Learn About LASIK and PRK

This is the most commonly asked question asked by those who are seeing to decrease their dependence on glasses and contact lenses.

Do you insist on being absolutely and completely independent of glasses and contact lenses? Am I too picky? ⎕ Yes ⎕ No

If the answer is yes, then you may be expecting too much and may not bean optimal candidate. Even with the most successful laser procedure, there is often an eyeglass prescription that make make your vision even better. (eg 20/20+ without glasses after LASIK but 20/10 with a small prescription).

For people that are less than forty years old, a LASIK or LASIK type procedure giving excellent distance vision will likely make you independent of glasses and contacts. However, after age forty or so, even after the most successful laser eye surgery simple “drugstore” reading glasses may be required for good vision closer than two or three feet.

Is your eyeglass or contact lens prescription appropriate for LVC?

For the vast majority of people who wear glasses and contact lenses, the answer to this question is yes. However, if you prescription is very small and you don’t need to wear glasses to drive and don’t wear glasses for many activities, then it must be asked whether you really need a surgical procedure. On the other hand, if your eyeglass or contact lens prescription is extreme, then a procedure other than LVC may be the best way to achieve good vision. Your doctor should be able to offer you options for non-laser procedures eg. nearsighted implants, refractive/clear lens extraction if that is a better option for you. A doctor who performs only one type of surgery is like a workman with only one tool in his toolbox; not an optimal situation and one with inherent conflicts regarding best medical judgment.

What is your age? ⎕ Too old? ⎕ Too young?

If you are less than 21 years old there is a pretty reasonable chance than your eyeglass or contact lens prescription may not be fully stable; you may not have reached your full amount of nearsightedness. It's a good idea to look for three or more years of the same prescription before considering a vision correction procedure. LVC is a better college than high school graduation gift.

If you are over 50 years old, you may be better served by a lens based surgical procedure than a corneal laser procedure (LVC). This is especially true if there are any signs of early cataract formation; a condition in which lens surgery will be required anyway. Again, if over 50 years old, you should ask your doctor whether he or she performs lens based procedures and whether that might be a better option for you.

What is your corneal structure?

If you are a candidate for laser eye correction your cornea needs to have normal structure if you and your doctor are to expect a good a predictable result after LASIK. This is checked by measuring corneal thickness during your exam and comparing that to the amount of nearsighted correction which is required. And checking the curvatures and structure of your cornea via corneal topography. If there is any question as to your cornea being too thin or if there is any suggestion of imperfect structure, it should start of discussion about whether the PRK/Advanced surface ablation variant of LASIK should be considered. Or whether a nearsighted implant might be the best answer. Again, your doctor should have the experience in order to be fully agile and comfortable in performing any of the available laser and implant procedures for you.

Is there anything truly unusual about my eyes?

Are you eyes too dry for LVC? If this is suspected, it can be checked by asking about your ability to wear contacts lenses, by the microscopic appearance of your eye, and an actual measurement of your tears as well. Are there any other eye problems? Corneal scars, cataract, glaucoma, and other unusual eye problems can have an impact on which procedure might be best for you or whether you should hold off on having an elective eye procedure.

Do I only have one good eye?

This is an unusual situation but we really need both eyes capable of very good vision before serious consideration of a elective vision correction procedure. Even if the chance of an unwanted complication is remotely unlikely, the remotely unlikely chance that something might happen to your “good” eye and leave you only with a “not so good”eye is enough to usually dissuade us from performing LASIK and other elective (non-mandatory) vision correcting procedures on people with a “lazy” eye or other conditions in which life’s activities could not be fully enjoyed if left with vision only in the “bad” eye

A great question. I’m frequently asked “why here?” “why you?” and “why not just use this coupon and do it at a much lower price?”

Our price for LASIK has been the same since the procedure was introduced over twenty years ago. No increase, no decrease, but much more of the fee is going to the manufacturers and developers for patent fees related to a much more sophisticated technology than we used in the mid 1990’s.

What is the “value”in paying “full price” for LASIK? Immodestly, the fee buys you me and us. You are paying for my three decades of vision correction surgical experience as well as the fact that LASIK is the easiest thing that I do.....I am a fellowship trained corneal transplant surgeon. There really isn’t anything that can happen to you during surgery that we haven’t seen and solved before. Indeed, we are the ones that get the referrals from other LASIK centers when they have complications and problems.

Similarly, my technicians are an elite group with decades of experience. In addition to our skills and experience, we use a checklist and error-prevention protocol based upon my aviation background to help eliminate the possibility of any unwanted event which could prevent an outstanding visual outcome.

But what if you absolutely can’t afford the “best”. Do you need to clip the coupon and go to the discount place? No! We can offer an alternative. It is our privilege to provide training in LASIK and corneal transplantation of a very talented post-graduate ophthalmologist; our “fellow”. Our post-graduate fellow is a fully trained ophthalmologist who is directly supervised by me. Our fellows have training from the best residencies in the world and have graduated from our program to become some of the best and most famous LASIK surgeons.

We do have a limited number procedures that can be scheduled with our fellow acting as the primary surgeon with me as the co-surgeon. Very controlled, very safe, very much like the major airlines when the co-pilot is flying and backed up by the senior captain.

If we agree that you are a good candidate for a “fellow performed procedure”, we can offer your LASIK at a very attractive price. These procedures are highly subsidized by our center so that the number of “fellow performed procedures” is limited. Please contact cmorrow@piedmontbettervision.com if you want to be considered.

Our full price LASIK is a sensational value given the team and technology behind the procedure and the importance of a lifetime of good vision. And we are fortunate indeed to be training tomorrow’s surgical superstars who can help those less financially able to have the quality vision correction procedure that they desire.

What is LASIK surgery?

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