helped thousands of people see better and is an exciting opportunity for anyone who suffers from vision problems. Lasik surgery is the preferred vision correction surgery these days, despite its high cost. This type of surgery is however generally not the best option for older patients suffering from age-related conditions. Often these conditions can’t be treated with the Lasik procedure. To learn more about Lasik and laser eye surgery, contact you local Lasik eye specialists to learn more.

A $2-billion industry, Lasik technology in the hands of an experienced, expert Beverly Hills Lasik surgeon has consistently accommodated the needs of people to get rid of their glasses and contacts through laser eye surgery.

Whether it be in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills Lasik eye surgery has always been about the quality and the service of the surgeon providing the procedure. With regards to quality, it is very important to select a laser eye surgeon who is not only certified but experienced with completing numerous successful surgeries. Getting recommendations from known sources is also very useful in locating the right Lasik surgeon. And in terms of service, Los Angeles Lasik patients must consider the kind of care that their surgeon and staff offer before, during, and especially after the procedure.

Lastly and equally importantly, when considering laser eye correction, is what type of eye correction laser to have. Patients are encouraged to research and narrow down the kind of Lasik technology that is right for their needs and budget through consultations, customer testimonials, and personal research. It is advisable to inquire about the wide variety of treatments a laser eye surgeon offers, and select the most appropriate one for one’s own circumstance.

The most popular variation of laser treatment is called Lasik (for “laser in-situ keratomileusis”). In this technique, the Los Angeles eye surgeon applies the laser upon the cornea, rather than near the corneal surface. This is accomplished by creating a protective flap in the front 20-25% of the cornea and then applying the laser treatment to the tissue beneath the flap. This protective flap can be made with a laser or with a keratome.

The vision correction treatment can also be applied near the surface of the cornea (instead of under a protective flap), in which case the technique is referred to as Advanced Surface Treatment, or “Lasik without a flap”. This technique has several minor variations, which include PRK (for “photo-refractive keratectomy”), Lasek, and Epi-Lasik.

In PRK, the thin layer of soft tissue coating the outside of the eye (the epithelium) is removed and the Beverly Hills Lasik surgeon applies the laser energy to the firm tissue underneath.

In Lasek–with an “e”–the soft tissue on the surface is replaced after the laser treatment. In Epi-Lasik, this thin layer of soft material is folded back using a machine. PRK, Lasek, and Epi-Lasik are very similar to each other.

When the laser treatment is applied to the tissue deep within the cornea (as in Lasik) instead of near the surface (as in Advanced Surface Treatment), the healing is quicker with more rapid vision recovery. Patients usually see quite well the next day after a Los Angeles Lasik treatment. In “Lasik without a flap” the intial healing takes about a week. However, after the healing period is complete, the results are the same with each of these techniques.

Lasik requires an additional surgical step, which is the creation of the protective flap. The flap is created with an instrument known as a keratome or with the IntraLase laser. Creation of the flap takes about 15 seconds and is virtually painless. Complications with the flap occur about 1% of the time. Almost all of the complications are mild and can be easily treated, often by lifting or repositioning the flap. The most serious complication would involve improper creation of the flap; when this occurs, the patient is asked to wait three months, and then can return for a repeat treatment.

With either Beverly Hills Lasik or “Lasik without a flap”, there are two types of computer software that can be used, known as conventional and Custom. Both of these use the same laser to perform the vision correction treatment. The conventional software works like glasses or a contact lens; there is one prescription that covers the entire eye. Obviously, this produces excellent vision, just as do glasses and contact lenses. With Custom treatment, an additional modification is made in the treatment to account for additional irregularities in the vision. On average, the Custom treatments produce slightly better vision than the conventional software.

At the Caster Eye Center, we perform all of the variations of laser vision correction. All of the variations produce excellent vision. During your consultation, we will obtain measurements of your eyes, and Dr. Caster will personally talk to you and determine which procedure is the best for your specific situation. In this careful way, we obtain the best vision possible for our patients.