If you’re considering LASIK eye surgery, one of the first questions you probably have is, “How successful is it?” The good news for glasses and contact wearers everywhere is that this procedure is highly successful.
Before scheduling your consultation with a Dallas LASIK surgeon, though, there are some factors to consider that can increase your chances of having great outcome for your laser eye surgery.
What Type Of Surgery You Have Matters
Laser eye surgery isn’t just one procedure -- there are different techniques and different technologies. As technology improves, so do success rates.
With custom wavefront-guided LASIK, such as Dallas Dr. Harvey Carter performs, success rates are exceptional. A recent study found that 44 percent of patients who had this procedure experienced 20/15 or better vision without corrective lenses after three months. The same survey noted that 92 percent had 20/20 vision, and 100 percent had 20/25 or better, in the same time period.
No one needs great vision like our military men and women. A U.S. Navy study found that of sailors who underwent this procedure, 85 percent had 20/15 vision, compared to 69 percent of sailors who had conventional LASIK done.
Success Rates High, Complication Rates Low
As with any surgery, laser eye surgery comes with a certain risk of complications. However, it is one of the safest procedures you can undergo.
The Food and Drug Administration reports that complications occur in only 1 to 5 percent of LASIK surgeries, out of the hundreds of thousands that are performed nationally each year. Of those, most are mild symptoms, such as glare or light sensitivity, that often resolve in time.
Increasing Likelihood Of Success
Not every candidate will see the ideal results of LASIK surgery, but there are some criteria to meet that can increase your chances of success.
Having healthy eyes before surgery is vital to ensuring a good outcome for your procedure. If you are suffering from a condition that could affect how your eyes deal with surgery or healing, the procedure should wait until this issue is resolved. Such conditions include chronic dry eyes, conjunctivitis or eye injuries.
A patient who has had stable vision for at least a year is also more likely to have a successful outcome, which happens for most people at some point in their 20s. Additionally, hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause fluctuations in your vision. So if you are pregnant, this procedure should wait until your vision has normalized after pregnancy.
Certain health conditions also can affect how successful your procedure will be. Degenerative or autoimmune diseases, for example, may disqualify you from having LASIK eye surgery. Sjogren’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes and HIV are some of examples.
And the top criteria to increase your success with LASIK is to find a qualified surgeon. An eye doctor with the right experience and a proven record is the best person to advise you on whether you are a candidate for a successful laser eye surgery.
Stop wondering if you are a candidate for Dallas LASIK and start the process of leading a glasses-free life! Call Dr Harvey Carter today and schedule your free consultation.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Mark “Save Your Vision” Month With An Eye Exam
The American Optometric Association designates March as Save Your Vision Month -- an annual campaign designed to remind Americans how important good vision and healthy eyes are.
One of the biggest factors in maintaining healthy eyes and good vision is getting regular Dallas eye exams. Catching and treating eye problems early is vital to saving your vision in the long-term.
For Save Your Vision Month, the AOA offers a few tips about healthy vision at the computer for people who sit in front of a computer screen for long periods of time -- which probably applies to many of us in this digital age!
1. Make sure you have the correct prescription contact lenses or eyeglasses
2. Wear glasses designed to function comfortably at the computer
3. Use a humidifier/artificial tears to prevent dry eye issues
4. Position computer monitor 20-26 inches from your eyes
5. Keep monitor free of fingerprints and dust (can reduce clarity)
Call Carter Eye Center at 214-696-2020 today to schedule your annual eye exam.
One of the biggest factors in maintaining healthy eyes and good vision is getting regular Dallas eye exams. Catching and treating eye problems early is vital to saving your vision in the long-term.
For Save Your Vision Month, the AOA offers a few tips about healthy vision at the computer for people who sit in front of a computer screen for long periods of time -- which probably applies to many of us in this digital age!
1. Make sure you have the correct prescription contact lenses or eyeglasses
2. Wear glasses designed to function comfortably at the computer
3. Use a humidifier/artificial tears to prevent dry eye issues
4. Position computer monitor 20-26 inches from your eyes
5. Keep monitor free of fingerprints and dust (can reduce clarity)
Call Carter Eye Center at 214-696-2020 today to schedule your annual eye exam.
Friday, March 9, 2012
What Are The Differences Between LASIK And PRK?
If you’re looking at vision enhancement solutions, you may already have heard about Dallas LASIK and PRK, but you might be confused about the difference between the two procedures.
Both are refractive procedures to correct poor vision, but there are many dissimilarities between the two. An ophthalmologist can best help you decide which is right for you, but before selecting a procedure or even scheduling your free consultation, it will help to understand what separates these surgeries.
How The Procedures Are Performed
LASIK, which stands for Laser In Situ Keratomileusis, is an eye surgery that uses a blade called a microkeratome or an excimer laser to cut a flap into the patient’s cornea. After the flap is cut, a laser sends pulses into the cornea, reshaping it to correct vision problems.
PRK stands for Photo-refractive Keratatectomy. This procedure utilizes a cool laser light to reshape the central cornea based each patient’s corneal characteristics. The top layer of corneal cells are removed, rather than creating a flap, and the laser is focused directly on the corneal surface, which is flattened or steepened depending on the vision issue being corrected.
Differences In Recovery Time
Because of the differences in the procedures, recovery will be different depending on which surgery you choose.
After the corneal flap is replaced in Dallas LASIK surgery, the eye’s natural suction will allow it to stay in place to heal. The patient should experience significant vision improvements the next day and continued improvement in the following few days. In fact, most patients can even return to work the day after surgery.
On the other hand, PRK patients will have no flap, and the healing of the eye will be on the cornea’s surface. These patients will not experience the complications that on rare occasions can result from flap creation (because there is no flap created), but the recovery time is longer. Patients who undergo this procedure will take on average three to seven days to reach functional vision levels, and it will be one to four weeks before maximum visual sharpness is reached.
Is The Level Of Discomfort Different For Each Procedure?
Because of the removal of the cornea’s epithelial cells in PRK, patients who undergo this procedure typically experience slightly more post-operative discomfort than LASIK patients. However, every patient varies, and some patients experience little or even NO discomfort.
Ideal Candidates For LASIK vs. PRK
Dallas LASIK corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. With increasingly improving technology, there are many more patients who are candidates for this procedure today than there were 10 years ago. It is the more popular choice, and is better suited to those with thick corneas who want faster results.
PRK also corrects the same vision problems, but it is the safer choice for some people. Patients who have corneal issues, such as scarring, irregularities or thin corneal tissue, might find that this is the better option for them.
While there are many differences between Dallas LASIK and PRK vision correction procedures, both have this in common: They can completely change your life! If you’re ready to get started on the path to glasses-free vision, schedule a consultation at Carter Eye Center today.
Both are refractive procedures to correct poor vision, but there are many dissimilarities between the two. An ophthalmologist can best help you decide which is right for you, but before selecting a procedure or even scheduling your free consultation, it will help to understand what separates these surgeries.
How The Procedures Are Performed
LASIK, which stands for Laser In Situ Keratomileusis, is an eye surgery that uses a blade called a microkeratome or an excimer laser to cut a flap into the patient’s cornea. After the flap is cut, a laser sends pulses into the cornea, reshaping it to correct vision problems.
PRK stands for Photo-refractive Keratatectomy. This procedure utilizes a cool laser light to reshape the central cornea based each patient’s corneal characteristics. The top layer of corneal cells are removed, rather than creating a flap, and the laser is focused directly on the corneal surface, which is flattened or steepened depending on the vision issue being corrected.
Differences In Recovery Time
Because of the differences in the procedures, recovery will be different depending on which surgery you choose.
After the corneal flap is replaced in Dallas LASIK surgery, the eye’s natural suction will allow it to stay in place to heal. The patient should experience significant vision improvements the next day and continued improvement in the following few days. In fact, most patients can even return to work the day after surgery.
On the other hand, PRK patients will have no flap, and the healing of the eye will be on the cornea’s surface. These patients will not experience the complications that on rare occasions can result from flap creation (because there is no flap created), but the recovery time is longer. Patients who undergo this procedure will take on average three to seven days to reach functional vision levels, and it will be one to four weeks before maximum visual sharpness is reached.
Is The Level Of Discomfort Different For Each Procedure?
Because of the removal of the cornea’s epithelial cells in PRK, patients who undergo this procedure typically experience slightly more post-operative discomfort than LASIK patients. However, every patient varies, and some patients experience little or even NO discomfort.
Ideal Candidates For LASIK vs. PRK
Dallas LASIK corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. With increasingly improving technology, there are many more patients who are candidates for this procedure today than there were 10 years ago. It is the more popular choice, and is better suited to those with thick corneas who want faster results.
PRK also corrects the same vision problems, but it is the safer choice for some people. Patients who have corneal issues, such as scarring, irregularities or thin corneal tissue, might find that this is the better option for them.
While there are many differences between Dallas LASIK and PRK vision correction procedures, both have this in common: They can completely change your life! If you’re ready to get started on the path to glasses-free vision, schedule a consultation at Carter Eye Center today.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Improper Care Of Contact Lenses Can Lead To Big Problems
Some recent studies and surveys are showing a startling -- and sometimes gross -- disregard for the proper care and wear of contact lenses. Some offenders are simply unaware of important rules regarding cleaning and wearing contacts, while others may simply think it’s just not that important to observe the rules.
Whether you don’t know or just don’t care about the guidelines, it’s time to pay attention to what your Dallas optical specialist tries to tell you each year at your annual eye exam: Poor contact lens care can lead to vision problems that can be easily avoided.
You Did What With Your Contact Lenses?
The majority of contact wearers will claim diligent adherence to the rules. In a recent survey by a clinical professor of ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, though, a different story came to light.
Of more than 400 contact lens users, just 2 percent were found to actually follow the rules of proper contact lens care. Among the misuses most reported:
The study, by lens solution manufacturer Bausch + Lomb, found that consumers had turned to such bizarre products as baby oil, beer, coke, petroleum jelly, lemonade, fruit juice and butter as alternatives to contact lens solution. Many additionally report using saliva or tap water -- which Dallas optical service providers will tell you can potentially contain hundreds of damaging micro-organisms -- as a solution when inserting their lenses. Not only can these items be damaging to your eyes, they could also cause pain and discomfort when inserting contact lenses.
Why Is Proper Lens Care So Important?
There are a few reasons to follow the guidelines of proper lens care that your Dallas optical specialist recommends. The first, and most important, being your continued eye health.
Improper cleaning and wearing habits can lead to a range of infections -- some relatively minor, others that could lead to extreme pain and vision loss. For example, showering or swimming with lenses in can expose your eyes to Acanthamoeba, an organism commonly found in tap water and lakes. When left untreated, this parasite can burrow into the cornea and cause vision loss.
Such eye infections for contact lens wearers are rare, but the likelihood of suffering from an infection is even less when the appropriate precautions are taken.
Another good reason to follow good contact lens hygiene? Your own comfort! When contact lenses are properly cleaned, stored and worn, they will be more comfortable for the wearer.
It’s time to start taking better care of your eyes, and there’s no better way to do that than by choosing the top Dallas optical service center. Call Carter Eye Center today and schedule your eye exam!
Whether you don’t know or just don’t care about the guidelines, it’s time to pay attention to what your Dallas optical specialist tries to tell you each year at your annual eye exam: Poor contact lens care can lead to vision problems that can be easily avoided.
You Did What With Your Contact Lenses?
The majority of contact wearers will claim diligent adherence to the rules. In a recent survey by a clinical professor of ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, though, a different story came to light.
Of more than 400 contact lens users, just 2 percent were found to actually follow the rules of proper contact lens care. Among the misuses most reported:
- Swimming or showering while wearing contact lenses
- Sleeping in contacts
- Using lenses longer than recommended before discarding
- Topping off solution in case rather than discarding and refilling daily
- Never replacing lens cases or replacing only after eye exam
The study, by lens solution manufacturer Bausch + Lomb, found that consumers had turned to such bizarre products as baby oil, beer, coke, petroleum jelly, lemonade, fruit juice and butter as alternatives to contact lens solution. Many additionally report using saliva or tap water -- which Dallas optical service providers will tell you can potentially contain hundreds of damaging micro-organisms -- as a solution when inserting their lenses. Not only can these items be damaging to your eyes, they could also cause pain and discomfort when inserting contact lenses.
Why Is Proper Lens Care So Important?
There are a few reasons to follow the guidelines of proper lens care that your Dallas optical specialist recommends. The first, and most important, being your continued eye health.
Improper cleaning and wearing habits can lead to a range of infections -- some relatively minor, others that could lead to extreme pain and vision loss. For example, showering or swimming with lenses in can expose your eyes to Acanthamoeba, an organism commonly found in tap water and lakes. When left untreated, this parasite can burrow into the cornea and cause vision loss.
Such eye infections for contact lens wearers are rare, but the likelihood of suffering from an infection is even less when the appropriate precautions are taken.
Another good reason to follow good contact lens hygiene? Your own comfort! When contact lenses are properly cleaned, stored and worn, they will be more comfortable for the wearer.
It’s time to start taking better care of your eyes, and there’s no better way to do that than by choosing the top Dallas optical service center. Call Carter Eye Center today and schedule your eye exam!
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