Blog post by: Eye Physicians of Long Beach
Do you wish you could see clearly without glasses or contacts? Laser vision correction procedures can be your ticket to freedom from visual aids.
With one of these procedures, you’ll no longer have to deal with the hassle of contacts or glasses. You can attain the vision you’ve always wanted and finally live your best life.
Keep reading to discover which laser vision correction procedure is right for you!
What is LASIK?
LASIK is a popular laser vision correction procedure that addresses refractive errors, including astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
During the procedure, your Eye Physicians of Long Beach LASIK surgeon will administer numbing eye drops so you won’t feel pain or discomfort. They will then hold your eyelids open using a speculum to prevent blinking during the vision correction procedure.
Next, your LASIK surgeon will use a femtosecond laser to create a tiny flap in the epithelium, the cornea’s outermost layer.
Your LASIK surgeon will then lift and fold back the flap, exposing the stroma, the middle section of your cornea. Next, they will use an excimer laser to reshape the stroma by removing small amounts of corneal tissue.
Altering the shape of your cornea corrects your refractive error. Finally, the flap will be put back in place and act as a natural bandage while your eyes heal.
LASIK is a quick procedure, typically taking 10 to 15 minutes per eye.
Am I a Good Candidate for LASIK?
You may be a good candidate for LASIK if:
- You’re 18 or older
- Your pupils are not too large
- You have a stable prescription
- Your corneas are thick enough
- You’re not pregnant or nursing
- Your prescription is within the limits of what LASIK can treat
- You don’t have any pre-existing eye conditions like dry eye syndrome, keratoconus, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, or glaucoma
- You don’t have autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or Sjogren’s syndrome
LASIK has an impressively high success rate. About 99 percent of LASIK patients attain better than 20/40 vision, and over 90 percent achieve 20/20 vision or better.
Additionally, LASIK has a 96 percent patient satisfaction rate, making it easy to see why LASIK is such a popular procedure.
However, not everyone will qualify as a good candidate for LASIK. Even if you’re not a good LASIK candidate, other effective laser vision correction procedures can help you achieve freedom from glasses or contacts.
What is PRK?
PRK is a laser vision correction procedure that treats nearsightedness, astigmatism, and farsightedness. The procedure could be a better fit for you if you were not eligible for LASIK because of:
- Large pupils
- Thin corneas
- Dry eye syndrome
- A high prescription
- Playing contact sports
- Being more physically active
During PRK, you’ll have your eyes numbed using eye drops. A lid holder will then be placed in your eye to keep you from blinking.
Next, your surgeon will loosen and altogether remove your epithelium using a laser, alcohol solution, or brush. Removing the outer layer of your cornea allows your surgeon to reach your stroma and reshape it with an excimer laser.
Finally, your surgeon will place a clear contact lens to protect your eye as the epithelium regrows. The soft contact lens works like a bandage. PRK takes about 10 to 15 minutes for both eyes.
Am I a Good Candidate for PRK?
You may be a suitable candidate for PRK if:
- You’re at least 18 years old
- You’re in good health
- You’re not pregnant or nursing
- Your prescription has remained stable for at least a year
- You don’t have certain eye conditions like keratoconus or glaucoma
- You don’t have medical conditions such as diabetes or autoimmune diseases
PRK has comparable outcomes to LASIK, with a success rate of around 95 percent.
Close to 70 percent of patients attain 20/20 vision, with 92 percent achieving 20/40 or better following PRK.
What is the EVO ICL?
EVO ICL is an implantable collamer lens that addresses nearsightedness and astigmatism. The EVO stands for evolution, while ICL stands for implantable collamer lens.
If LASIK isn’t an option due to severe dry eyes, thin corneas, or extreme nearsightedness, the EVO ICL may be right for you. During the procedure, your surgeon will apply anesthetic eye drops to numb your eyes.
You may also be given a sedative to help you relax. A special instrument will be placed in your eye to hold it open.
Next, your surgeon will create a tiny opening in your cornea. Through this opening, they’ll insert and properly position the EVO ICL.
The incision self-heals and doesn’t require stitches. The procedure only takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
The EVO ICL functions much like contact lenses, except you don’t remove it from your eyes. Contact lenses sit on top of your eyes and change how light refracts before it passes through the corneas to correct your refractive error.
However, with the EVO ICL, the implantable collamer is implanted inside your eye. It’s placed behind your iris and in front of your natural lens.
Rather than fixing how light bends before it passes through the cornea, the EVO ICL corrects it after it goes through your cornea but before it passes through your natural lens. While the procedure is technically permanent, you can have it reversed anytime.
Having this as an option makes the EVO ICL incredibly convenient if you require cataract surgery in the future and need to replace the EVO ICL with an IOL during the procedure. The EVO ICL is made of 100 percent biocompatible collamer derived from collagen.
Your body recognizes it as biological material and allows it to work in harmony with your eyes to correct your vision. Since the EVO ICL doesn’t alter the shape of your cornea, you won’t have to worry about dry eyes, which is a common temporary side effect often occurring after other laser vision correction procedures.
Am I a Good Candidate for the EVO ICL?
You may be a good candidate for the EVO ICL if:
- You have severe nearsightedness
- You’re not pregnant or nursing
- You’re between 21 and 45 years old
- You’ve maintained the same prescription for at least one year
- You don’t have eye conditions like iritis, corneal endothelial dystrophy, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma
The EVO ICL has an excellent track record. The patient satisfaction rate is over 99 percent. After the procedure, patients achieve clearer, sharper, high-definition vision.
Enjoy Clear, Unaided Vision with Laser Vision Correction
You deserve to see the world in detail. With laser vision correction procedures at Eye Physicians of Long Beach, you can achieve better vision than you’ve ever had.
Are you ready to see your absolute best without relying on visual aids? Take the first step towards achieving better vision by scheduling a consultation at Eye Physicians of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, now!
Time is precious, so why not see the world in beautiful clarity?