Oftentimes, people look in the phone directory and simply call the first person on the list when looking for a good or service.  This is not typically a good idea.  While it’s probably fine if you just need someone to mow your lawn, it’s not a wise thing to do when you are searching for a doctor to do surgery on your eyes.

You will need to treat your search as something of high importance; after all, it’s crucial to find a qualified eye surgeon in your area.  Most people have no trouble getting referred to quality offices an hour or two outside their area – this is quite typical when searching for a doctor or surgeon.  But, it’s a far better idea to find a good provider nearby, so that you won’t need to waste so many hours on the road.

If you want to save yourself some time, you can check out our recommended best Omaha eye surgeon

Also, if there are any problems that occur such as infections or irritations after surgery then you will want that surgeon to be a hop, skip, and a jump away from you. So how does one search for a good eye surgeon? You already know that you simply cannot trust what the billboards say or what the local television commercials are telling you.

How much ad space a surgeon was able to afford in the yellow pages does not say how well they perform surgeries so go ahead and bounce that idea right out of your head. With all kidding aside, how do you tell the difference from a good surgeon from a bad surgeon when this is your first time?

Start by talking with friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else that you can in order to get personal references. If you are able to come across people who have had procedures done by local eye surgeons then you can learn a lot from their experiences. Finding these sources may be hard though depending on the amount of people in your local area that you know.

Maybe you simply feel uncomfortable about asking people about their medical background and treatments they have had. If that is the case then begin taking the names of the local surgeons and doing a little background search on them over the Internet. There is so much that can be learned online that it is amazing.

Don’t want to do the research?  Here is our recommended best Lincoln eye surgeon

It’s not hard at all to find information about malpractice lawsuits or ethics complaints against a specific surgeon.  Bad news makes the rounds quickly, so if this information is out there, you’ll most certainly find it.  Once you’ve narrowed your list of eye surgeons down to a few that are of interest to you, just set up an initial appointment with them.  This will provide you with a lot of information about the surgeon.

If you don’t have an easy rapport with the surgeon, there is no obligation to set a follow up appointment.  But, if you hit it off with the doctor, it’s a good idea to ask for a summary of their qualifications and few references.  An eye surgeon who won’t provide this information is probably bad news.  Just keep at it, and you’re bound the find the eye surgeon that’s a perfect fit for you.

Technorati Tags: eye surgeon, eye surgery, laser eye surgery, lasik, prk, vision

As recent as in the last few years, laser eye surgery has become a very popular alternative to people who has been dependent on their eye glasses or contact lenses all their lives.

In a rush to leave their glasses and contact lenses behind people are rushing for this new treatment. Likewise wee see lasik eye surgery treatment centers and private clinics mushrooming in every cities.

What many people are unaware of is that there is risk involved in the surgery procedures. A laser surgery is not for everyone.

The procedure is not suitable to some people due to their health and medical condition. The eye surgeon would normally advise the patient during consultation if they are the right candidate for the surgery.

Laser eye surgery complications does exist to a certain degrees. Although the percentage is very very small and almost negligible.

May be most people might have thought of complications in terms of serious consequences such as blindness or serious infections.

The fact is that the most common complications or rather side effects is called regression. Regression is simply your eye sight vision turns back to the state before the surgery.

This includes blurred vision again or your eyes might become very sensitive to lights and also another problem is dry eyes that could become painful at times.

So mistakes do happen sometimes due to eye doctors misjudgment or patients willingness to take risk despite chances of higher risk in some people.

The bottom line is to get yourself educated with all the fact and figures before jumping into the surgery room. Find the eye doctor with the right credential and experience to work with.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and clear any doubt that you have during the screening process. This is very important in order to determine the right surgery procedures that you need.

Majority of people have a great success with laser eye surgery. The failure rate is far too small to outweight the success stories.

Technorati Tags: eye surgery, laser eye surgery, laser surgery, lasik, lasik surgery

Implantable Contact Lenses Are An Excellent Alternative to LASIK Eye Surgery

Not everybody is an acceptable prospect for LASIK eye surgery There is however an alternative to lasik surgery.

A common alternative to LASIK surgery are Implantable Contact Lenses, also occasionally referred to as a permanent contact lens or ICl. An ICL is a soft lens that’s affixed to the eye for correcting nearsightedness. An Implanted Contact Lens is meant to be lasting, but it could be replaced if changes are called for in the future. Contrary to  LASIK eye surgery, the ICL operation is totally reversible.

In that respect there are definite advantages to ICL over LASIK. For instance, with LASIK eye surgery, permanent alterations are made to your eye and those alterations are something you will have to live with. If everything went well with the LASIK procedure then clearly there is no issue, however occasionally it does not go as hoped and as such you’re stuck with it. In complete contrast, Implantable Contact Lenses may removedt at any time if rectifications are required.

If you have previously worn contact lenses, you already live with  the bothers of normal contacts - cleaning, soaking, removing and replacing, etc. But with implantable contact lenses, all those annoying tasks immediately disappear. The implants are lasting and ought never need any tending unless your vision changes as you age. Implantable contact lenses offer the same vision improvements as normal temporary contact lenses, only they call for none of the attention and upkeep of standard contact lenses.

The ICL routine is generally executed on an outpatient basis and you will feel little or no pain. A gentle sedative is dispensed to provide a calming effect and a 1/8 inch surgical incision is created for insertion of the lens. When inserted, the lens is properly positioned. In virtually all cases, sutures are not needed to close the incision point. If you are getting the operation performed on both eyes, they will both be accomplished in a single session. The whole process is normally accomplished within about 30 minutes.

Upon completion of the ICL procedure, you will be directed to a ‘post-op’ area for recovery. When staff members ascertain that you’re stable, you will be sent off home to unwind for the rest of the day. You will need to come back the following day for a follow-up exam, just to make certain that everything is alright.

On that point may be some mild haziness upon completion of the implantation, but this typically clears itself within a brief time period. Most patients experience fast improvements in vision, with approximately 90% of normal vision restored within the first 24 hours. Usually, your vision on the second day will be good decent to allow you to drive yourself to the examination.

The primary issue of worry with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection. Once detected it will be sorted out, so it is important to keep in touch with your medical team.

Implantable contact lenses are a sensible alternative to LASIK eye surgery for patients who have trouble with distance vision. Notwithstanding this , ICL does not help you if you require reading glasses.

Technorati Tags: eye surgery, laser eye surgery, lasik eye surgery

Let’s face it, in the last 10 years we have heard and read a lot about the famous Lasik operations, but still many people out there seem to have a lot of trouble finding the right doctor.

Now that Lasik vision correction surgery has been accepted for a number of years, there are several popular options for the procedure.  One of these is IntraLasik, or Intralase, or bladeless Lasik.  As the name implies, there is no cutting of the eye with a blade involved, instead the flap in the eye is made using a laser.  Since bladeless Lasik is a newer procedure, there are a number of opinions around about how well this procedure works. We will inspect each opinions closely as we go along.

First, more Lasik clients get 20/20 vision or better using IntraLasik.  Any Lasik procedure cannot guarantee perfect vision for every client, though more than 90% get results to at least 20/40 vision.  However, it is true that the new techniques of IntraLasik do get even better statistics for giving clients clear vision.

Some are concerned that the laser that makes the corneal flap is standard, and cannot be tailored to each individual eye like what a Lasik surgeon can do with a blade.  This is not true. The Lasik physician has control over the use of the laser for each individual in the same way that he can control the microkeratome blade.

IntraLasik can be used for both a standard and a custom Lasik procedure.  This is true.  Custom Lasik procedures using Wavefront technology (another somewhat recent advances in Lasik vision correction) can easily be used with a laser to make the initial flap. In fact, most doctors recommend LASIK to correct eye problems. It is in this moments where you don’t really want to go cheap and you want to be sure you are investing the right amount in finding the proper doctors that you need.

Some have heard that using the laser is less accurate than the standard Lasik procedure. This is not true since lasers can be controlled to micron level accuracy.  This gives the Lasik Eye Surgery physician extreme control to create exactly the flap needed for this particular individual eye: the precise size, shape, and depth for successful completion of the Lasik procedure.

Another contention is that IntraLase is a new procedure that needs to be studied and refined.  On the contrary, many of the most honored Lasik physicians strongly endorse IntraLase due to the good track record from the Lasik procedures.  In addition, the quality of the machines and the precision that they give these Lasik physicians is very impressive.  So the question is: which are the best LASIK Doctors out there? Well, this is not an easy question to answer. But in my personal point of view, and please remember that this is 100% subjective, I will recommend LASIK Massachusetts, mainly because they have the top doctors for this procedure in the country.

Many of the top notch Lasik doctors recommend this as a procedure of choice, assuming cost is not a significant variable in the decision of which Lasik procedure to use. The reason I had to mention this is that LASIK is not for everybody. The procedure is relatively pricey. But, you really need to understand that this is one of the top procedures in the world. So if you want the best, you do need to pitch in some amount.

Similar to the contentions above, some people think that Intralase is not a sufficiently tested Lasik procedure option. On the contrary, more than one million of these procedures have been performed, and the impressive track record for this Lasik procedure has been discussed above. This eye procedure is here to stay and the number of doctors trained to do LASIK is increasing around the world.

As a last advice, I can only recommend that you take your time choosing the proper doctor, this is a serious procedure and you should only do it with the medical team you feel comfortable with. Best of luck and thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: eye, eye surgery, intralasik, lasik, lasik-doctors

Consideration of the size of your eyesight would be done if you were expecting a good result after laser eye surgery. However, a size of eyeballs is age determinant and is often referred to as part of the process of aging. The size of the eyeballs in this respect determines if the positioning of the cornea if laser light were beamed on it.

It is good you expect the unknown in terms of possible complications from laser eye surgery. Once you put in your guard against such, you will never be taken unaware. This state of mind will enable you to heal faster and get the restored eyesight you have ever wanted.

Do you have vascular illness? If yes, I think you better stop considering laser eye surgery as an option in treating your eye disorder. This could genuinely be serious for you and very severe. Remember that your eye is the most important part of your body. So do not play with it. Refraining from laser eye surgery if you have this problem is a wise choice.

You went to a doctor and he recommends that you need to undergo laser eye surgery in order to correct your eye disorder. How will you absolve this news? Well, it is important you know what really laser eye surgery is. In a simple way, laser eye surgery is a medical procedure carried out on patients who have myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. The procedure is basically to correct these disorders.

Compare with other types of surgeries; the improvement that you will have on your eye sight after laser eye surgery is short. You should be able to get your required vision back at least three days after the procedure. However, your ability to heal fast will still depend on you abiding by the post surgery instructions.

You can use the Internet to get all the information you want to know regarding laser eye surgery. Take time out and make your search. Throughout your research you will come in contact with links that will allow you to visit sites that will mention places where this type of surgery can be performed. Also, the quotes from different specialists could be available for your comparison.

Unlike any other type of laser eye surgery, LASIK type has far more benefits than the others. The used of this method will permanently correct your disorders. Moreover, by the result achieved, you will not have the need to worry about the buying and maintenance of contact lenses.

It is imperative that you get an examination with a surgeon; it is a must for you to be aware of your eye condition before the surgery. If your doctor did not do this, I think he might be missing it or check his capability. The fortune of a flourishing operation is in your hand.

Jon Ferriss offer reveling resources about laser eye surgery on his site.

Technorati Tags: eye surgery, laser eye surgery, laser eye surgery recuperation, lasik eye surgery

Lasik Surgery Statistics

The Lasik operation can be a wonderful, life-changing option for many people whose vision is less than perfect.  There are several different types of Lasik operations now available, from the original and well documented procedure to Lasik procedures done with three dimensional wavefronts, or done entirely with lasers.  Each of these variations of the Lasik procedure should be discussed with the physician that is to perform the operation.
Like any surgery, Lasik does have the potential for side effects.

Sometimes reading the horror stories of the outcomes of a Lasik procedure can deter people from seriously considering such a choice.  It is also true that the vast numbers of people who have a successful, trouble-free Lasik surgery tend not to report a long and detailed story of their experience, unlike those that have experienced trouble afterward.

However, it is good to know what the possible side effects of the Lasik procedure are, and also the likelihood that one of these side effects will occur for a particular patient.  Just like any medicine we take, each has a possible number of side effects, but we generally assume that the likelihood of a serious side effect is small, and we take the medicine anyway.  This article will hopefully put concerns of the prospective Lasik patient into perspective so that they can calmly and thoughtfully ponder having a Lasik procedure done in the future.

More than one million Lasik procedures are done in the US every year, according to the FDA.  This arm of the national government has accumulated the following statistics for the most common side effects of the Lasik procedure.  These statistics will also vary by the physician performing the surgery, so make sure to get as much information on the prospective Lasik physician as possible.

After Lasik surgery, 1.7 percent of patients experience some glare or sensitivity to light after the operation.   This varies by patient, but this sensitivity is especially noticeable when looking at a bright light, such as a streetlight when walking at night, or other strong light and dark contrast.  Another light related side effect is a halo around a light, and this occurs in 3.5 percent of Lasik patients.

The new, corrected vision can be noticed quickly by some Lasik patients, in as little as a few hours after surgery.  Most patients that have undergone the Lasik procedure find the change is permanent within a few days.  In 2.6 percent of clients that have had a Lasik procedure done, there is persistent visual fluctuation within at least a part of their sphere of vision.

Finally, some patients do not get a fully corrected sphere of vision after their Lasik procedure.  This happens with a small number of clients, and the FDA statistics are that only 3 percent of patients have this effect.  In all or nearly all cases, the physician in charge will perform an additional Lasik procedure to improve this.

This detailing of the major permanent side effects of the Lasik procedure should put any personal horror stories into perspective.  Notice that none of the percentages are above 3 percent, and this should bring comfort to most prospective Lasik clients.  However, it should also motivate them to look carefully at the Lasik eye surgeons personal record.

Technorati Tags: eye surgery, laser eye center, laser eye surgery, lasik eye surgeon, lasik eye surgery

Is LASIK Surgery an option for you?

Many patients are very satisfied with the improved quality of life that they experience after LASIK Surgery. Read on to decide whether LASIK Surgery is right for you. 

The different types of LASIK Surgery

There are two basic types of surgery: Standard LASIK and Custom LASIK. With either type, the preparation work and post-operative procedures are similar. The difference between the procedures involves the customization of the laser.

Standard LASIK

Prior to the scheduled procedure date, the eye surgeon meets with patient to re-test for certain eye problems and diseases. When it’s confirmed that the patient meets the requirements, a procedure date is set.

On the day of the procedure, the eye doctor may perform another corneal topography to confirm that nothing has changed that would require changing the procedure. Three types of eye drops are then administered. The drops anesthetize the eye, protect the eye from post-operative inflammation and protect the eye from infection.

Next, the patient reclines and the laser is positioned overhead with the eye surgeon above it. To remove the flap, the patient’s eye must first be stabilized. The eye is kept from blinking by placing it into a restrainer. Suction is administered to the eyeball and the microkeratome makes one swift slice across the top of the cornea. The resulting flap (which should still be hinged to the eye) is pulled away with tiny tweezers.

The laser then emits a pre-determined number of laser pulses to remove the excess tissue, a process which takes literally seconds. The flap is pulled back into place and saline solution clears the eye of any debris. The eye is covered and the procedure is finished unless the other eye is receiving a LASIK Surgery treatment.

Custom LASIK Surgery

In standard LASIK, the computer inside the laser determines the number and location of laser pulses based solely on the patient’s prescription. With custom LASIK, the eye surgeon creates a three-dimensional image of the eye. The image results are then fed into the laser’s computer and the patient receives a laser treatment that is truly customized to that eye.

Risks and complications

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with LASIK Surgery. The procedure may under- or over-treat the eye. Under-treatments can be corrected with additional surgery however over treatment generally results in the patient needing to continue wearing corrective lenses. Loss of vision or compromised vision, especially at night, are other risks. Dry eye syndrome can develop. And vision that has been surgically corrected may decline over time. Another serious risk involves using an inexperienced ophthalmologist.

Tips on selecting a LASIK Surgery surgeon

Get referrals from people you trust and then make arrangements to interview several candidates.

Make the most of the pre-procedure consultation. Prepare a list of questions to ask each surgeon and record the answers. It’s important to understand what care the ophthalmologist intends to provide during all stages of surgery: before, during and afterwards as well as all costs.

Remember that low cost doesn’t mean top quality. Your eyesight is far too valuable to allow cost to be the determining factor.

Technorati Tags: eye care, eye surgery, laser eye surgery, laser surgery, lasik surgery surgeon, opthalmologist, vision correction

Information on Corrective Eye Surgery

Several types of correct eye surgery exist today and these different types of corrective eye surgery fall under two main categories: Excimer Laser procedures and Non-Excimer laser procedures. As is the case with other conditions that affect the body, major technological advances have been made in recent years in the field of corrective eye surgery. The following is a brief introduction to the two categories.

Excimer Laser Procedures

An Excimer laser is a tool that was approved for the treatment of nearsightedness ranging in severity from mild to moderate. Use of the Excimer laser is complicated and it’s important to work with ophthalmologists who are both trained in the surgical procedure and who have demonstrated the ability to properly operate and calibrate this precision instrument.

The Excimer Laser was originally approved for PKR, or Photorefractive Keratectomy and its usage was later expanded for LASIK procedures, or Laser in situ Keratomileusis. With PKR, the cornea is reshaped by eliminating excess tissue from the cornea’s outer surface. With each computer calculated lightening-fast laser pulse, a microscopic ultraviolet light beam removes the excess tissue. After only a few minutes and the application of local anesthesia, the procedure is over. In just a day or so, patients can resume normal activity.

In a LASIK procedure, the eye doctor rather than the laser’s built-in computer determines where incisions will be made and how much tissue will be removed. This is a more complex and invasive procedure and it is one that is recommended for more severe refractive conditions. Using a microkeratome (a knife), the eye surgeon slices and then pulls back a flap of the tissue covering the cornea. With the tissue out of the way, the laser is then used to remove tissue and reshape the cornea. The flap is put back into place and the patient typically can see well enough to drive home after the procedure. LASEK and epi-LASIK are variations of the LASIK procedure.

Non Excimer Laser Procedures

These are procedures that rely on artificial implants, surgery and reshaping to correct eye problems. Lens implants are effective for individuals who have cataracts, nearsightedness and farsightedness. Intraocular lenses or IOLs are used as replacements for the damaged cloudy lenses caused by cataracts. New and improved artificial lenses now incorporate the use of hinges that allow the eye to move and act like a real lens.

Other types of implantable contact lens can correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. They act much like removable contact lenses but require no maintenance and wearers cannot feel these lenses and implants.

Thermokeratoplasty involves the use of heat to manipulate the collagen within the cornea. In doing so, refractive errors can be corrected in a matter of minutes. There are two types of Thermokeratoplasty procedures. Laser thermal keratoplasty or LTK involves the use of holmium YAG laser and CK or conductive keratoplasty involves use of radiofrequency waves.

Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK) involves cutting the cornea in order to reshape it. However, its use has diminished since laser treatments involve less risk and are far more effective at reshaping the cornea.

Technorati Tags: contact lenses, eye care, eye surgery, laser eye surgery, laser surgery

Information on LASEK Laser Eye Surgery

LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis) laser eye surgery takes the most beneficial elements of two other types of laser eye surgery and combines them into one very effective surgical procedure. These other two laser eye surgeries are LASIK and PRK.

Unlike the LASIK procedure which involves using a sharp blade to slice off the top of the cornea, LASEK uses a solution consisting of diluted alcohol to loosen a thin layer from the epithelium so that it can be moved off to the side.

Benefits of LASEK laser eye surgery

One benefit of LASEK laser eye surgery is that it eliminates the risks associated with the corneal flap. With LASIK surgery, a very sharp blade called a microkeratome is used to cut the corneal flap. There have been cases in which the flap was cut too deeply or cut off completely instead of leaving it attached with a hinge, both of which are capable of causing any number of serious vision problems.

Healing is faster with LASEK because there is no cutting and because the epithelial flap can be used somewhat as a natural bandage after the procedure is finished. And unlike PRK, the chances of developing a glare after the operation are greatly diminished when using LASEK.

Risks/disadvantages

Risks associated with LASEK laser eye surgery are greatly diminished mainly due to the fact that no sharp device is being used to cut the cornea. There is some pain but it is minimal and is most often treated with over the counter medicines. Also, it is not possible to guarantee any type of vision results and glare, halos and dry eyes are potential side effects.

The LASEK procedure

Prior to the LASEK procedure, a patient must provide the eye surgeon with a complete medical history. Eye tests and other diagnostic procedures are undertaken to ensure the patient is a good candidate for LASEK laser eye surgery. On the day of the procedure, the eye is cleaned and prepped and an eye drop to numb the eye is administered. A special tool will hold the eyelids in place, preventing them from blinking.

The diluted alcohol solution is applied, the epithelium loosens, and it is gently pushed out of the way. The pre-calculated beams of ultra violet light are then pulsed onto the cornea and in just a minute or so, the procedure is complete.

Most patients will have blurred vision at first and won’t be able to drive home from the procedure. Most need a day or two to rest. Vision will vary over the ensuing months.

For best results, always use an eye surgeon who has experience with the LASEK laser eye surgery procedure. Never be afraid to ask a surgeon you’re considering for the names and contact information of previous patients. If you get a list of contacts, be sure to call and ask about their experiences.

Technorati Tags: eye care, eye surgery, lasek laser eye surgery, laser eye surgery

About Epi-LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

The most advanced of the surgical eye procedures using laser technology, Epi-LASIK laser eye surgery combines the best of traditional LASIK surgery with the best of the LASEK and PRK laser procedures. Epi stands for Epithelial and LASIK stands for Laser in situ Keratomileusis. Basically this newest procedure involves gently separating the epithelial from the top of the cornea using an epikeratome rather than slicing the top of the cornea and creating a hinge as is the case with LASIK.

A good candidate for Epi-LASIK laser eye surgery is someone who has a very thin cornea and who also has mild to moderate farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism. As with the other types of laser eye surgery, best vision is achieved by using laser beams to reshape the cornea.

Benefits of Epi-LASIK laser eye surgery

The two main benefits of the Epi-LASIK procedure are its quicker recovery time and the speed at which vision is restored. Because the cornea is not cut with a microkeratome (a sharp blade) the cornea does not have to heal. And because only a thin layer of the epithelial is separated, it too has the ability to heal quickly. This type of procedure eliminates the potential risks associated with incorrectly cutting the cornea, which in some cases can cause a number of vision problems including a permanent loss of vision. There also is less pain.

Risks of Epi-LASIK

While no surgical procedure is without risk, proper candidate screening including thorough diagnostic testing will significantly reduce the risks associated with Epi-LASIK surgery.

The Epi-LASIK procedure

As with the other laser eye procedures, the Epi-LASIK procedure also takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Anesthetic drops are placed into the eye to minimize pain and discomfort. From there, the epithelial must be moved off to the side so that the laser can reach the intended target area.

Specialized equipment is used to first stabilize the eye. Then, the epithelium separator makes a pass across the eye and flattens the cornea which makes it easier to separate the epithelial. It is not separated completely, rather it remains attached in the middle instead of at one side as happens with the LASIK procedure. A small spatula-type tool is used to move the flap out of the way.

The laser then begins emitting pulses of ultraviolet light, quickly removing the excess tissue from the cornea. As the laser pulses, the cornea is being reshaped. This continues until the proper amount of excess tissue is removed, as determined by the eye surgeon. When finished, antibiotic drops are placed in the eye to protect against infection, and a contact lens-like bandage is applied. Those opting for the Epi-LASIK eye surgery can usually resume normal activity the day after the procedure. Several follow-up visits are required to monitor healing and vision.

It’s important to choose an Epi-LASIK eye surgeon with care. Discuss the surgeon’s experience with this type of procedure including success rates. Also discuss the type of care that will be provided during all stages: before, during and after the procedure and associated costs.

Technorati Tags: epi lasik eye surgeon, epi lasik eye surgery, eye care, eye surgery, laser eye surgery