Finding Reputable Lasik Eye Surgery In New York

As more and more people choose to seek alternatives to pricey and inconvenient eyeglasses and contact lenses, the popularity of Lasik eye surgery continues to grow exponentially. The Lasik procedure was first performed in the United States in 1991; today over one million people in the U.S. have undergone the procedure. For patients looking to embark on Lasik, finding a reputable surgery center is paramount to achieving success.

For those living in the New York area, reputable Lasik eye surgery in New York is relatively easy to find. In such a populated area ? and one that is a medical hub of the east coast ? Lasik has been made available to the masses.

Lasik eye surgery works to repair the way in which our eyes refract light. In a normally functioning eye, the lens of the eye works to refract ? or bend ? light to the retina. The retina ? a group of cells in the lining in the back of the eye then takes that light and converts it to messages that can be understood by the optic nerve of the brain. The optic nerve receives these messages as visual images. When one link in the chain is affected the end result changes ? much like the childhood game of Whisper Down The Lane.

In the case of refractive disorders such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, light is not refracted properly to the retina. In turn the message that the retina sends to the optic nerve in the brain is received as a blurry image. Lasik surgery corrects the way in which we refract light through the use of laser technology.

During a Lasik procedure the eye is numbed, held open with a speculum, and immobilized with a corneal suction ring. After immobilization, the surgeon cuts a small incision in the top layer of the cornea making a flap. The flap is then folded back and the surgeon is able to access the underlayer of the cornea known as the stroma.

A low-powered laser is used to resurface the stroma so that light is refracted correctly going forward. After the laser procedure, the flap is replaced over the eye and allowed to heal naturally. Such a surgical procedure ? while completed quickly ? requires enormous precision and skill by experienced surgeons. Those undergoing Lasik eye surgery in New York often have little problem finding reputable and experienced surgical centers.

Ultimately, finding Lasik eye surgery in New York requires some research from the prospective patient. Those living in the New York area can often get a referral from their regular eye doctor or primary physician. But often the best way to find reputable Lasik eye centers is through a recommendation by someone who has had the procedure performed.

Talk to people who you know to have had the procedure and ask questions regarding their particular experience ? including comfort level, respect received by the staff, the way in which surgeons addressed their questions and concerns, billing procedures, and aftercare.

Make sure to conduct your own research when it comes to finding Lasik eye surgery in New York; visit surgical centers in which you are interested and interview the surgeons to make sure that you are compatible with them on a personal and professional level. Ultimately ? no matter where you have your procedure performed ? you should feel as if you have been educated thoroughly regarding the procedure and have had all your questions answered.
http://www.TheLasikZone.com brings you the latest on Lasik. Lasik is very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on Lasik New York.

The Rise Of Lasik Eye Surgery

The days in which eyeglasses and contact lenses were the only option to those with impaired vision came to an end in 1991 when Lasik eye surgery was first performed in the United States. Today, with more than a million patients having undergone the procedure, Lasik has become commonplace among eye patients who wish to minimize the long term expense and inconvenience associated with eye care. Lasik is something of a miracle for those who have struggled with compromised vision. And while it may be something that is relatively new to us, it utilizes technology that has actually existed for quite some time.

Lasik eye surgery focuses on the reshaping of the eye?s cornea ? the transparent tissue that covers the iris (the colored segment of the eye) and the lens (the part that rests behind the iris). The lens is the part of the eye that bends or refracts light to the retina ? cells that exist in the lining of the back of the eye. The retina?s job is to then take that light and convert it to messages that can be received by the optic nerve in the brain.

When the eye experiences refractive difficulties ? such as what is experienced in nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and a host of other issues ? the light that our eye receives is not refracted properly and the message that our brain receives is that of a blurry image. Traditionally, eyeglasses and contact lenses have been utilized to correct how light is refracted by our eye. But modern times have seen the rise in popularity of Lasik eye surgery ? that makes such corrections with the aid of a laser.

Experimentation with surgically correcting the cornea first began in the late 1940s when a Columbian ophthalmologist was able to successfully treat patients by removing over half of their cornea, freezing it, resurfacing it once it was frozen, and then replacing it in the patient?s eye. In the 1960s, an ophthalmologist in Russia was able to elevate the technology by making adjustments to the cornea while it remained in the patient?s eye; such adjustments were made using a scalpel.

In 1990, Lucio Buratto and Ioannis Pallikaris developed Lasik eye surgery; the first of which was performed in the United States in 1991. Lasik stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and makes correction to the cornea to improve light refraction. During Lasik eye surgery, the patient is first given numbing drops to anesthetize the eye. The patient lies down and the eye is held open with a speculum and immobilized with a cornea suction ring. The surgeon then cuts a thin flap into the top layer of the cornea. The flap is folded back to reveal the underlayer of the cornea ? the stroma. Using low-powered laser technology, the surgeon then resurfaces the stroma to improve light refraction. When the procedure is completed ? normally in less than 10 minutes ? the flap is replaced over the cornea and allowed to heal naturally.

Most patients report virtually no pain during Lasik eye surgery and only mild and infrequent discomfort. Recovery time is short; patients can generally resume normal activities ? with a few safety guidelines ? the day following the procedure.

http://www.TheLasikZone.com brings you the latest on Lasik. Lasik is very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on Lasik eye surgery.

Fort Myers Laser Eye Surgery

Fort Myers Laser Eye Surgery Is As Great Choice

Fort Myers is a good place to consider laser eye surgery which is usually carried out to correct the following conditions - hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism among others.

The eligibility of patients is to be undertaken by undergoing a batch of tests to ascertain the suitability of the candidate for the procedure. This appraisal is very important, because there are many people who would not benefit the surgery even if the laser eye surgery in Fort Myers was 100% successful the benefits could only be temporary as the deterioration of the eyesight may still be in progression.

Laser Eye Surgery In Fort Myers - There is no better place to look

There are many surgeries around the country who service the laser eye surgery customers and each have their own particular pros and cons. You will always have to decide in the long run whether the surgeon and facility is going to carry out the procedure using only the most up to date equipment and procedures and of course you have to feel comfortable putting your future eyesight in the hands of someone else, not an easy thing to do.

So what will you be looking for from your chosen Fort Myers laser eye surgery clinic? Procedures such as Epi-Lasik, PRK and LASEK ? these are each a different way of using the laser technology to help sufferers of eye problems.

There are some less common forms of procedures that are undertaken ina Fort Myers laser eye surgery including, wavefront technology, LASIK and monovision LASIK (for presbyopia).

The type of laser eye surgery you require for your condition would need a specialist surgeon who is familiar on a regular basis with using the procedures and equipment that is required for your circumstance. If you can, seek advice from people who already have been down the track and already have been through the corrective surgery and find out their recommendations. If this not possible always ask for forms of reference via a third party who has no apparent affiliation with the surgeon or Fort Myers clinic.

There are ample numbers of eye surgeons to choose from in Fort Myers so you are really spoiled for choice. Best to be a little nosy here at this point and ask questions, lots of questions from your circle of friends and neighbors in the area. Being shy at this point could cost you money and possibly the wrong choice of surgeon. There is no better recommendation than through someone who has already been through what you are contemplating or at least they can put you in touch with someone who they know who has.

Speaking of finances, this a is a factor you will no doubt be using in your decision also. Obtain all the facts and figures and make sure there are no hidden fees to surprise you further down the track. A little ringing around to competing laser eye surgeons should give you a fairly good idea as to the going rate being charged. Peace of mind can be found by doing your due diligence here.

Factors to consider are surgeon fees, hospital rates and medicines required. After surgery home care and possible accommodation requirements if you are out of town. Don't forget the ongoing consultations after the event.

If you are looking for a laser eye solution in the Fort Myers area go to our Laser Eye Surgery website for all the information on this subject.

Laser Eye Surgery Information

The laser eye surgery is just one of the many methods of refractive eye surgery. This form of surgery is a surgical procedure to correct common eye disorders such as, short sightedness, long sightedness, and astigmatism which is a form of vision distortion.

Although there are many methods to correct refractive eye disorders, laser eye surgery is the most advanced method available at the moment. It is also most popular surgery to correct refractive eye disorder in developed countries because of its precision and predictability.

The FDA first approved the excimer laser eye surgery in 1995 for correcting mild to moderate short sightedness or myopia. The approval comes with a restriction that only surgeons trained in laser refractive surgery and in the calibration of such equipment can perform the surgeries. Recently, the laser eye surgery had also been approved for photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgical procedures.

PRK is an outpatient eye surgical procedure done with local anesthetic eye drops. This form of eye surgery gently reshapes the cornea by removing microscopic amounts of tissue from the outer surface with a cool, computer controlled ultraviolet light. The beam of light is very precise and each pulse can remove 39 millionths of an inch of tissue in 12 billionths of a second.

PRK method is clean, efficient and fast and takes only a few minutes to complete. Patients will usually recover within 1-3 days and be back at their daily routines.

Studies conducted by the FDA showed that about 5 percent of patients continued the need to wear glasses after a PRK surgery and up to 15 percent needed glasses occasionally, such as when one is driving a car or playing golf.

Also, many PRK patients experienced mild corneal haze following the surgery of which there is nothing to worry about as the symptoms are part of the post surgery healing process. Some patients are expected to experienced glare and halos around lights. Again there is no cause for alarm as the symptoms will disappear in due course.

As a result of these studies the FDA along with the Federal Trade Commission issued a letter to the eye-care industry in 1996 to warn that unrealistic advertisment claims, such as "No more eyeglasses forever" and unsubstantiated claims about success rates could be misleading to potential PRK patients and may give rise to expensive medical legal suits.

As with any surgery, patients are best advised to do some research and read up about the types surgery available over and above consultations with their surgeons.

Chris Chew is a researcher. More articles at Lasix laser eye surgery and Lose weight surgeries

How To Decide If Wavefront Lasik Eye Surgery Is Worth The Extra Cost

Wavefront technology is not only used in wavefront lasik eye surgery itself, but also in the initial diagnosis. This diagnosis produces a 3-D map that can be used to guide the laser extremely accurately when the actual surgery is carried out.

Studies that compare wavefront-guided lasik to conventional lasik have shown that a higher percentage of those undergoing wavefront guided lasik eye surgery achieve 20/20 vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses compared to those treated without the assistance of wavefront technology.

And perhaps just as important, with wavefront technology there is less chance of suffering from problems such as a loss of visual quality, a loss of contrast sensitivity and problems connected with night vision.

All eyes have some sort of imperfection, called an aberration. It is the degree of aberration that matters.

Lower-order aberrations are the ones you hear about most often - myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

There are also higher-order aberrations, which account for about 15% of eye problems, and have exotic names such as coma, spherical aberration and trefoil. These aberrations cause problems that can include difficulty seeing at night, halos, issues with glare and blurred vision, and account for about 15% of eye problems.

Simply put, lower order aberration determine how much you see, while higher order aberrations determine how well you see.

Unfortunately, ordinary lasik surgery increases the chance of higher order aberrations. With wavefront lasik eye surgery, however, while higher order aberrations still increase they do so to a lesser degree than with conventional lasik.

What is Wavefront Technology?

Wavefront technology is a system that collects information about the eye from hundreds of separate points over the central 6 millimetre area of the cornea. This creates a unique ?map? that is specific to the eye being measured.

This information can then be linked to the laser to enable a completely customised and very accurate surgical procedure.

A further advantage is that wavefront can help identify patients who are not good candidates for Lasik surgery. Lasik surgery is certainly not for everyone; it can in fact worsen existing visual problems, so the initial diagnosis is crucial.

What is a wavefront?

Wavefront technology has been used by astronomers for many years, but the first wavefront mapping of the eye was done in 1994. Towards the end of 2002 the Food & Drug Administration approved the Custom Cornea Wavefront Lasik.

In essence, a bundle of light rays enters the eye. When the light enters the cornea, the very front of those light rays is perfectly flat - like a sheet of paper. In a perfect eye, the light will be reflected back and exit still flat.

But of course, the light passes through an imperfect crystalline lens and so is distorted when it emerges. It is this distortion that creates the "map" that tells the specialist what problems exist within the eye, how they can best be corrected, and provides the information is used to create the prescription that will be used to reshape the cornea.

How is Wavefront Technology Used?

When an eye specialist uses a conventional instrument called a phoropter, he changes the lenses and then asks the patient which lens produces the best image. This process is subject to subjective feedback (what the patient thinks he is seeing as opposed to what he is really seeing) and can only detect two eye abnormalities, these being cylindrical and spherical.

The cylindrical one causes astigmatism, while a spherical abnormality results in myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).

Wavefront technology, on the other hand, is much more accurate, measures many more points, and can detect an infinite number of aberrations.

There are limitation to the use of wavefront lasik eye surgery. If you are too myopic or too hyperopic, or have too much astigmatism, you will probably not be a candidate.

Thin corneas will be a problem, while having abnormally-large pupils may increase the risk of ending up with poor vision at night.

There is also the issue of cost. Most, if not all, doctors charge more for wavefront lasik eye surgery than for conventional. As a rough guide, expect to pay about $3000 and up per eye.

In summary - wavefront technology offers precise and individualized prescriptions for Lasik eye surgery patients. If you meet the requirements, it also offers an increased probability that the resultant wavefront lasik eye surgery will provide a successful outcome with fewer side effects.

You'll find more lasik information at Darrell van Zyl's site, http://www.lasikeyesurgeryanswers.com