Contact us at: refractive@caseeyes.com  or  (440) 720-0331.

Laser Vision Correction. It's all about change.

LASIK - Laser Vision Correction (LVC) for Nearsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism

The specialty of Refractive Surgery has evolved from a curiosity to one of the most common and most rapidly growing areas in eye care. Modern day LVC is the culmination of a two-century search by ophthalmologists who have sought to perfect a surgical technique that permanently corrects refractive errors. Over the past several years, refractive surgeons in the U.S. and abroad have selected LASIK as their preferred method of refractive surgery.

LASIK is perhaps the fastest growing refractive surgical procedure in the U.S. and the world. We are pleased to offer LVC with the Bausch & Lomb Zyoptics Laser Platform.

WHAT CAN REFRACTIVE SURGERY DO FOR YOU?

LVC is designed to permanently improve your vision. Unlike glasses or contact lenses, with LVC you have the potential to see clearly 24 hours a day. Your eyes function in much the same way as a camera. Light passes through the cornea, the clear front "window" of the eye. The cornea bends or "refracts" the light rays from the object onto the retina. The retina then transmits the "picture" of the object to the brain where the object is then "seen." Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are common eye problems which result in blurred vision if left uncorrected. Nearsightedness (Myopia) is when the cornea is too steep or the eye is too long, light rays focus in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina, causing objects that are close to the edge to be "in focus" while objects further away are "out of focus." Farsightedness (Hyperopia) is when the cornea is too flat or the eye too short, light focuses beyond the retina. Near objects are out of focus, and far objects are also out of focus but to a lesser degree. Astigmatism is caused by a slightly oval shaped cornea that causes light rays to focus on more than one point in front or behind the retina.

HOW LASIK WORKS

The cornea is reshaped by an instrument called a microkeratome. A layer of the top segment of the cornea is lifted up as the microkeratome glides across the cornea. This process creates a flap which is hinged and folded back. To treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, a precisely measured amount of laser is applied to the underlying tissue of the cornea. The hinged flap is then placed back into position without stitches. Removal of corneal tissue reshapes the cornea, thus reducing nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

	The eye is numbed with eye drops and then the lids are gently held open to prevent blinking.  An instrument called a microkeratome fashions a thin flap from the outer corneal layers.
	The laser is used to precisely remove a small amount of tissue from the remaining cornea beneath the flap.  The laser portion of the procedure is painless and usually takes less than 30 seconds.
	The flap is then repositioned and self-adheres within minutes.  No stitches are required.

WHAT DOES CUSTOM / WAVEFRONT-GUIDED LASIK OFFER?

Just as each individual's fingerprint is one-of-a-kind, your vision is 100 percent unique to your eyes.  We are proud to offer you "custom" wavefront-guided LASIK with the Bausch & Lomb Technolas® laser.  The FDA results for this innovative technology are superior to the other FDA-approved wavefront systems.  Six months after surgery is performed using the Bausch & Lomb Technolas® laser with "custom" waverfront-guided treatment, the vast majority of patients noted:

• Extreme improvement in quality vision

• Better than 20/20 vision without glasses

• No increase in unwanted glare, haloes or difficulty driving at night

AM I A CANDIDATE FOR LASIK?

In general, the best candidates for LASIK have:

A disease-free cornea
A mild to moderate amount of nearsightedness and / or astigmatism
A mild to moderate amount of farsightedness
A stable eyeglass or contact lens prescription
Feelings that glasses or contact lenses interfere with professional and/ or social activities
No other problem that affects the general health of the eyes

If you are nearsighted or farsighted, with or without astigmatism, you may be a candidate for LASIK surgery. Even though LASIK offers hope for many people with refractive errors, it is not for everyone. Some people with excessively high refractive errors may exceed the limits of LASIK. In addition, the general health of the eye and age of the patient will be considered by your eye doctor. Since your eyes continue to change through your teen years, candidates for surgery should be at least 18 years of age with a stable refraction. LASIK also is not an option for patients with other common eye problems such as cataracts or diabetic retinopathy.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IF I HAVE LASIK?

LASIK is performed as an outpatient procedure. You will receive anesthetic drops to numb your eye, and you will remain awake and alert throughout the procedure. The vast majority of patients do not experience significant discomfort with the LASIK procedure and it lasts less than 10 minutes. You should expect to be at the surgery center for approximately two hours including pre- and post-operative time. After LASIK, many patients report tearing and a foreign body sensation in the eye for a few hours. We recommend that our patients sleep for 4 to 6 hours after the procedure to rest the eye, allowing it to heal. We recommend you schedule your surgery when your time is flexible to allow 1 to 2 days of healing. LASIK visual recovery is relatively quick. Within the first few days following the surgery you should begin to notice considerable improvement in vision. Complete visual recovery may continue for a few weeks after the surgery. However, many patients are able to drive the next day after surgery. As with any surgery, complications are possible. Common short-term side effects include, but are not limited to: glare, halos, cloudy vision, light sensitivity and tearing. Serious or long-term complications are rare but possible. 

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

We offer two locations for pre and post operative visits:

UHHS Laser Vision Center 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 203 Lyndhurst, Ohio 44124 (440) 720-0331

University Health Center at Westlake 950 Clague Road Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 720-0331

However, all surgeries are performed at our Laser Vision Center at Chagrin Highlands.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

While only you can make the decision to have LVC, this process may be made easier by knowing all the facts about these exciting techniques. University Hospitals Laser Vision Center continually hosts educational seminars to explain the benefits of Laser Vision Correction as well as its potential risks. To inquire about the next educational seminar or to schedule an initial consultation, you may telephone at (216) 360-2020.