Health Care and Medical Blogs » Lasik surgeon Los Angeles

Lasik – Get your 20/20 vision back with Lasik Surgery

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:32:49 +0000

Refractive errors are optical imperfections that prevent the eye from properly focusing light, causing blurred vision. The primary refractive errors are nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Refractive errors can usually be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, or they can be permanently treated with Lasik and other refractive surgery. Eyeglass lenses and contact lenses are fabricated with precise curves to refract light to the degree necessary to compensate for refractive errors and bring light to a focus on the retina. Vision correction surgeries such as Lasik aim to correct refractive errors by changing the shape of the cornea, so that light rays are bent into a more accurate point of focus.

Lasik surgery uses an instrument called a microkeratome to cut a flap in the surface of the cornea, which is then folded back rather than removed, and a laser (excimer laser) is used to change the shape of the cornea. When the laser work is finished, the flap is folded back down to its original position and kept in place by natural suction. Lasik is an outpatient procedure and is perfectly safe. The actual Lasik surgery usually takes less than five minutes. The Lasik Surgeon uses a computer to adjust the laser for the patient’s particular prescription. The patient is asked to look at a target light for a short time while the laser sends pulses of light to painlessly reshape the retina.

The key difference between Lasik and contacts or glasses is that Lasik improves vision so that the user doesn’t have to worry about prescription lenses most of the time. At the very least, Lasik can correct vision so that visual disturbances are minimal. That means for all the bulky eyeglass wearers out there, there is hope that they can correct their vision well enough to finally buy the feather weight glasses they always wanted.

If considering Lasik Eye Surgery, ones’ first step should be to choose a good Lasik Surgeon who can evaluate if Lasik is right for the person or not. Lasik Surgeon Los Angeles examines a patients’ eyes to determine his/her health, the kind of vision correction needed, and how much laser ablation (corneal tissue removal) is required. Doctors at Lasik Los Angeles also ask about any health conditions that may disqualify one altogether from Lasik surgery.

This Holiday Season, See Clearer

admin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 05:15:21 +0000

Have you experienced difficulty in reading words or seeing things even if they are close? It could be that you have nearsightedness. On the other hand, people who can see things clearly at a distant but having trouble seeing things which are near may have hyperopic eye. This condition is commonly referred to as farsightedness. Both conditions greatly affect one’s life in terms of personal and career aspects. Through out the years, many ways have been devised to correct these 2 eye conditions as well as other less common ones. The first method to be used to correct vision problems was glass lenses. These lenses are still used even today. Later on, a more convenient method was developed- contact lenses. Although contact lenses provide more comfort and convenience than the traditional glass lenses, it is still a hassle to wear them everyday. Finally, a method which eliminates any type of discomfort was developed- Beverly Hills Lasik surgery.

Laser- assisted in situ keratomileusis is a type of refractive surgery to treat several eye conditions, according to a leading local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles Lasik is now available in most eye institutions. Among these conditions are: myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK surgery is proven to be safe and effective. In fact, it is the more recommended alternative to wearing soft contact lenses and corrective eyeglasses. However, not everyone is eligible for Santa Monica Lasik surgery. This type of treatment is given to people ages 18 and above. Furthermore, elderly individuals should undergo other procedures to determine whether they are fit for the procedure.

Vision correction as a medical treatment has gained increasing popularity day after day. It is really very effective way for improvement of your view. If you are also thinking to get treated by this surgery it is important to go over all the details with you Los Angeles Lasik surgeon, prior to going for surgical procedure. The cost of this procedure is also one of such kind of question that you have to resolve before making any final decision. The estimate amount of cash that you may have to use up during surgery relies on many components. For that reason it is quite impossible to get exact sum of cash that you may have to spend during surgery. It also varies from one place to another or you can say that it depends on geographic conditions also. The factors, on which can the price of surgery depends, are mentioned below:

Laser eye center in some cases offer financing and sometimes, health insurance of candidate also covers the cost of surgery. Thus, it becomes easier to pay for the surgery for the people who are not in financial condition to pay out for the surgery. For additional information, visit www.cornell-eye.com to learn more.

Lasik : Common Lasik Questions

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:33:29 +0000

Lasik eye surgery is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery in America. Every year the number of people who desire Lasik eye surgery and the number of people who undergo the procedure increases in large numbers. Many people are aware of the procedure is out there and know what the goal of it but are not sure how the Lasik procedure is performed and have several questions which are common for prospective Lasik candidates.

The Lasik procedure beings with the creation of a hinged corneal flap. After the Los Angeles Lasik surgeon has set drops of anesthesia in the eye, he creates the flap on the outer surface of the eye to expose the underlying cornea. The cornea is then reshaped using an excimer laser and the flap is replaced. After the surgery some patients experience immediate improved vision, but the vision can take up to six months to stabilize.

Here are some of the common questions asked about Lasik eye surgery:

Is Lasik safe?
Lasik and all other laser vision correction Los Angeles procedures are safe provided that one is a good candidate for the surgery. Lasik eye surgery holds a success rate of about 95% for most experienced Lasik eye surgeons. One must always do their own research apart from what the surgeons says to identify if he or she is a good candidate. Remember that if one undergoes such procedure and is not a good candidate the risk of having bad side effects run high.

What are the risks associated with Lasik?
One’s Lasik surgeon Los Angeles should discuss the risk of Lasik eye surgery with the patient prior to the procedure andmay even give them a sheet with a list of side effects. The risks include:

Starburst

Difficulty with glare and night vision

Foreign body sensation

Ghost vision

Blurry vision

Most of these side effects are temporary and do past within a few days and sometimes weeks after surgery. Approximately one to two patients have permanent side effects.

Is Lasik eye surgery painful?
Because there is a very small amount of tissue involved in the procedure it is usually painless for most patients although some patients do complain of some discomfort. Other patients say it feels as if pressure is being applied to the eye; however it is not painful.

What Results should I expect from Lasik?
Although many surgeons say they can ensure 20/20 they cannot. Statistics show that every patient does not have applied 20/20. One should expect better vision and in most cases reduced or no dependencies on corrective eye wear.

Lasik And Reading Glasses

admin — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:06:35 +0000

Trends: many people over the age of 35 give consideration to Lasik surgery Los Angeles laser eye surgeons advise that if you are over this age, you need to consider the options of laser eye surgery seriously, especially when you consider that most people your age will develop or already have developed an eye condition called presbyopia. As people age, the eye’s lens loses its ability to quickly focus from viewing things at a distance to viewing things close up — this is called presbyopia. Presbyopia is the reason why people over the age of 40 generally need reading glasses.

The good news is that if you never really needed glasses to see from far distances, you may only need reading glasses when you develop presbyopia, according to a top local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles and Beverly Hills patients, in such cases, mostly use a “Ben Franklin” style half-glass with magnification. There are some surgical options to reduce the need for reading glasses, including monovision (see below), Conductive Keratoplasty and Refractive lens exchange with the Crystalens, Restor or Rezoom intraocular implant lens.

Over the age of 40, Los Angeles Lasik surgery patients all need reading glasses, unless they want to try monovision. Monovision is a very important concept for all patients over 40 to understand. If you are nearsighted, you know that you can read without your glasses, although if you are very nearsighted, you may have to hold objects rather close in order to see them. And according to an experience local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles patients over the age of 40 who undergo laser vision correction, will no longer be able to see objects close-up without reading glasses, unless they choose to have monovision correction.

If you are mildly nearsighted and love to read without glasses, then laser eye surgery may not be a good option for you, unless you choose monovision. Some patients may get rid of distance glasses but need new reading glasses. For many people, the ability to see clearly at a distance is worth the loss of uncorrected reading vision. If you are farsighted, then you already know that you need glasses to see clearly in the distance as you have gotten older, and even stronger glasses for reading. You will have two options, either to correct both eyes for distance and wear reading glasses, or consider a monovision correction.

There are surgical options to reduce the need for reading glasses. The best procedure available today for patients between 45 and 60 who have good distance vision without glasses is conductive keratoplasty, which is an FDA approved procedure that creates a mild form of monovision with an excellent safety profile. Other procedures involve going inside the eye for a refractive lens exchange, whether with the Crystalens®, Restor® or Rezoom implant lens. These procedures are generally better in the age group over 55 who need some glasses for distance vision or have some cataract formation. Nonsurgical options are monovision with contact lenses or reading glasses.

Contact the Beverly Hills LASIK Center today at http://www.cornell-eye.com/ to see what refractive surgery treatment options our Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and surrounding area patients have available to you.

Long-Term Results Of Lasik

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:51:33 +0000

Most people I know at work and in social circles wear eyeglasses, contacts, or have had Lasik done, and it’s likely that people you know who need vision correction far outnumber those who have perfect vision (you yourself may be someone wearing glasses or contacts as you read this now). Eye centers and optometrists comprise an entire industry serving this general public need for vision correction.

For years, Los Angeles Lasik vision correction has similarly been helping millions see better by way of advanced laser technology to restore vision. Lasik enjoys a high degree of success with various surveys determining patient satisfaction with Lasik finding most patients satisfied. In recent years, a meta-analysis by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery over 3,000 peer-reviewed articles published over the past 10 years in clinical journals from around the world, including 19 studies comprising 2,200 patients that looked directly at satisfaction, showed a 95.4% patient satisfaction rate among Lasik patients around the world.

According to a leading local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles Lasik surgery as well as laser eye corrective surgery elsewhere provides lasting benefits for a vast majority of patients who have undergone Los Angeles Lasik surgery. Research from the United Kingdom and the US have consistently shown that though a number of factors key into claims of negative results involving laser eye surgery, that there are explanations for these cases. These factors include higher initial corrections, astigmatism, older age, and patients’ unrealistic expectations, and have raised exaggerated criticism based on unfounded data against laser eye surgery.

For example, an earlier study published by the British National Health Service’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2004 considered a review of four randomized controlled trials before issuing guidance for the use of Lasik within the NHS. Regarding the procedure’s efficacy, NICE reported at the time: “Current evidence on Lasik for the treatment of refractive errors suggests that it is effective in selected patients with mild or moderate short-sightedness,” but that “evidence is weaker for its effectiveness in severe short-sightedness and long-sightedness.” Regarding the procedure’s safety, NICE reported that “there are concerns about the procedure’s safety in the long term and current evidence does not appear adequate to support its use within the NHS without special arrangements for consent and for audit or research.” Leading Los Angeles Lasik surgeons in the United States and United Kingdom, however, believe NICE relied on information that is severely dated and weakly researched.

Current data strongly suggest that Lasik is a low-risk, tremendously beneficial eye correction option for many satisfied patients. For additional information on laser eye surgery results, please visit http://www.cornell-eye.com/ to learn more.

How to Finance Laser Surgery?

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:03:29 +0000

Millions of people around the globe have laser vision correction every year. We probably have friends, colleagues, neighbours, and family members who’ve have undergone some type of vision correction procedure. One of the most common non invasive procedures is Lasik that is helping individuals to improve their vision.

Even though eye surgery is common, many people have considerations for financing it. Sometimes lack of time or money prohibits these people from moving forward. However, Andrew Caster MD, a leading eye surgeon suggests that with a little resourcefulness and creativity, those who believe that laser vision correction is too expensive will see just how affordable it can be.

Of course we are not suggesting choosing the cheapest clinic or surgeon. Instead you can opt for one of the programs from the following:

3rd Party Financing

There are numerous options when it comes to third party finance companies. Talking to credit union or local bank can give you some leads. If you have a health policy, you can also speak to you insurance company for assistance. There are some companies that provide fee-for-service programs as well for elective medical procedures. Other popular choices include CapitalOne and Care Credit Healthcare financing. These companies offer plan with 6, 9, 12 or more interest free financing schemes that support expenses of Lasik Surgeon Los Angeles and generally have lower rate of interest as compared to other credit cards.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Most employers give the option of flexi spending accounts to employees whose performances are at a better level than others. While with some you can use pre-tax money to pay for medical expenses, others reimburse it in the form of paying for your medical insurance premium. As the conditions of these accounts vary from one company to another, you can check with your human resource department for more details.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

Using the HSA is another option for which you can find details about with the HR of your company. Similar to flexible spending accounts, the money you take is deducted from your pay check in the form of monthly instalments. A point to remember here is that unlike the flexible spending accounts, you are the owner of the account and whatever money you don’t spend on medical expenses is yours to keep and rollover to the next plan year.

Medical Expenses Deduction

And last option is to ask Uncle Sam for a deduction on your IRS income tax return. Check if you qualify and for detailed procedure, talk to your tax adviser.
Andrew Caster is one of the top Lasik surgeons in the United States and runs a successful Laser Vision Correction Beverly Hills. So if you really want to correct your sight with a laser, you know whom to contact.