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A LASIK Overview

LASIK is a delicate corrective procedure that is used to improve eyesight.  Not everyone is a good candidate for laser corrective surgery however for millions of patients, LASIK surgery is done with success. 

Basics In LASIK

Most people who wear glasses or contacts think about corrective surgery at one time or another. During the LASIK procedure a laser reshapes your cornea (the dome which is located at the front of the eye) to increase light rays focusing on the retina. 

Here are some things to consider before you schedule your Free LASIK, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, surgery.  Consider the following:

  • LASIK can’t be reversed.  It is a complicated surgery to a delicate part of the eye.
  • Laser vision corrective surgery doesn’t come without possible complications or risks.
  • Eye surgery is not for everyone; however, LASIK has been performed successfully on millions of people throughout the United States.
  • Although many patients end up with near perfect vision but there is a chance that the LASIK procedure will not end up giving you perfect vision, it is possible to end up with slightly diminished precise vision.
    • 9 out of 10 patients end up with 20/20 and 20/40 vision – 20/40 vision is often not sharp enough for certain types of work.
  • LASIK is used to correct distance vision. It is likely that patients may still require reading glasses in their 40’s.  LASIK is not used for correction or prevention of presbyopia which is an age-related loss of the eye being able to focus on objects nearby. 
  • Nearsighted patients that don’t need reading glasses before the surgery might need them after.

LASIK benefits may decrease overtime.  In fact, more than 10% of patients may require a second surgery which is known as a retreatment.  This will restore the patients desired vision.  This process is more common in patients who had higher nearsighted or farsightedness or a higher degree of astigmatism. 

LASIK surgery is a procedure that is not covered under most insurance plans. For most candidates they can expect to pay up to $3,000 per eye for the LASIK procedure.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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Do the Benefits of Glaucoma Surgery Outweigh the Risks?

As with any surgical procedure there are potential risks that need to be weighed against the benefits, Glaucoma is no different.  Even the most advanced cases of Glaucoma can be treated, patients need to collaborate with their eye surgeon to ensure the benefits offset the risks.

Glaucoma is a disease that is associated with aging.  It is a disease of the eye that causes advanced decline of the optic nerve.  The optic nerve which is at the back of the eye carries the visual message from the retina to your brain. Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure within the eye that doesn’t provide an environment for the nerve’s health.

In order to treat Glaucoma, the IOP (intraocular pressure) must be lowered.  Lowering the intraocular pressure prevents (or slows) the damage to the optic nerve.  Treating Glaucoma begins with the use of medication.  If this fails to treat or your eyes do not tolerate the treatment your ophthalmologists will often turn to surgical procedures.

There are two different types of surgery that can be performed to treat Glaucoma.  One method is using a miniscule incision into the trabeculectomy.  This can be done with or without the ExPRESS microshunt implantation, tube shunt implantation (which is a glaucoma drainage device), and cyclophotocoagulation.  Another surgical Glaucoma procedure that is often performed is known as MIGS, or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.  Surgical procedures all have their own unique set of risks and rewards. Before you have any surgical procedure on your eye, especially for the treatment of Glaucoma, it is important to have talk with your surgeon about your specific diagnosis and the benefits and dangers of the specific Glaucoma surgery best for your specific situation.

Glaucoma Surgery Benefits Outweigh the Risks in Most Situations Even in Advanced Cases

There are risks involved with any surgery however, the results with Glaucoma surgery are typically successful.  Success in Glaucoma surgery slows the progression of the disease.  Success means that the intended eye pressure was achieved.  If Glaucoma was left untreated, the loss of your vision is almost guaranteed. Surgery can help to prevent additional vision loss, often improving your vision.  This however is temporary as the damage with Glaucoma has already occurred and is permanent.  Surgery doesn’t reverse the damage it does however slow down the progression.

Although side effects do occur with Glaucoma, they are rare.  Here is a list of occasional side effects that patients have reported:

•     Vision Loss

•     Bleeding

•     Infection

•     Eye Pressure

•     Scarring

•     Cataracts

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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What Should I Expect at My LASIK Consultation?

When you seek a consultation from a surgeon specializing in LASIK it is to determine if you are a candidate for laser vision corrections surgery.  If it is determined that you are a candidate, the surgeon will begin discussing the most appropriate surgical option to correct your unique vision issue.  During the consultation you will be educated on the benefits and risks of LASIK surgery.   It is important to remember that a consultation with a LASIK surgeon does not obligate you to have the procedure nor does it mean that you are no longer able to ask questions and gather more information.  A consultation is the starting point into the process of determining if surgery is the vision correction route best suited for you.

Candidates must meet a certain set of criteria before they are considered for LASIK which includes:

Age:

LASIK candidates must be eighteen years or older.

Health:

In order to be a candidate for LASIK, patients must be generally healthy.  They should be free of health problems such as diabetes, vascular disease, autoimmune disease, or on medication that interferes with the immune response. 

Eye Health/Problems:

Candidates should also be free of eye disease including: glaucoma, cataracts, corneal diseases, retinal and optic nerve disease, or keratoconus.  They should also not have eye conditions such as herpes zoster and simplex.  Surgeons will do an eye exam before surgery however, it is important that candidates inform them of issues such as lazy eye, eye muscle imbalance, and other eye conditions that can affect healing.  Candidates should also inform eye surgeons of other health issues such as mental health or issues with health.  Obviously, the eye should also be free of any injury or infection.  Dry eye should also not affect candidates.

Pregnancy/Nursing:

If you are pregnant or nursing you will not be eligible for LASIK.  In fact, LASIK candidates must have had at least three menstrual cycles after they are done nursing and not expecting in order to be eligible for laser surgery.  Pregnancy hormones may affect the effectiveness of your prescription which also makes them ineligible for LASIK.

Stable Vision:

LASIK vision candidates need to have had stable vision for at least one year before they are considered for laser vision surgery procedures. 

Contacts:

In order for patients to have LASIK they must stop wearing their contacts for at least two weeks prior to the surgery.  This helps to stabilize the cornea and will give surgeons an accurate valuation of your prescription prior to the procedure.

LASIK is a viable option in the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatisms.  The goal of LASIK is to reduce the dependency of glasses and contacts with the end goal of 20/20 vision, although this is not guaranteed.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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Recovery After Lasik: What to Expect

LASIK is a common surgical procedure that is performed everyday throughout the United States.  The biggest concern that most patients have surrounds recovery.  It is important to note that although the surgery last only a few minutes per eye, the long-term recovery process, complete healing, can take upwards of six months.  Here are some common side effects and how you can relieve them.

Overall Discomfort and Minor Pain

Most LASIK patients describe a certain level of discomfort during and after laser vision surgery.  The most common sensations are light sensitivity, burning, or ripping.  Some patients say they barely notice these symptoms while others find them to be quite bothersome.  Symptoms can vary a great deal between what LASIK procedures and technique was used.  This minor pain and overall discomfort should dissipate in about two to four hours after the surgery.

Redness

Redness is a normal side effect of laser vision surgery and recovery.  Some patients experience dark red spots in the whites of their eyes for a couple of days after their surgery.  These spots are very similar to bruising and can take weeks to completely disappear.

Dry Eyes

One of the most common symptoms after LASIK is dry eyes.  More than fifty percent of patients express their need for eye drops after surgery.  Surgeons will recommend you purchase eye drops before the surgery in addition to the prescription eye drops that are prescribed to prevent infection and inflammation.

After the procedure you will be required to meet with your surgeon the next day for a post-operative appointment.  During this appointment you will have your vision checked and the ophthalmologist will check to make sure that your corneas are healing.  This is the time to address any symptoms you are experiencing with your doctor.  You will have several appointments throughout the healing process to verify that they process is occurring properly.  The intervals for these appointments will be one month, three months, and six months.  At the sixth month visit your eyes should be completely healed and your vision stabilized.

After surgery, to avoid complications, there are a number of activities that should be avoided including from wearing make-up to avoiding strenuous activities.  It is also important to avoid getting soap and water in your eye and you should avoid swimming or any activity in which you submerse your head in water.   Computer use should also be avoided or used cautiously.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

 

 

 

 

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Recovering from Cataract Surgery

Recovering from cataract surgery should be relatively short and unexciting especially when your health is good and there aren’t any other major issues with your eyes.  Based on statistics, once a cataract has been removed your chances of an excellent outcome and sharper vision.

Cataract surgeries without complications most often takes under ten minutes from start to finish.  Right after surgery patients will rest in a recovery room until the affects of sedation and anesthesia wear off.  Recovery usually lasts anywhere between a half hour to an hour. You will not be able to see clearly right away so it is important to have someone available to drive you home after cataract surgery.  Patients are given a pair of sunglasses for the ride home to protect their eyes from the sunshine and light glare.

Once patients are at home they are advised to take it easy for the rest of the day.  Your surgeon will tell when you can take off the protective shield that has been placed over your eye.  This is usually possible after several hours however, it is important to follow the instructions that you are given for your unique situation.  Remember that you will need to use the protective shield when you are sleeping for protection while your eye is recovering from surgery.  This will need to be done for several days.

Recovery Time

Your vision will appear cloudy and distorted for awhile once you have removed the shield from your eye.  Your vision can take some time to adjust after the removal of a cataract.  Once your eye adapts to the intraocular lens that has replaced your natural lens the cloudiness in your eye will disappear. However, during this process some patients mention that their vision is a bit wavy and distorted.  If you experience this, it is important to note that it should last only about an hour.

After cataract surgery you may notice that your eyes are redder and bloodshot.  This is temporary because of damage to the blood vessels on the surface of the white part of your eye that can occur during surgery.  As your eye heals from cataract surgery this redness will disappear.

Many cataract patients report that their vision is clear within hours after surgery.  This however, varies from patient to patient.  Each person heals at a different speed.  It is crucial that you do not rush your recovery.  Even though some patients see clearly within hours of surgery some take as long as a week or two before they see sharp images.

Cataract patients will most often see their surgeon the day after their surgery to look for signs of complications.  After this period, it will be up to each patient individually to contact their surgeon if they have concerns or don’t feel the improvement in their vision is occurring how they thought it would.

Some people report dry, scratchy eyes right after cataract surgery however, as your eye begins to heal this will slowly fade.  About a month after cataract surgery patients are considered recovered and their eyes should be completely healed.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com

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An Overview on Cataracts

What is a cataract? 

Cloudiness over the natural lens of the eye, which sites in back of the iris and pupil is an eye disease known as CATARACTS.

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss for people over forty.  In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness throughout the world.  More cases of cataracts are diagnosed worldwide than diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma put together.  There are currently more than twenty-two million Americans over forty with cataracts which is expected to grow to over thirty million by the year 2020.

The Three Types of Cataracts

Subcapsular Cataracts: Subcapsular cataracts often affect people with diabetes or those taking high doses of steroid medication.  This type of cataract occurs at the back of the lens.

Nuclear Cataracts: Nuclear cataracts are most often associated with aging and are located deep within the central zone, nucleus, of the lens.

Cortical Cataracts: Cortical cataracts start in the periphery of the lens and work toward the middle like the spoke of a wheel.  This type of cataract occurs in the lens cortex.  The lens cortex is the part of the lens that surrounds the center nucleus.

The Signs and Symptoms of Cataracts

At first a cataract has very little effect on your vision as it starts out small.  Your vision may appear a bit hazy or blurred at first, as if you are looking at life through a cloud.  If you start to notice you are seeing things a bit blurrier than you once did it may be time to have your eyes tested to see if your vision issues are caused by cataracts.

When you have a cataract light of all kinds, natural and artificial, may appear intense.  When you are driving at night the headlight may glare more vividly than they previously had been seen.  Depending on the type of cataracts that you have could determine the symptoms you have and when they will start to appear.  When the most common cataract, nuclear, first begins to develop a temporary improvement in your close-up vision may occur.   This is often referred to as “second site.”  This vision improvement only occurs for a short period of time and disappears as the cataract continues to develop.  Subcapsular cataracts, on the other hand, may not produce symptoms until it has developed completely.

To diagnosis cataracts you must schedule an appointment to meet with your ophthalmologist.  Once they have completed a thorough eye exam they can suggest a treatment option, surgical or not.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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Common Eyesight Problems That Are Solved with Laser Eye Surgery

Lasik surgery is not the cure all for every eye sight issue. Not every issue that you have with your vision will be solved with the same surgery; just like every ailment with your body can’t be solved by undergoing the same surgical procedure.  In the article below we will educate patients on the most common eye issues that laser eye surgery, LASIK, can possibly remedy.

The three most common problems that patients are bothered by that can be treated with LASIK include: nearsightedness, farsightedness, and blurred vision.  When you meet with your ophthalmologist they will measure your vision.  Vision is measured using units known as diopter.  If you are nearsighted this final number is expressed as a negative number whereas farsightedness is represented with a positive number.

Myopia – Nearsightedness

Many patients that are plagued by nearsightedness can find their vision corrected with LASIK surgery.  LASIK eye surgery provides successful results to most patients suffering from Myopia however, severe cases may be told that laser surgery is not right for them.  A consultation will be done to see where your vision lays on the spectrum to determine if LASIK is an option for you.

Hyperopia – Farsightedness

Although LASIK surgery is available to patients with farsightedness the consultation is a bit more in depth than it is for nearsightedness.  The evaluation of patients goes into greater depths as it is important to determine the degree at which the cornea is flattened.  With a flat cornea the eye is shorter than normal and causes object that are in the distance to focus behind the retina.

Astigmatism – Blurred Vision

Patients with blurred vision in one or both of their eyes most likely have a condition known as astigmatism.  This occurs because of an uneven steepening of the cornea.  Often this ailment can be corrected through LASIK surgery.

As previously stated, the first step in determining if the problem you are experiencing with your eyesight makes you a candidate for LASIK is to schedule a consultation to meet with the surgeon.  Even if laser surgery is not an optimal treatment of your condition it is important for you to understand that you have other options, both surgical and non-surgical.

The professionals at Rohr Eye & Laser Center focus your treatment plan around achieving the best possible results for the candidate.  If LASIK isn’t going to give you the result you are looking to achieve we will explore both surgical and non-surgical solutions that provide you with the vision of your dreams.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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These Bad Habits Can Harm Your Eyes

Our eyes are arguably the most important of our five senses.  Even though we know this there are a few bad habits that all of us are guilty of that can severely damage our eye sight.  There are some bad habits that don’t really seem to pose a major threat like biting your fingernails but there are others like not flossing or smoking that can literally cause our teeth to fall out.  When it comes to these 4 bad habits that affect our eye sight it is crucial that we take the steps necessary to stop the impact they have on our vision.

Screen Time

It is hard in the world that we live in now to not spend a ton of time in front of a screen.  Whether its for work or pleasure, a cell phone, computer, or television the amount of time we spend focused on the screen can harm our eyesight.  Screens emit a blue light that has been known to be a contributor of eye strain.  To avoid the strain that screens put on your eyes it is advised to take frequent breaks throughout the day.  This will help your eyes rest and prevent the strain from causing permanent damage to your eyesight.

Eye Rubbing

There are several reasons that rubbing your eyes can be harmful to your vision.   First off, our hands are constantly touching surfaces that are covered with germs.  These germs are easily transferred from our hands into our eyes exposing them to god knows what we have picked up along the way.

Cornea damage is also possible from the constant motion of rubbing your eyes.  Damage done to your eyes cornea often results in the loss of vision.  If you are rubbing your eyes to rid them of debris, it is important to remember that your eyes will automatically produce tears if your eye needs to wash away foreign elements your eye is exposed.  To properly care for your vision, try to keep your hands away from your eyes as much as possible.  If you find this impossible keep your hands clean using soap and water or anti-bacteria hand wash.

Sleeping with Makeup On

It is inevitable that after a late night we accidentally fall asleep with a full face of makeup on.  Not only is this terrible for your complexion it can be incredibly harmful to your eyes.  It is important to make a habit out of removing all makeup from your face at the end of the day.  Makeup collects a wide range of bacteria throughout the day that transfers to your pillow case if not washed off properly.  This greatly reduces your risk of developing an eye infection.

Forgetting Sunglasses

We have all heard about how UV rays affect our skin but what about our eyes?  Sunglasses are a popular accessory that really are a necessity in protecting your eyes not only from the damaging UV rays but also to exposure of direct sunlight as well as wind.  Damage from exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration.

Play it safe and head these warnings from local ophthalmologists on the harmful effects of improperly caring for your eyes.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs.  As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses.  More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

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Understanding the Basics of Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery, LASIK, is one of the most common eye surgeries performed in the United States, with millions of procedures being done every year. The procedure is performed by a trained, board-certified ophthalmologist who knows how to do the surgery. Like with any elective surgery you might have done, it is very important that you know all the risks, rewards and understands that there are no guarantees of success.

 

LASIK – Laser Eye Surgery

 

Weigh the Risks and Rewards – Be sure that before you go out and have LASIK refractive eye surgery that you have thought through everything completely. You never want to have any type of surgery without weighing everything first and be confident in your decision.

 

Choosing the Right Eye Surgeon – There are several thousand board-certified ophthalmologists who can perform LASIK and most have already performed thousands of them, depending on how long they have been in practice. However, you need to be sure that you are comfortable with your surgeon before you should allow them to perform a procedure on your eyes. Check around, ask for recommendations from friends and family members.

 

Determine Myopic Level – Get to know how bad your refractive error is beforehand, so you know upfront about the likelihood that you will need refinements later down the line. As a rule, the more Myopic, nearsighted you are the higher the likelihood you will require additional refinement procedures.

 

Know What to Expect – LASIK is performed with you 100% awake and therefore you will want to know what to expect during the procedures. You do not want to be surprised by something when you are halfway through your LASIK.

 

Understand the Risks – Be sure that you understand that with all surgeries that there are several risks involved with LASIK Eye Surgery. Make sure to ask plenty of questions of the surgeon during all consultation visits before you schedule the procedures to be performed.

 

Know the Limitation of Surgery – There are known limitations to LASIK Refractive Surgery, it is only designed to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. You could still end up needing to wear glasses depending on your other vision issues.  Also, LASIK will not prevent you from ever needing reading glasses or “readers” later in life.

 

Take Care Post Surgery – After you have decided to have the surgery done and the procedures are completed, you will be given a list of post-surgery care instructions. Be sure to follow them exactly, they will help you to heal properly and lets you know what some of the possibilities to expect.

 

Alternative Options – Last but, certainly not least, LASIK is just one of many eye procedures that can be performed to correct several eyesight issues. Be sure to discuss all your options before going with LASIK.

 

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.

 

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Eye Corrective Surgery This Summer Season

This summer has been a hot one!  With hot summer days glasses can be a pain.  They fog up when its humid and you head outside after being in the air, cause your face to sweat, make you have to carry expensive sunglasses, and are just an all-around hassle make many people start to consider LASIK vision correction.  Laser eye correction surgery technology is better than ever and is used to treat myopia hyperopia, and astigmatisms by reshaping the cornea to allow the light entering your eye to properly be focused onto your eyes retina.  In most cases surgery can be performed in under fifteen minutes and is pain-free.

The LASIK Process

After an initial consultation with your eye surgeon you will be scheduled for LASIK surgery.  During your surgery an eye surgeon will use a tool to cut a thin flap in the cornea that is circular in shape.  This flap will be folded back allowing the surgeon to access the cornea area known as the stroma to remove the corneal tissue that is creating your vision problem.

A cool ultraviolet laser beam removes tiny bits of tissue to reshape the cornea to allow light to properly enter the retina and improve overall vision.  For nearsightedness the goal is to flatten the cornea while with farsightedness a steeper cornea is created.  Astigmatisms are treated by smoothing out irregular cornea shapes into a more natural shape.

Once the laser has been used to reshape the cornea, the eye doctor will lay the flap back in place so that the area of the cornea where the tissue was removed is covered allowing naturally healing to take place.  During surgery patients are not under anesthesia and instead only require topical anesthetic drops to numb the area.  Laser eye surgery does not require stitches or band aides.

Once surgery has been completed it is important to rest.  Your eyes may temporarily feel an itch or a burn that will go away in time.  It is important to have someone with you to drive you home after the surgery.  In fact, you are not to drive until an eye doctor has confirmed your vision meets legal driving standards which is usually done during a follow up visit the day after surgery.

You can expect hazy eye sight the say of your surgery that should clear up by the following day.  Over time your vision will continue to improve eventually stabilizing.  Many LASIK surgeons will allow you to return to work the following day but recommend a couple of days of rest if at all possible.  Patients are told to avoid strenuous activity for at least a week to allow for healing.

Patients that follow their surgeons directions and remain steadfast to their recovery should experience very little discomfort or complications.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.