Can I Drive After Having LASIK?
There are a good number of LASIK Los Angeles patients who want to get rid of their dependence on eyeglasses with LASIK surgery. Vision issues, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism, can be corrected with laser eye surgery in Los Angeles. No matter the LASIK eye surgery cost, LASIK is an effective procedure. However, your eye surgeon will warn you prior to the surgery that it can make your vision blurry immediately afterward, which makes it unsafe to drive straight away.
Typical Patient Questions Before A LASIK Procedure
Prior to a patient’s decision to undergo LASIK surgery, many candidates have questions about what they can or cannot do after the LASIK Los Angeles procedure. They have questions such as:
When can I take a shower?
How soon can I wear makeup?
Will I need glasses?
When can I drive?
When can I go back to work?
Keep on reading down below to get the answers to these questions and more.
How To Prepare For LASIK Surgery?
Once you have booked a date at LASIK Los Angeles procedure, you’ll have to arrange a lift to drop you off at the clinic or travel on public transport. After the surgery has been performed, LASIK eye center Los Angeles surgeons like Doctor Moosa do not recommend going back home alone. If you want to use public transport for your return home, do so with someone accompanying you. The best-case scenario is that someone picks you up after your treatment.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Wear Make-Up?
Eye surgeons recommend you not wear eye makeup after LASIK because it can get into your eye and cause an infection if the makeup is not put on and taken off carefully. Therefore, most LASIK eye doctors will recommend you wait a week after LASIK before putting on eye makeup. Again, it depends on the patient, and some may be ready to put on makeup after a few days, but plan for a week. So, keep that in mind when making your appointment. If for any reason, you have to wear makeup less than a week after a LASIK procedure, it’s probably best to put the surgery on the back burner for a while.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Take A Shower?
You don’t have to skip out on your showers after LASIK. However, you will have to make it a point to make sure you keep your eyes completely closed to stop any shampoo, soap, and water from getting into your eyes. Also, you’ll have to avoid rubbing your eyes when you’re washing your face.
Will I Require Glasses After LASIK?
The short, sweet, and honest answer is, maybe. The main reason why some LASIK patients will have to wear glasses after LASIK is for reading.
As we age, the ciliary muscles in the eye start to lose elasticity. This elasticity is what lets people focus on objects, such as the things they are reading up close. This is known as presbyopia and is usually a part of aging, which is a reason why some people who have never had to hassle with wearing glasses in their life require reading glasses when they get older.
Most of the time, LASIK is carried out to correct distance vision problems and other issues such as refractive errors instead of presbyopia. Nevertheless, the requirement for glasses can lessen if the patient decides to undergo monovision. This procedure corrects one eye for seeing distances, and the other is corrected for seeing near. This is not as adequate for repairing vision, but it helps to relieve the requirement for reading glasses after a LASIK procedure.
When Can I Go Back To Work?
For many patients, about two days off work after a LASIK procedure is the only time they need. Nonetheless, you should remember that you may need up to a week off. Considering that everyone is different, it completely depends on the type of laser eye treatment you have undergone and how quickly you can heal. Your laser eye surgeon will talk to you about this during your free consultation and your first post-op examination.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Drive?
Not everyone’s the same, so everyone’s recovery is going to be different. However, most patients can notice an improvement in their vision within the first 24 hours of their surgery. Throughout that time, any medications would have also subsided. A day after surgery, you’ll be expected to return for a post-operative exam, have your vision tested, and have the eye doctor confirm that your eyes are healing. If your eyes aren’t sufficiently recovered to drive, you’ll only require another day or so to completely heal.
Once Your Eye Doctor Gives You The Okay To Drive
When your LASIK Los Angeles doctor tells you it’s fine to start driving again, there are still a few things you have to keep in mind after surgery.
Some people experience glare, particularly from bright lights, in the weeks after LASIK surgery. As a result of this, you could face some challenges when driving at night when encountering oncoming headlights. That’s why it’s a good idea to be a passenger at night first, to check whether you feel comfortable driving yourself.
Issues with glare usually improve greatly within the first couple of weeks after treatment and carry on improving over the first three months.
Also, you should consider that even though laser eye surgery Los Angeles can significantly enhance your vision, it isn’t a 100% cure, and you may find that you still need your eyeglasses for specific tasks such as driving.
If you’ve still got questions about laser eye surgery, Excel Laser Vision Institute would love to assist you. Book a free, no-obligation consultation with Dr. Ferzaad Moosa to find out if you’re a suitable candidate here.
How Safe is LASIK During the Pandemic?
Sadly, many hospitals and medical practices have been adversely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because of the many changes in protocol. Therefore, several LASIK Los Angeles procedures have also been influenced during the pandemic.
LASIK eye surgery is not a medical emergency but rather a selective laser vision correction Los Angeles procedure. Globally, LASIK is the most popular surgery that corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
How Does Covid-19 Affect The Eyes?
Several organs in the body, including the respiratory tract, have a mucous membrane lining. The membrane is vulnerable to coronavirus. Also, it lines the surface of the eye and inside of the eyelids and is referred to as the conjunctiva. The virus transmission via the conjunctiva is a rare condition but can result in conjunctivitis. Your eye looks pink when you have this condition, and the inner membrane (conjunctiva) gets inflamed.
Typically, general body symptoms correlated with the coronavirus are fatigue, fever, and a dry cough, and the primary method of transmission is infected droplets. Although the evidence of infection transmission through the eyes is not well studied nor documented, it is possible that the coronavirus may spread through the eyes.
Are There Any Risks?
Many people who are looking into LASIK surgery wonder if the procedure is safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the increased risk of spreading infection through a contact lens, many individuals go for LASIK for corrective eye surgery.
LASIK surgery helps the patient eliminate the need for contact lenses or dealing with foggy glasses, particularly in health care professionals who have a high risk of acquiring the virus. The LASIK Los Angeles procedure is done safely and is carried out by professionals who take the necessary precautions.
How To Get Ready For LASIK Surgery During Covid-19?
Once you have found out the LASIK eye surgery cost, you have to take the right steps to get ready to treat your eyes with LASIK surgery. Think about the following actions to prepare for the surgery.
- Look for a skilled and experienced surgeon who carries out the surgery with the highest level of safety and care.
- The doctor performs a COVID-19 test before the surgery.
- If you qualify, you should get vaccinated for COVID-19.
- Before getting inside the center, you should be checked for body temperature and other symptoms such as cough. The surgery should not occur if a patient is diagnosed with any of the symptoms.
- The patient should practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. They should wear their mask.
- The patient should arrive relaxed and have eaten something to avoid having the surgery on an empty stomach.
How Has The COVID-19 Pandemic Increased LASIK Enthusiasm?
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, many people in the medical field thought it would significantly lower LASIK procedure volume, as in past economic crises. This was probably due to our knowledge that LASIK and refractive surgery are usually motivated by consumer sentiment and need a lot of unrestricted income. What came as a surprise to many industry experts, including medical equipment manufacturers, commercial LASIK operators, and independent physician LASIK center owners—procedure volume has been strong, with a renewed level of enthusiasm. Many LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles haven’t witnessed such enthusiastic growth since before the 2007-2008 crisis. Again, many say the cause is a perfect storm of many factors.
What Are The Three Main Factors?
The three primary factors that are responsible for this perfect storm of revival in LASIK enthusiasm are the following:
Financial motivators (which always play a huge part)
Lifestyle changes
Safety Concerns
Financial motivators: For the past several years, there has been an evident change to the millennial generation which makes up about 80 million of the world’s population who are seeking LASIK. Even though this is a challenging population to market to persistently, many meet the economic and clinical criteria for a good LASIK candidate.
Alas, the millennial demographic was evidently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-MArch of 2020, many nonessential workers began to work from home. A majority of this group of potential refractive surgery patients did not lose their jobs. They did not leave their homes, their meetings with coworkers were carried out through Zoom, they had more screen time, and their workday became likely undetermined.
Since this group of individuals had nowhere to spend their disposable income due to lockdowns almost overnight, millennials had money to spend on medical procedures instead of clothes, salons, entertainment, travel, and gym memberships.
Lifestyle changes: Another factor that creates the perfect storm for refractive surgery volume to boost is the extra time at home, with people staring at the computer, phone, and tablet screens more. People soon started to figure out that looking at a screen all day causes an increase in eye fatigue, and this was even more apparent for individuals who wore contact lenses.
Safety concerns: The last but not the least motivator is safety. This means the possible viral transmission through hand-to-eye contact. At the beginning of the pandemic, many articles in the media indicated that the novel coronavirus could be passed through tears. Because of the media teaching us all about this, patients became very knowledgeable of the potential transmission route.
LASIK is an elective surgery since it does not treat any life-threatening disease. Moreover, similar to other surgeries, the risk of COVID-19 spread is not high because patients are not so close to surgeons. Many studies reveal that a LASIK procedure is safe if the surgeons follow all the necessary COVID-19 protocols and access personal protective equipment.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, LASIK surgery enhances your vision and provides you with extra benefits. Nevertheless, proper care has to be taken before opting for LASIK surgery. If you want to know more about our COVID-19 protocols during the LASIK Los Angeles procedure, please do not hesitate to call us at (310) 905-8622.
Should I Get Contoura or LASIK Surgery?
Over the years, the LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles have seen technologies advanced in the healthcare field, which has made patients feel more comfortable and healthier. The laser eye surgery professionals stress that it is essential that there are technological advances in the medical field since many patients can’t take advantage of the technologies available in the industry. For instance, some patients are suffering from a new disease or have gone into an advanced stage and are not being treated with the present system of medications and surgery.
And when we talk about the LASIK eye surgery cost, eyeglass removal surgery is not set apart from these advancements. Researchers are attempting to do their best to make surgical treatment with very few complications and the most desired results. An example of such an advanced eye surgery at the LASIK eye center in Los Angeles is Contoura Vision surgery, which is also referred to as Topography-guided LASIK surgery.
When any patient asks for LASIK eye surgery cost, they find out that a Contoura Vision surgery is a version of LASIK surgery and offers enhanced benefits to patients thinking about undergoing spectacle removal surgery. Besides the fact that this surgery is very effective, it gives excellent results to patients who were initially not eligible for LASIK surgery because of irregularities in the cornea. The LASIK eye specialist in Los Angeles informs us that USFDA has approved Contoura technology for specs removal surgery.
History Of Contoura Eye Surgery
Wearing eyeglasses to correct vision dates back to the 13th century. In the 1800s, contact lenses were ready for use in Switzerland and were manufactured from hand-blown glass. Back then, these were non-invasive ways for correcting a person’s vision and improving clarity. Nevertheless, these devices lead to discomfort for those who wear them and need a lot of careful handling.
As a result of this, invasive methods were introduced to correct vision. A Russian eye specialist created radial keratotomy, which consisted of the use of a diamond knife to make an incision on the cornea and change its curvature. The process is still used today to manage astigmatism. Afterward, in the 1990s, USFDA approved a more robust procedure for correcting the vision. The process is referred to as photorefractive keratotomy, which has a prolonged vision correction effect. LASIK needs the benefits of both the above techniques and eliminates their disadvantages, leading to more comfort to the patient. These techniques are highly successful and still believed to be the Gold standard in vision correction surgery.
In 1999, a customized procedure came out and was carried out through LASIK with wavefront analysis. The technique was called the Contoura technique and gave 22000 points on the cornea. Compared to Contoura, the conventional LASIK maps just 200 points on the cornea.
Who Is NOT Eligible For Contoura Vision Surgery?
Unfortunately, not everyone who has vision problems can have Topography-Guided LASIK treatment. Typically, the LASIK ophthalmologists in Los Angeles conduct a thorough evaluation of the patient’s eye health to determine whether Contoura vision surgery would benefit in improving visual clarity or correcting refractive error. Below is the criteria for patients who are NOT eligible for undergoing Contoura vision surgery:
Individuals who are less than 18 years of age due to instability in vision.
Those suffering from immunodeficiency diseases
Individuals with vascular disease
Persons with myopia higher than 9.00 D
Those with prominent nose and brow that obstructs reflection.
What Is The Difference Between Contoura Surgery And Lasik Surgery?
Here are a few differences between Contoura vision surgery and LASIK:
Better outcome: The outcome achieved with Contoura surgery is better than LASIK when it comes to visual clarity and correction in refractive error. On average, patients experience corrections better than 6/6.
Broader scope: The whole point of Contoura is not restricted to vision correction. Instead, it can treat the abnormality found within the corneal curvature.
Advanced technology: The technology used in Contoura surgery is more state-of-the-art compared to traditional LASIK surgery. Although traditional LASIK surgery maps only 200 points on the cornea, the Contoura vision surgery maps 22000 points on the cornea.
Fewer complications: Contoura vision surgery has more minor complications than traditional LASIK surgery, and the damage to the tissue is nearly more minor and has a faster healing time.
What Are The Advantages Provided By Contoura Vision Apart From Vision Clarity?
Here are some of the advantages provided by Contoura vision surgery:
High safety standards: The Contoura LASIK has high safety standards. The complications are lower, and the healing is quicker.
USFDA approved: Contoura LASIK has been approved by USFDA for vision correction. This proves the safety, efficacy, and authenticity of this technology.
Patient’s comfort: Contoura surgery has no stitches, no bandages, no injections, no pain, and the patient can go home the same day of surgery.
What Is The Procedure For Contoura Vision Eye Surgery?
Contoura vision surgery’s process is similar to LASIK surgery. However, the technology involved is different from traditional LASIK surgery. Detailed eye check-up of the patient is done to exclude any disease or infection. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia. In this advanced technology, the machine used produces about 22000 points on the cornea through topography.
Every point is analyzed for abnormality and is corrected through LASER. The machine used in the Contoura vision includes WaveLight EX500 Excimer Laser Systems and WaveLight TopolyzerVario Diagnostic Device. Post-surgery eye care is a crucial part of the treatment to get the targeted result. Different eye drops, including anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, are prescribed to the patient to counteract inflammation and infection.
What Causes Dry Eyes for LASIK Patients
Patients who come to get LASIK in Los Angeles complaining of dry eyes are told that their eye condition is a chronic lack of lubrication and moisture on the eye’s surface. The eye needs a sufficient and consistent layer of tears on its surface to maintain eye health, remain comfortable, and help a person to see correctly.
Laser vision correction doctors in Los Angeles told us that tears wash the eye’s surface to keep it moist and clear away dust, debris, and microorganisms that could harm the cornea and cause an eye infection.
A normal tear film includes three crucial components:
An oily (lipid) component created by meibomian glands in the eyelids
A watery (aqueous) component is produced by lacrimal glands found behind the outer visible feature of the upper eyelids.
A mucous-like (mucin) component created by goblet cells in the conjunctiva that covers the white of the eye (sclera).
Each component of the tear film has an important role. For instance, tear lipids help keep the tear film from vaporizing too quickly and boost lubrication. Mucin helps anchor and spread the tears throughout the surface of the eye.
The outcome of dry eyes stretches from subtle but consistent eye irritation to serious inflammation. Also, it could cause scarring of the front surface of the eye.
Besides being known as dry eye syndrome, dry eye disease, or just “dry eye,” alternative medical terms used to characterize dry eyes include:
Keratitis sicca. Typically used to describe dryness and inflammation of the cornea.
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Used to talk about the dry eye that affects the cornea as well as the conjunctiva.
Dysfunctional tear syndrome. Used to stress that poor quality of tears can be as critical as low quantity.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
There are many causes of dry eyes:
Aging – Dry eye syndrome can happen at any age, but it becomes more common when you get older, particularly after age 50.
Menopause – Post-menopausal women are at higher risk of dry eyes than men of the same age.
Computer use – When working at a computer, using a smartphone or other portable digital device, we usually blink our eyes less completely and less frequently. As a result, there is greater tear evaporation and an increased risk of dry eye symptoms.
Contact lenses – It can be challenging to understand how much worse contact lenses can make dry eye issues. However, dry eyes are the main reason why people stop wearing contacts.
Indoor environment – Air conditioning, ceiling fans, and air heating systems all can lower indoor humidity. This can accelerate tear evaporation, leading to dry eye symptoms.
Outdoor environment – Dry climates, high altitudes, and dry or windy conditions amplify dry eye risks.
Air travel – The airflow in the cabins of airplanes is very dry and causes dry eye problems, particularly with frequent flyers.
Smoking – Besides dry eyes, smoking has been associated with critical eye issues, including macular degeneration, cataracts, and uveitis.
Health conditions – Specific diseases such as diabetes, thyroid-associated conditions, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome can result in dry eye issues.
Medications – Many prescription and nonprescription medicines boost the risk of dry eye symptoms, including antidepressants, antihistamines, specific blood pressure medications such as beta-blockers or diuretics, and birth control pills.
Eyelid problems – Incomplete closure of the eyelids when blinking or sleeping, known as lagophthalmos), can result in severely dry eyes. Severe dryness can cause a corneal ulcer if left untreated. Lagophthalmos has many origins, including eye infections, natural aging, and nerve damage from trauma or cosmetic blepharoplasty.
LASIK – LASIK and other corneal refractive surgery can sometimes result in dry eyes. In most situations, however, dry eye discomfort after LASIK is short-term and clears up within a few weeks of the procedure. If you have dry eyes before your Los Angeles LASIK, your eye doctor may recommend dry eye treatment before your procedure to ensure your best corrective eye surgery results.
Wearing a mask – Many masks, particularly those worn to protect against the spread of COVID-19, can dry the eyes because they force air out the top of the mask and over the surface of the eye. When you wear glasses with a mask, the air can pass over the eyes even more.
Allergies – Allergies can result in dry eyes, and as mentioned above, taking antihistamines to relieve allergies can also result in dry eyes.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Symptoms and signs of dry eyes and dry eye syndrome are the following:
Sore eyes
Dryness sensation
Red eyes
Itchy eyes
Aching sensation
Heavy eyes
Fatigued eyes
Mucus in or around the eyes
Discomfort when wearing contact lenses
Burning sensation
Feeling like something is in your eye
Photophobia (light sensitivity)
Blurred vision
As strange as it may come across to some LASIK patients in Los Angeles, watery eyes can also be a symptom of dry eye syndrome.
The reason for this is dryness on the eye’s surface can sometimes bring about the overproduction of the watery part of your tears as a kind of protective mechanism. However, this “reflex tearing” does not remain on the eye long enough to repair the underlying dry eye condition.
Besides these symptoms, dry eyes can cause inflammation and sometimes permanent damage to the eye’s surface.
Also, dry eye syndrome can affect the results of LASIK and cataract surgery. So be sure that you don’t suffer from dry eyes when you ask for Lasik eye surgery cost.
Treatment And Prevention Of Dry Eyes
Dry eye syndrome is an ongoing and chronic condition. Revolving around its cause and severity, it may not be completely curable.
Nevertheless, in most situations, dry eyes can be managed successfully. Normally, treatment results in greater comfort, fewer dry eye symptoms, and, in some instances, sharper vision.
Here is a list of dry eye treatments that eye doctors typically use to lower the symptoms and signs of dry eyes. Your ophthalmologist may prescribe only one of these dry eye treatments or a mix of treatments, depending on the cause(s) and seriousness of your condition.
Artificial tears eye drops
Restasis
Xiidra
Steroid eye drops
Lacrisert
Punctal plugs
Meibomian gland expression
Warm compresses
LipiFlow
Intense pulsed light
Nutritional supplements
If you suffer from dry eyes, do not hesitate to get in touch with Excel Laser Vision Institute. These expertly trained LASIK doctors will help you recover from your dry eyes and also prepare those who wish to do LASIK after their dry eye conditions.
How Diabetes Affects the Eyesight of Patients Who Need LASIK
LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles advise those who have diabetes to make sure they have their annual eye exam because it could save their sight. The Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Diabetes Association encourage everyone over 65 to have yearly eye exams.
Doctor Ferzaad Moosa, laser eye surgery doctor in Los Angeles tells us that Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, affects over 30.3 million Americans. This includes one-fourth of individuals over 65. Also, for those with diabetes, about a quarter don’t even know they have it and are blissfully ignorant of any threat of vision loss.
How Does Diabetes Deteriorate Eyesight?
The LASIK eye center doctor in Los Angeles lets us know that diabetes can harm the eyes, nerves, organs, and limbs because the body can’t effectively use insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas.
The pancreas and insulin are very important since they are responsible for the processing and shipping of blood glucose from your food to your body’s cells.
The LASIK eye expert in Los Angeles says that blood sugar serves as your primary energy source when everything is running smoothly. However, when you intake too many foods that spike your blood sugar or your pancreas starts to slow down, glucose just hangs out in your bloodstream instead of reaching your cells. When this process happens, it can spark vision loss and, eventually, blindness.
That is why it’s important to be diagnosed with diabetes as early as possible so you can get a better visual outcome. You always want to find changes to the eye before the damage is irreversible.
Diabetes affects the small blood vessels. For this reason, excess blood sugar destroys the body’s smallest blood vessels and restricts blood flow, which fasts the tissues’ capillary feed. As a result, there are leaking blood vessels, swelling, and other horrible complications.
Fluid leaks can change the shape and size of the eye’s lens, causing cataracts. Also, these leaks can destroy the retina, which is the back of the eye, where visual images are created.
Diabetes can generate hemorrhages (bleeding) and edema (excess fluid) in the retina that can seriously affect vision. The LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles say that diabetic retinopathy is the fourth leading cause of blindness in the world.
When your eye bleeds or has retina detachment, it requires surgery, so don’t ask about LASIK eye surgery cost. Because if you don’t get eye surgery in time, severe vision may be permanent. Macular edema is swelling in the retina as it can happen at any stage of diabetes. Hungry capillaries also give rise to glaucoma, an eye disease that harms the optic nerve.
Eye Exams Are Important For Diabetics
Many diabetic patients do not experience visual symptoms. They could experience blurred or wavy vision or patches of lost sight without being aware that these are serious. If you are diabetic, it’s important to get your eye exams to find these conditions early before they cause permanent vision loss or blindness.
Don’t settle for just any visual exam. What you need is a complete comprehensive vision examination. Your eye doctor will dilate the eyes with drops so they can perform a thorough retinal exam.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. The condition happens after having long-term high blood sugar levels harm blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensing tissue that lines the back of the eye.
The first stage of diabetic retinopathy is called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. This happens when the blood vessels become blocked and start to cut off blood supply to the retina.
When the retina lacks sufficient blood supply, new, abnormal blood vessels start to proliferate (develop) in the retina. Unfortunately, these abnormal vessels can develop scar tissue and leak, which can cause a retinal detachment. Vision loss and various other eye diseases also can happen without early and proper treatment. This more advanced stage is referred to as proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Although diabetic retinopathy only affects individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it is possible for someone who does not have diabetes to have retinopathy, another condition that arises from damage to the retina.
Macular Edema
Macular edema is directly linked to diabetic retinopathy and is a result of fluid from abnormal blood vessels that collect in the macula. The macula starts to swell and thicken as fluid gathers, which distorts eyesight. Important, detailed vision needed for driving and reading depends on the macula, making any related distortion a medical emergency.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is defined by increased pressure within the eye. Leaking blood vessels caused by diabetic retinopathy can increase eye pressure and lead to neovascular glaucoma. As pressure carries on to build, the optic nerve may become damaged, and vision may be affected.
Retinal detachment
Diabetic retinopathy can cause the growth of scar tissue on retinal blood vessels. As more scar tissue develops, its weight can pull the retina away from its connective tissue. This development, known as retinal detachment, needs immediate medical attention, as it can lead to vision loss.
LASIK eye surgeons can help the median stages of diabetic eye disease with laser surgery and injections to the eyes to prevent retina’s swelling and abnormal blood vessels’ growth, known as neovascularization.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that these types of injections can enhance vision in one-third of patients and stabilize the excess of capillaries in nine out of ten.
You can quickly check your blood sugars with an A1C blood test that measures the amount of sugar that sticks to hemoglobin molecules within the body’s cells.
If you have diabetes, make an appointment with Excel Laser Vision Institute in Los Angeles to discuss ways of treating and preventing eye conditions caused by diabetes.
Why Choose PRK over LASIK?
Patients who visit Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK clinic in Orange County, always say the same thing, “I’m sick and tired of having to wear glasses and contact lenses just to be able to see!” Most of these same patients are very aware of the very sought-after LASIK procedure. However, what about its close cousin, a PRK procedure?
Patients’ most frequent questions for Doctor Moosa, a premier LASIK surgeon in Orange County, are about the differences between LASIK and PRK. LASIK eye doctors in Orange County regularly perform both procedures with excellent results. They are very aware of what each patient really wants to find out is which approach would be perfect for them.
Why Would Your Eye Doctor Recommend PRK Rather Than LASIK?
When patients review LASIK eye surgery costs, they usually know someone who has had LASIK, but not PRK.
Typically, when patients have their LASIK or Contoura consultation in Orange County, they are waiting for their eye doctor to let them know whether or not they are a suitable candidate for LASIK. In some cases, a LASIK eye surgeon in Orange County drops a bombshell during the consultation process by letting the patient know that they would find PRK more beneficial than LASIK.
Various anatomical characteristics of a patient’s corneas may make them better candidates for PRK over LASIK. For instance, such as corneal thickness (or thinness), corneal curvature, and corneal scarring all may be why your eye doctor recommends PRK over LASIK.
How Are LASIK and PRK Similar?
Almost every eye care professional can agree that LASIK and PRK are both regarded as safe and effective laser vision correction procedures, provided that the patient is a suitable candidate.
Both procedures utilize an excimer laser to correct vision. Since they have the same method of attaining enhanced vision without glasses or contacts, the final visual outcome for patients usually is very similar.
In most cases, the excimer laser technology that your eye surgeon suggests for your procedure has the most significant effect on your chances of gaining 20/20 vision and the quality of that visual result than if the correction is carried out with the PRK procedure when compared to the LASIK procedure.
LASIK and PRK usually have the same visual results since they both deal with a patient’s blurry vision by changing the shape of the cornea using the cool energy of an excimer laser. The cornea is the structure located in front of the iris that has most of the eye’s focusing ability. To give you a better understanding, this is the part of the eye where a contact lens is placed.
If the cornea is the incorrect shape for the patient’s visual system, the patient has blurry vision. In a nutshell, the excimer laser vaporizes microscopic quantities of tissue in an accurate, tailor-made pattern to sculpt the cornea and alter its shape to enhance the patient’s vision.
You have to know the basics of what makes up the cornea to understand how LASIK and PRK work fully. To begin with, the cornea has five layers. The primary layer, known as the stroma, is the cornea’s middle layer, which includes 90 percent of the cornea’s thickness and it consists of collagen tissue fibers organized to make the cornea translucent and a high refractive index. These are two significant features of a focusing lens.
The cornea‘s outermost layer consists of a layer of translucent epithelium tissue (skin) to protect the cornea from the environment.
Similar to the skin tissue on other parts of the body, the epithelial layer of the cornea grows back if it is removed or damaged; however, the collagen tissue that forms the stroma does not.
In the LASIK and PRK procedures, the excimer laser sculpts the stromal layer of the cornea, giving a permanent change to the shape of the cornea. When the shape of the cornea is altered correctly, the light that enters the patient’s eye is focused more accurately for enhanced vision and without glasses or contact lenses.
How Are LASIK And PRK Different?
Although LASIK and PRK usually have the same end visual results, they are performed differently, which allows each procedure its own series of pros and cons when compared to one another.
In some instances, a patient may only be suitable for LASIK or only a candidate for PRK. In other cases, the patient can be a candidate for both procedures and may opt for the procedure they would prefer the most.
The disparity between the procedures is how the eye surgeon accesses the cornea to alter its shape with the excimer laser. The epithelium (skin) tissue that covers the cornea must be removed or temporarily taken out of the way before the excimer laser’s energy is applied to the cornea so that the excimer laser sculpts the layer of the cornea that does not reappear. The way the laser and eye surgeon gets rid of the skin tissue in the first step is called PRK, and the method that briefly pushes it out of the way is called LASIK.
Who Are PRK Candidates?
If a patient has thin corneas, they are not suitable LASIK candidates. However, they can opt for PRK. Individuals with large pupils may find PRK a better option, which is also the case for those with irregular astigmatism. Moreover, if you suffer from dry eyes and want to improve your vision, your eye surgeon will recommend PRK.
Athletes in contact sports may go for PRK. Also, patients in physically demanding jobs may choose PRK since the nature of such sports and work intensifies the risk of flap complications.
As with either procedure, candidates must be at least 18 years of age and have a stable vision prescription for at least one year.
If you want more information about PRK and whether you are a candidate for the procedure, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute and schedule a consultation with Dr. Ferzaad Moosa. He and his highly experienced team will explain the procedure in detail and answer any questions you may have.
Why Should You Opt for Contoura Vision?
LASIK patients in Los Angeles are curious to find out more about Contoura Vision eye surgery. In a nutshell, it’s an advanced version of LASIK surgery that offers better results to patients who want to stop wearing their eyeglasses. Also, it’s a type of corrective eye surgery in which people who aren’t eligible to undergo LASIK surgery because of abnormalities in the cornea can also get excellent results with this advanced method.
What Is Contoura Vision?
Contoura Vision is also called topography-guided LASIK surgery, offered in one of our clinics in Los Angeles. It’s the most recent advancement in the elimination of eyewear by laser vision correction. Since LASIK & SMILE procedures only correct the power of the eyeglass, a Contoura procedure corrects the corneal irregularities and works on Visual Axis. This means a Contoura treatment provides sharper visual results, which LASIK and SMILE procedures are not possible.
Is Contoura Vision Eye Surgery A Better Option Than LASIK?
When considering LASIK eye surgery cost, both Los Angeles LASIK surgery and Contoura procedures are carried out to enhance nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. However, there are fundamental disparities between these two types of technology, results, and scopes.
- Even though LASIK in Los Angeles phases out the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses, Contoura vision provides more visual acuity and improved refractive results in some instances. Contoura is a computer-aided topographic mapping method that pinpoints microscopic contours on the transparent front of the eye, such as the cornea.
- Contoura heals the anomalies of the cornea’s curvature and the optics. The treatment is based on the visual axis of the eye. Considering that, other LASIK procedures are focused on the eyeball.
- The contours of the cornea are produced by advanced computer analysis and are programmed into a specially designed laser. During this process, 22,000 points of the cornea are mapped. Once this is done, your eye doctor makes an individualized treatment plan for you. Since everyone’s eyes are different, each treatment plan is customized.
- This topography-guided LASIK surgery improves the abnormalities of the cornea. The quality of your vision is repaired so that the light can get into the eye readily and evenly. That’s why the vision is clear and sharp. This method is an advanced version of the standard corrections. After Contoura Vision, many patients can see more clearly even without eyeglasses than their previous version of vision correction. Also, there are surprisingly fewer problems with glare around the lights. Even studies have recorded a decrease in complaints by the patients about driving at night.
- Contoura vision correction provides impressive results. Among the patients who have received this treatment, 65% (rough estimate) have improvements better than 6/6. Moreover, there’s quicker healing and less tissue damage. In instances where people have had LASIK surgery earlier but are not satisfied with the results, also go for Contoura treatment.
This topography-guided LASIK surgery is the most breakthrough, safest, and latest eyewear removal and vision correction method. So definitely, Contoura Vision treatment is better than LASIK Surgery.
Wavelight Contoura In Eyes That Have Undergone LASIK Or In Eyes That Have Irregular Corneas
Wavelight Contoura can cure eyes that have already undergone LASIK and have irregularities in the cornea that have lowered the quality of vision and side effects.
These side effects consist of glare, halos, ghosting of images, and blurred vision. Patients who have these side effects may be candidates for a topography-guided laser vision enhancement to get rid of the irregularities in the cornea, which could be responsible for the symptoms. These would be considered off-label treatments, but they have been carried out globally, and clinical data have shown better outcomes in select patients. Plus, patients who have keratoconus or post LASIK ectasia may also be candidates for Contoura Vision treatment.
Brief From The FDA Trials With Wavelight Contoura
During a clinical trial that resulted in the FDA approval of Contoura Vision:
98% of people who had the procedure reported they would do it again.
30% of eyes had better vision without glasses or contacts after the procedure than when wearing glasses or contacts before the treatment.
The procedure lessened complaints of glare and reduced sensitivity to light, difficulty reading, and distress while driving at night compared with what patients were previously experiencing before surgery.
Although 20/20 is believed to be normal vision, and 92% of patients had 20/20 or better vision after their Contoura Vision procedure, 65% of patients obtained 20/16 vision, and 34% attained 20/12.5 (Eagles are considered to have 20/5 vision; hawks as good as 20/2.)
In about every patient, the result outperformed glasses and contact lenses for many patients and moved some patients nearer to “eagle eye” vision than ever thought possible.
Who Is Eligible For Contoura Vision Treatment?
Contoura method is a technique that has the green light from the US FDA. It provides exceptional results compared to LASIK and SMILE. That’s why it’s recommended by ophthalmologists and is swiftly achieving lots of attention with patients. Here are the eligibility criteria for patients to undergo this process.
The patient must be above 18 years
The patient should have a consistent prescription for eyewear
The patient must obtain <3D cyl. Power
The patient’s cornea should not be thin
The patient’s eye power should not be spherical >8D
The patient should not be experiencing any significant corneal pathology.
If you want to live a life free from eyeglasses and contact lenses, then talk to an eye care professional at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a reputable LASIK clinic in Los Angeles. Contoura Vision eye surgery can treat many refractive errors and ensure that your vision is in top shape. Contoura professionals will conduct a thorough evaluation of your eye health and condition before determining if you are eligible for Contoura Vision eye surgery or a similar procedure.
Call Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team of staff is highly trained and experienced in all LASIK eye procedures. Also, we have Dr. Moosa, a well-esteemed LASIK/Contoura surgeon that has a Harvard education and vast experience working with various prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many individuals attain their vision goals. Visit our website https://www.exceleye.com/ or any of our clinics to learn more.
What Is Contoura™ Vision And How Can It Benefit You?
Individuals seeking permanent eye correction solutions are asking for more information about Contoura Vision. Contoura is the most revolutionary customization technology available for laser eye surgery if you don’t know already. The laser eye surgery doctors in Los Angeles perform this type of procedure and explain more about it below.
WHAT IS THE CONTOURA® VISION TREATMENT?
When you consider the LASIK eye surgery cost, you can’t go wrong with a Contoura procedure. Doctor Moosa, the LASIK Los Angeles surgeon of Excel Laser Vision Institute, enlightens us that Contoura Vision is a topography-guided vision correction treatment. It is a visual treatment that’s customized for the patient. Also, it’s the only treatment to accurately map 22,000 elevation points of the cornea to produce a customized treatment to an individual’s vision.
When there are irregular elevation points on the eye, it can disrupt the light entering the eye and block you from attaining optimal Vision. These maps let Contoura Vision produce a customized vision correction treatment that’s one-of-a-kind to your eye. The topography test transmits data straight to the excimer laser for the Contoura Vision treatment. The topography of your eye is as unique as your fingerprint.
How Is Contoura Vision Different From Other Vision Correction Treatments?
There are so many vision correction treatments available that only treat your eyeglasses prescription. However, Contoura in Los Angeles has the technology to allow the Vision to be personalized, based on individualized mapping of the contours, such as a fingerprint, of your eye. The outcomes of the FDA Clinical Trials have revealed that this personalized treatment gives excellent visual results, with 93% of the patients receiving 20/20 vision or better.
Contoura™ Vision, which has been used safely and effectively in the United States, Canada, and Europe for over ten years, is a unique topography-guided LASIK procedure because of the way it maps the eye to guide treatment. It utilizes a topography instrument called the Vario Topolyzer to measure every submicroscopic peak and valley on the cornea to a very accurate degree.
Although wavefront-guided LASIK can generate good outcomes by measuring about 200 points of curvature on the cornea, Contoura Vision measures 22,000 points. That information lets a computer create an individualized treatment profile, which is then programmed into an ultra-modern laser that immediately applies the treatment to the cornea.
The laser regularises the shape of the cornea, so all of the light rays go through it reach the retina at the back of the eye consistently, creating clear, crisp Vision. Contoura™ Vision is truly personalized. The topography measurements are so precise that it would be inconceivable for any two treatments to be the same.
Another distinction between wavefront-guided and topography-guided LASIK is that wavefront measurements consist of all parts of the eye along the visual pathway, and topography measurements include only the cornea. This is crucial since the cornea is where most of the imperfections can make Vision less than perfect. While the lens of the eye can also bring about poor Vision, it alters over time, which could counteract the changes made to the cornea by LASIK.
ContouraTM Vision: Topography-Guided Laser Vision Correction can enhance the surface of the eye’s cornea in such a manner that it actually improves the quality of Vision better than has ever been achievable before.
During clinical studies, ContouraTMVision – Topography-Guided Laser Vision Correction helped 90% of patients see as well or even better without glasses than they did with glasses. It can work for patients in several ways, helping them attain a better quality of Vision and lowering the potential for night glare.
How Do You Become A Candidate For Contoura Vision?
The LASIK eye specialist in Los Angeles uses the Wavelight® Suite, which provides various vision correction treatments to let the eye surgeon and surgical team create a personalized treatment plan based on many measurements of your eyes and Vision. The Wavelight® diagnostics suite takes numerous measurements, including topography maps and aberrometry maps of your eye. These maps, together with your Vision and prescription details, are used to find out which treatment option will provide you with optimal visual results. If this analysis reveals that a Contoura procedure will give the best visual outcomes, your eye surgeon will recommend Contoura Vision. However, your tailor-made treatment plan may recommend a different method for some eye shapes and vision types.
The Contoura method is a technique that the US FDA approved. It delivers higher quality results compared to Lasik and SMILE. Take a look at some of the eligibility criteria for patients who wish to undergo this procedure.
The patient must be above 18 years
The patient has a steady prescription for eyewear
The patient has <3D cyl. Power
The patient’s cornea is not thin
The patient’s eye power isn’t spherical >8D
The patient isn’t suffering from any significant corneal pathology
If you are considering Contoura Vision surgery to improve your eyesight, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team is experienced as well as highly trained. Our leading eye surgeon, Dr. Moosa, a well-established LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles, has years of experience in Contoura Vision procedures. He was formerly trained at Harvard University and has a wealth of experience working with various prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many professionals achieve their vision goals, from athletes to models to military personnel. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.exceleye.com/.
Tips To Slow The Progression Of Myopia
When you look at the number of people with vision problems on a global scale, you’ll see that myopia (otherwise known as nearsightedness or short sightedness) is one of the most common refractive errors. LASIK clinics have seen this trend increase over the years and recent studies have predicted that the percentage of people affected with myopia will nearly double over the next thirty years.
According to eye specialists, myopia happens when your cornea is too curved or your eyeball is too long. This distortion makes light focus incorrectly. Instead of falling directly on the retina, it focuses in front of it, which makes far away objects appear blurry. This is the complete opposite of hyperopia, in which far objects appear clear and closer objects are blurry. Many people seek LASIK eye surgery to improve their visual acuity as a cost efficient alternative to glasses and contacts. LASIK is known to treat myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
Myopia usually starts developing for people in elementary school and then halts not long after they reach puberty. The condition, itself, is irreversible. However, treatments can be aimed at stopping its progression. The main goal is to achieve eye health at whatever level possible. Doctors are concerned about the recent increase in myopia because more severe cases are often linked to degenerative eye diseases. The World Health Organization cites myopia as the largest risk factor (other than age) for myopic macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachments.
LASIK surgeons hypothesize that the integration of technology in daily life has contributed to the rise in myopia and the greater willingness for people to look into laser eye surgery cost and benefits. People around the globe, especially those who have office jobs, are spending over 8 hours a day staring at a screen. Even children are spending up to 5 hours a day on various handheld devices. It’s hard for our eyes to relax when they are constantly fixated on a TV, phone, computer, or tablet.
Fortunately, the advancement of technology over the last few decades has also allowed for the invention of more precise vision correcting lasers and methods of refractive surgery. If you look up “LASIK surgery near me” on a search engine, you will see that the availability of this procedure is growing exponentially. Not only can more people be qualified for LASIK, but it is also more affordable than ever.
Vision correction surgery is a convenient alternative to wearing prescription glasses or contacts and more people are starting to see this as a viable option. If you believe that laser eye surgery may be right for you, schedule a consultation with a reputable LASIK clinic in Los Angeles like the Excel Laser Vision Institute. Until then,
Here are some actionable steps that some individuals can take to slow the progression of myopia:
20-20-20 Vision Break
When staring at a screen for a long period of time, take a 20-20-20 vision break every so often. This means a 20 second break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away.
UV Protection
Spending time outdoors is a great way to get off digital screens. However, it is important to always wear UV protection. Studies have shown that children who are exposed to about 2 hours of natural light a day can decrease their risk of myopia.
Antioxidants
If you want to treat your eyes well, eat lots of foods that are rich in antioxidants. This includes fish, nuts, seeds, citrus, and green leafy vegetables. You can also take vitamin supplements to add to a balanced diet.
Eye Exams
The only way to know if you have myopia or if it’s getting worse is to have your eyes checked by a professional. Make sure to schedule regular eye exams in order to monitor your eye health. This is especially important if you currently have a prescription to correct myopia.
Myths about Laser Eye Surgery Debunked
It is fairly common for people who are interested in laser eye surgery to come across some misinformation in their research. Until visiting a LASIK clinic and speaking to an eye care professional such as those of Excel Laser Vision Institute, these contradictory claims can be quite confusing. Some people may even put off getting the LASIK procedure because of these misrepresentations. So, in order to make a truly informed decision about laser eye surgery, it is important to have the facts. Here are some of the most common myths about laser eye surgery:
It’s dangerous.
LASIK eye surgery has undergone quite a bit of innovation in the last few decades in terms of technology and method, which means that any potential risks are significantly lowered. LASIK experts like Doctor Moosa say that the percentage of people who experience LASIK complications is less than 1%. LASIK clinics will always complete a comprehensive exam of every prospective patient before offering the surgery, in order to ensure that they are prime candidates. Nowadays, the most that patients have to fear is temporary discomfort or vision changes rather than permanent damage.
It’s more expensive than other corrective eye solutions.
Many people have the misconception that laser eye surgery cost is greater than the longtime use of glasses or contacts. This simply isn’t true. While the initial upfront cost is expensive, LASIK is an investment that saves you money, time, and convenience over the years. With glasses or contacts, expenses can add up over a lifetime of use. LASIK eye surgery cost is one all-inclusive amount to improve visual acuity. Plus, with financing options available, you can better manage the price and pay it all off within a reasonable amount of time.
It’s only effective for nearsightedness.
LASIK eye surgery can be used to treat various levels of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. The only way to know if you are a prime candidate for the procedure is to get a comprehensive eye examination from your LASIK surgeon. If you do not qualify for LASIK, you may instead qualify for an alternative laser eye procedure like PRK or SMILE. There are many methods by which vision correction can be customized to a patient’s vision needs.
Anyone can get it.
LASIK clinics are selective when it comes to qualifying patients for laser eye surgery. Why? Because they want to deliver the best possible results. Some of the conditions that your surgeon will check for before deciding you are a good candidate for the procedure are thin corneas, excessive dry eye, naturally large pupils, and health conditions such as diabetes. So, if your LASIK surgeon decides that you are a good fit, then you can rest assured that your procedure will run smoothly.
LASIK Surgery Near Me
If you are tired of relying on glasses and contacts and are ready for a long-term solution, then you can schedule a consultation with your nearest LASIK clinic. The Excel Laser Vision Institute is a renowned clinic with one of the best LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles. Call or visit our clinic to learn how we can help you reach your vision goals!