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What is laser refractive surgery?
(Video)
In laser refractive surgery, a surgeon uses the excimer laser to remove an ultra-thin layer of the cornea. This alters the cornea's refractive power to suit your eye's focal length better, improving your vision. Many patients no longer require glasses or contact lenses after surgery. There are two popular forms of the procedure: the older PRK (Photo-Refractive Keratectomy) and the more technologically advanced LASIK (Laser Assisted in-situ Keratomileusis).
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Am I a candidate for refractive surgery?(Video)
Almost all patients that wear glasses or contact lenses are now candidates for refractive surgery. Specifically, the excimer laser is approved to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. A rare patient may have too high a refractive error to be fully corrected with laser surgery. The best way to be certain of your candidacy is to attend a weekly evening seminar on refractive surgery, either in Mobile or Fairhope. This can be arranged by calling Linda at 343-EYES or toll free 866-343-EYES. It will also allow you to receive a complimentary screening exam, either at the seminar or in the office, at your convenience.
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What is the difference between PRK and LASIK?
In PRK, the surgeon removes a thin layer from the front of your cornea. In LASIK, the surgeon removes tissue beneath the surface of the cornea instead of directly off the surface. Both procedures use the excimer laser, but LASIK also requires a special instrument called a microkeratome that the surgeon uses to create a protective "flap" in the cornea. The surgeon applies laser energy to the area underneath the flap and then repositions it back over the cornea. LASIK allows a more rapid healing response, with return to normal activities usually within 24 hours, and can be used to correct larger degrees of refractive errors.
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What is Astigmatism?(Video)
Astigmatism is a common eye condition characterized by an irregular curvature of the cornea. This type of disorder is also known as a refractive error, and differs from myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and presbyopia (the inability to focus on near objects and read up close after age forty).
A person's eye is naturally spherical in shape. Under normal circumstances, when light enters the eye, it refracts evenly, creating a clear view of the object. However, the eye of a person with astigmatism is shaped more like a football or the back of a spoon. For this person, when light enters the eye it is refracted more in one direction than the other, allowing only part of the object to be in focus at one time. Objects at any distance can appear blurry and wavy.
Astigmatism occurs in nearly everybody to some degree. But for significantly abnormal curvature, treatment is required.
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What Are the Symptoms of Astigmatism?(Video)
People with uncorrected astigmatism often experience headaches, fatigue, eyestrain and blurred vision at all distances.
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Is laser vision correction safe?
As with any surgical procedure, there are potential risks involved. Laser vision correction is a comparatively safe procedure and, although complications are possible, only a very small percentage of patients experience a complication. As a corneal surgeon, Dr. Duffey is trained to handle these complications should they occur.
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How well will I see after LASIK?
No laser refractive surgery can guarantee that you won't need glasses or contact lenses after the procedures, but they will decrease your dependence upon corrective lenses. After the surgery over 95% of patients see 20/40 or better, well enough to drive a car without restrictive lenses. And approximately half see 20/20 or better. Sometimes enhancement surgery is worthwhile to "fine tune" the results. So while you may still need to use glasses occasionally to improve your eyesight at night or while driving, you will probably need them far less often for the many other tasks you perform. And again, when you reach the age of 40 to 45, you will still require reading glasses for correction of your presbyopia.
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Is LASIK painful?
You will feel no pain during the surgery. You will then be instructed to go home and sleep for two or three hours immediately following the procedure to allow the flap edges to heal in properly, greatly improving the eyesight and returning comfort to the eye almost back to normal. Most patients experience a certain amount of scratchiness for the first six to 12 hours following LASIK surgery. We do recommend the use of artificial tear drops for several days to several weeks to reduce any dry eye symptoms after surgery.
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When can I return to work?
The vast majority of Dr. Duffey's LASIK patients return to work the next day. Occasionally patients are not seeing well enough to drive the day following surgery and thus are not comfortable returning to the work setting for several days. You will be placed on minimal restrictions specifically no swimming for two weeks following your LASIK surgery. Other than that, over 95% of patients return to full active daily life the day following surgery.
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Can I have both eyes operated on at the same time?
The overwhelming majority of Dr. Duffey's LASIK patients choose to have both eyes operated on at the same operating room visit. The risks and benefits of doing both eyes on the same day, or very close together are fully explained by Dr. Duffey and his staff, and ultimately the decision is up to the patient. If you choose to have PRK, you will have one eye operated on and wait at least one week, if not longer, before vision is good enough in the first eye to allow surgery to be done on the second eye.
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How long will I use eye drops following laser vision correction?
If you choose PRK, you will be required to use steroid eye drops for several weeks to months following the surgical procedure. However, should you choose LASIK, most patients are on antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops for five to seven days following the procedure. Dr. Duffey does suggest that most patients use artificial teardrops for several weeks following the procedure, especially in the winter months when humidity is lower and dry eye symptoms occur more frequently.
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What is Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)?(Video)
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) is a surgical procedure used to correct presbyopia and low degrees of farsightedness without astigmatism. It involves the placement of radio frequency waves in the peripheral cornea causing collagen shrinking and subsequent steepening of the central cornea to correct farsightedness. The procedure is done under a topical anesthetic, with the patient seated in the examination chair. The total treatment is typically less than ten minutes, and patients can return to normal activities within 2-3 days. There is a minimal amount of scratchiness and redness for a day or two following the procedure. Contact Dr. Duffey for further information and availability.
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What is Monovision LASIK?
(Video)
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Does LASIK Correct My Astigmatism?
Yes; over 95% of Dr. Duffey's LASIK and PRK patients have a small to large degree of astigmatism, and it is simply programmed into the laser computers to be treated simultaneously with the patients' nearsightedness or farsightedness.
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What is All-Laser LASIK?
Dr. Duffey offers the option of making the LASIK flap with the femtosecond laser (IntraLase or Zeimer LVC laser) instead of the traditional thin flap made with the Moria microkeratome.
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What is i-LASIK?
Just another name for All-Laser LASIK noted above, with the i standing for intraLase (one manufacturer of the femtosecond laser) used for flap creation.
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What is Bladeless LASIK?(Video)
Again, just another name for All-Laser LASIK or i-LASIK noted above.
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What is SBK (Sub-Bowman's Keratomileusis)?
A form of LASIK where the flap is ultra-thin (approximately 100 microns or less) and thus just below a very superficial layer of the cornea called Bowman's Layer. Dr. Duffey has preferred this technique for all of his LASIK patients since 2002 (whether the microkeratome or the femtosecond laser is used for the flap creation) because it allows more rapid healing and is ultimately a safer procedure in his hands.
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What is Thin-Flap LASIK?
The same as SBK noted above.
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What is Epi-LASIK?(Video)
Is a variation of LASIK and PRK when a flap of epithelium only is lifted or removed to allow the excimer laser beam to reshape the cornea beneath the surface. Then the epithelium is either replaced or discarded to allow new epithelium to grow over the surface of the cornea during a 3-5 day healing period.
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What is Custom LASIK or WaveFront-Guided LASIK?
An advanced form of LASIK that corrects standard refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism) plus higher order aberrations (HOAs) that are unique to each individual eye and patient, making no two treatments ever the same. Truly a "customized" treatment that Dr. Duffey applies to almost all of his laser vision correction patients.
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