LASIK Information Kit www.eyecareinstitute.com
2 About The Eye Care Institute We are eye physicians and surgeons in Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. In practice since 1984, our eye doctors have a combined experience level exceeding 120 years, including over 80 combined years of eye surgery experience. We offer all eye services including LASIK, ReSTOR lenses for distance and near vision, and many other vision correction options. We offer laser surgery for medical eye conditions as well as care and surgery for all eye diseases including cataract, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, corneal transplants and macular degeneration. We offer routine and family eye exams and contact lens exams. We have great optical shops featuring the latest in designer eyewear, and you can order your contact lenses from us in person, by phone, or online. Let us help improve the quality of your vision
What Is LASIK? LASIK is an acronym for Laser assisted in-situ Keratomileusis and is one of the most commonly performed types of laser eye surgery. This procedure is safe, effective, and has very few side effects. Imagine being able to work out without glasses or see the alarm clock in the middle of the night! For contact lens wearers, there is no more bother putting lenses in, no more scratchy lenses hitting your eyelids, and no more solutions. LASIK eye surgery has helped millions of people see clearly without dependence on glasses or contact lenses 3
4 What Can LASIK Correct? LASIK can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism Myopia (Nearsightedness) Nearsighted individuals typically have problems seeing well at a distance and are forced to wear glasses or contact lenses. The nearsighted eye is usually longer than a normal eye, and its cornea may also be steeper. Therefore, when light passes through the cornea and lens, it is focused in front of the retina, causing distant images to appear blurred. There are several refractive surgery solutions available to correct nearly all levels of nearsightedness. Hyperopia (Farsightedness) Farsighted individuals have shorter than normal eyes and have problems seeing up-close. The light of distant objects focuses behind the retina and these images are blurred. Eventually, their distance vision also starts to blur as you age. If you did not have up-close vision problems until you reached your 40s, you may be experiencing presbyopia. Differentiating between the two can cause confusion. Astigmatism Astigmatism is a common vision condition where the corneal surface is not evenly shaped. This causes one to see ghosting or shadowing of images. With astigmatism, the cornea is not a perfect sphere, like a basketball, but is steeper in one direction and flatter in the other, like a football. Astigmatism can occur alone but is most often combined with nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Am I A Good Candidate For LASIK? People who want to minimize their dependence on glasses or contact lenses are good candidates. Lifestyle, hobbies, and amount of correction needed are all factors that will determine whether someone is a good candidate. The ideal candidate for LASIK is over 18 years of age, not pregnant, and free of any eye disease. The candidate should also experience stable vision for at least one year before having LASIK. Your initial visit to determine if you are a candidate for LASIK is complimentary 5
6 What Happens During LASIK Eye Surgery? Our Allegretto Wavelight All Laser LASIK Suite During the LASIK procedure you will recline comfortably on a bed positioned between the two lasers. First, drops will be used to numb your eye. Next, an eye lid holder will be put in place to hold your eye open for you. As the eye lid holder is being applied you may feel a slight tugging on your lids, but generally no discomfort. The bed will then move under the Femtosecond laser that creates the flap. A small suction ring that stabilizes the eye will be put in place. You will feel a small amount of pressure on the eye that lasts roughly 45 seconds. The flap is made by creating trillions of precisely placed microscopic bubbles in the cornea. The ring will be removed and the process will be repeated for the other eye. Your vision will appear blurry, however you will still be able to see. The bed then moves under the Excimer laser. The eyelid holder will be replaced and the laser will make precise measurements. The flap will be reflected and the laser will center itself to allow for the treatment to begin. You will hear a soft humming sound while the laser is operating. The EX500 laser is the fastest and most precise laser in the world. Each pulse of the laser removes about a quarter of a micron of tissue. One micron is 1/25,400 of an inch allowing for the entire treatment to be completed in a matter of seconds. The flap will then be replaced, the eye will be rinsed, and drops will be applied. The process will then be repeated for the other eye. After the laser treatment is complete your vision will be foggy and this will last for a few hours. The entire process takes about 15 minutes. The corneal flap will adhere on its own so no sutures are needed. Dr. Meyer will look at your eyes immediately following surgery to ensure each flap is adhering well. You will be given post operative drops to take home and will be asked to rest with your eyes closed for several hours. When you reopen your eyes after the suggested rest period, you should already be seeing better and from there your eyes should continue to progress each day!
What Will My Vision Be Like After LASIK? It is important that anyone considering LASIK have realistic expectations. LASIK allows people to perform most of their everyday tasks without corrective lenses. However, people looking for perfect vision without glasses or contacts run the risk of being disappointed. The majority of patients achieve 20/20 and almost all achieve 20/40 vision without glasses or contact lenses. As time goes on after your LASIK, if your prescription changes Dr. Meyer may perform an enhancement to correct this change and restore your vision. LASIK cannot correct presbyopia, the agerelated loss of close-up focusing power. With or without refractive surgery, almost everyone who has excellent distance vision will need reading glasses by the time they get to be 40 or 50 years old. Some people choose to be corrected by monovision, which leaves one eye slightly nearsighted. The nearsighted eye is used for close work, while the other eye is adjusted for distance vision. No matter what others tell you, there is no laser procedure that can correct both distance vision and near vision in the same eye. 7
8 What If I Am Not A LASIK Candidate? LASIK has evolved in the public to refer to any vision correction procedure. Our practice is committed to utilizing the latest in medical innovation and technology. In our practice, we use the term LASIK as a generic term meaning any form of refractive eye surgery. During your consultation, our LASIK surgeon will sit down with you to discuss which procedure is best for you. The ReSTOR lens implant by Alcon is an artificial lens implant that is designed to replace the natural lens of the eye. Made of a soft, flexible plastic material, the ReSTOR lens has a patented design that allows it to focus light on the retina for clear vision at near, far, and intermediate distances. In just a few minutes, the ReSTOR lens can be inserted in the eye, then quickly and easily unfolded to restore vision. The result is a remarkable improvement in both the quality (sharp, clear images at all distances) and quantity (a full range) of vision. The Visian ICL is an implantable collamer lens that works with the eye to correct vision. Where traditional contact lenses rest on the surface of the eye, Visian ICL is surgically inserted into the eye to improve quality of vision for a wide range of correction needs. The ideal candidate for the ReSTOR lens is someone who is seeking better vision at all distances near, far, and intermediate without the hassle of glasses or contact lenses.
Congratulations! Your Surgeon John C. Meyer, M.D. John C. Meyer, MD is one of the most experienced laser vision correction surgeons. He first used the excimer laser while completing his Fellowship in Refractive Surgery and Corneal Diseases at Emory University during 1994 and 1995. As such, he is one of the first doctors in the country to have had access to an excimer laser. If you schedule an appointment with The Eye Care Institute to be evaluated for laser vision correction, you will personally meet with Dr. Meyer. He will take the time to answer your questions and concerns. Your initial screening with Dr. Meyer is complimentary. If you decide to proceed, Dr. Meyer will perform a thorough eye exam to measure your prescription and determine which refractive procedure is right for you....20/20 is usually what every patient hopes for, however my personal goal is to achieve better than 20/20 for my patients. -- John C. Meyer, M.D. You ve decided to investigate laser vision correction at The Eye Care Institute. The staff and I want to sincerely thank you for choosing our center, and we d like to assure you that you ve made a good decision. Choosing a qualified surgeon and center is a difficult process in itself, but for many, simply making the decision to undergo laser vision correction is a huge step. For most who consider LASIK or PRK, there is always the concern of the unknown: These are my eyes, and I don t want anything to happen to them. LASIK is one of the safest and most comfortable procedures in the world. I am pleased to have been able to improve the vision in my patients, many to better than 20/15. Yes, there are potential risks to nearly everything you do in life, but with LASIK the risk is low and the benefit is clear - freedom from the irritations, dependence and expense of glasses and contacts. When it comes down to the final decision, it s all about trust. I have provided wonderful results to community members, leaders, and athletes in Louisville for over 15 years. You ve come here for a reason; you want the best care and the best result possible. The staff and I understand they re the only eyes you have, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to assure you of the best experience possible. Sincerely, John C. Meyer, MD 9
10 Payment And Pricing The price you are quoted is complete. There are no hidden charges. Our LASIK counselors can show you LASIK pricing facts. As a patient you will also be offered an assurance plan called LASIK for Life to ensure continued vision care in the event an enhancement is performed to maintain vision results. To help you pay for LASIK, we accept cash, checks, money order, FSA/HSA cards as form of payment, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and patient financing options. Our LASIK counselors can provide you with information on financing programs. Rest assured, we treat your financial information with the same level of confidentiality as we treat your medical information.
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1536 Story Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206 502.589.1500 - Daytime phone number 1-877-KY-VISION - LASIK Department LASIK Department open Monday - Friday until 10 pm Saturday and Sunday - Noon to 6 pm info@eyecareinstitute.com