ReSTOR® Intraocular Lens

The ReSTOR lens is an artificial lens implant designed to replace a damaged or faulty natural lens. It is made from a flexible plastic material that allows it to focus light on the retina. This allows for clear vision at near, far, and in-between distances. Dr. Carter can insert a ReSTOR lens in a short office visit. The result is significant improvement in both the quality and range of vision.

The ReSTOR lens is FDA-approved for the treatment of cataracts and can also be used to treat presbyopia (“middle-aged” vision). If you are in your 40s and have trouble with close-up vision, you may be experiencing the first effects of presbyopia, a problem with the eye’s lens. As we age, the lens becomes less able to focus on nearby objects for reading and other activities. Dr. Carter can replace it with a flexible lens like ReSTOR and help repair vision reduced by presbyopia.

In a recent study, approximately 80 percent of patients who received the ReSTOR lens reported that they no longer needed their glasses. It became easier to read, drive or play sports without any kind of external corrective lens.

Let Dr. Carter help you decide how to proceed with your cataract or presbyopia concerns and answer any questions you may have. Please call or email our vision correction office in Dallas, Texas to schedule a free consultation.

ReZoom

The ReZoom Multifocal Lens is a clear, acrylic foldable lens implant. The new technology of the multifocal lens is designed to provide an improvement in the full range of your vision, whether far away, close up, or somewhere in the middle. Your eye’s natural lens deteriorates as you age. The result is often cataracts or presbyopia (blurry close vision). ReZoom is FDA-approved to treat both conditions.

Dr. Carter’s goal is to help you see better anywhere and at anytime, in all lighting conditions. If you have good eye health but are dependent on reading glasses or bifocals, you could be a candidate for ReZoom. You don’t need to be a candidate for cataract surgery to qualify for the ReZoom lens.

The procedure typically takes about 30 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis. Before surgery, Dr. Carter will treat your eye with anesthetic to avoid any eye discomfort. A tiny incision is made in your eye, allowing him to use a small ultrasound probe to break up the cloudy or faulty lens. Gentle suction easily removes the pieces and the ReZoom lens is then inserted and set into its position.

Following the surgery, you will rest in Dr. Carter’s office for a short time before going home. Prescription eye drops will be necessary to prevent infection and help you heal. You may also need to use a protective shield to keep you from rubbing your eye(s) in your sleep. Everyone heals differently, but most patients see well enough to return to normal activities within a day of the procedure.

Dr. Carter can help you decide how to proceed with your cataract concerns and he will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please contact eye surgeon Dr. Carter in Dallas, Texas to arrange your free consultation.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the name of a group of eye diseases which damage the optic nerve. It is often caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP). This pressure is typically the result of a malfunction or malformation of the eye’s drainage systems. Untreated, increased IOP causes permanent damage to the optic nerve and retina and the result is progressive, irreversible loss of vision. However, early detection and treatment of glaucoma can slow, or even halt its progression.

What Causes Glaucoma?

The eyes have a clear fluid called aqueous humor, (or just “aqueous”), which fills the space between the cornea and iris. Your eyes filter this fluid using a complex drainage system. The balance between the production and the drainage of aqueous is what determines intraocular pressure (IOP). For most, the IOP level is between 8 and 21. When it rises above this range, glaucoma becomes a concern.

However, in some glaucoma cases, IOP is normal. The determining diagnostic factor for glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve.

Glaucoma Symptoms
The most common type of glaucoma is a dangerous disease because it seldom causes symptoms and glaucoma warning signs are not always immediately detected. Early detection of glaucoma is important in preserving vision and can be done during routine eye examinations.

However, certain types of glaucoma do cause symptoms:
• Congenital Glaucoma Symptoms: tearing, enlarged cornea, and light sensitivity
• Angle Closure Symptoms: extreme eye pain, sudden decrease of vision, nausea/vomiting

Glaucoma Treatment

Most patients with glaucoma require only eyedrops to control the IOP. Surgery is necessary only when medical treatment cannot lower the pressure. Surgery enables fluid to drain from the eye more efficiently. Some procedures involve lasers and can be done in-office and others must be performed in an operating room.

Dr. Carter will take the necessary time to discuss your options and help you with any questions you may have. If you would like to discuss your options, please contact our eyecare office in Dallas, Texas.

Benefits of LASIK

It would be an understatement to say that the successful LASIK procedure has made it possible for many thousands of people to see better. In addition to vision improvement, LASIK usually eliminates the need for glasses, altogether. And when they are needed, it should certainly reduce that need to special circumstances, such as driving at night or reading fine print, if over age 40.

If you work in an industry that relies on accurate vision, LASIK has been approved for some of the most critical workers such as airplane pilots, astronauts, firefighters and emergency responders. LASIK is also sought by sports players because of its potential to eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses.

A few of the many benefits of LASIK are:

• LASIK patients typically achieve at least 20/20 vision, and often better than 20/20 vision. One study showed that 85% of 908 participants achieved 20/16 vision, and 97% of 34 patients received 20/20 or better
• LASIK patients heal faster than those undergoing other procedures. Recovery can be I as little as one day to one week
• LASIK patients experience less discomfort
• LASIK patients recover faster. They can drive the next day after surgery.
• Most LASIK patients experience instant visual clarity
• Undesirable side effects, such as corneal haze, are very rare

LASIK is an outpatient procedure that takes about five minutes per eye. The actual procedure takes only a minute or so, with the rest of the time spent in preparation. For such a small investment of time to produce such remarkable results, these are priceless benefits to LASIK.

Please take a moment to visit the website of the Carter Eye Center in Dallas. Please also contact us today for a free consultation. Dr. Harvey Carter is the only eye surgeon in North Texas to offer the 20/20 or it’s free guarantee, so why spend any more time with less-than-perfect vision?

LASIK Affordability (20/20 or It’s Free)

LASIK is getting more affordable all the time. As a long-established procedure, it has not only become less expensive, but improvements over the years have elevated LASIK to one of the most reliable procedures done today.

In a previous blog, we wrote about selecting your eye surgeon. It’s important to note the confidence your eye surgeon has in his work and the work of his fellow staff members. Our more than 20 years of success in performing LASIK procedures not only reinforces our confidence, it justifies our patients’ confidence in us.

Please take a moment to see what our patients have to say about their experience with the Carter Eye Center surgeons. Also, check out our list of celebrities who are quite outspoken about the quality of the treatment they received from us.

It’s because of our tremendous success rate that we can offer our “20/20 or It’s Free” LASIK guarantee. This means that your LASIK results are guaranteed, or we will refund your money. No other eye center in Dallas, Texas offers this assurance to their patients.

If you would like to see better without glasses or contacts, please schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Harvey Carter or one of his staff at the Carter Eye Center in Dallas, Texas. Meanwhile, please visit the Carter Eye Center website to learn more about LASIK procedures.

LASIK and Travel

Because you will need to return for a follow-up visit the next day after your LASIK procedure, you should avoid travel, and plan to rest for a few days after surgery. If you are given the OK to return to work, someone else may have to drive you for a few days. More than likely you will wear a shield until your follow up visit, a couple days later.

Most LASIK patients can drive the day after their procedure. Your eyes may be itchy, irritated and possibly feel like they are burning right after surgery. Over-the-counter pain relievers will control this discomfort, if you plan to travel by car.

If your vision is hazy or blurry, often a result of dry-eye, your ability to rely on what you see will be compromised. Your LASIK surgeon will give you drops that will reduce the irritation as well as help you focus.

It would be wise to do some research before you travel. Air travel is safe after LASIK; however, if you plan to fly, or travel to an area that is dry or windy, dry-eye may be worsened. Air conditioning in hotels, jets, planes, and even cars can aggravate dry-eye. Dry, irritated eyes are more easily infected, so, talk to your surgeon and make sure your travel plans are OK, and that you are prepared to accommodate climate changes.

For more information please visit the website for the Carter Eye Center in Dallas, or contact us to schedule a free consultation. Dr. Harvey Carter and his team of eye surgery specialists are proud to offer you our 20/20 or it’s free guarantee, and the assurance that we offer the highest quality of care possible.

At What Age Should I Get LASIK?

LASIK is most appropriate for patients between the ages of 18 and 40, although age 40 is not an absolute limit. Because of the FDA’s approval for LASIK for those over 18 years old, pediatric LASIK is considered an “off-label” use and is reserved for cases where the child’s sight is seriously threatened.

The eye's natural lens begins to lose its flexibility and around age 40 people often develop a noticeable decrease in their vision due to presbyopia, the inability of the lens to flex and focus sufficiently. LASIK will not correct presbyopia, so, other procedures should be considered to correct this condition.

Around age 60 people begin developing cataracts. LASIK, again, is not a solution for cataracts, as it can’t get rid of the cataract. But lens replacement can correct both the cataract and the refractive error. If older patients’ lenses are clear and healthy, they may have the option to choose between refractive lens exchange or RLE (lens replacement) and one of the refractive corrective procedures, such as LASIK. This would be a case where being over age 40 is not a limitation

Eye stability is more important than age, so even if you are over 18, if your vision isn’t stable, your refractive error is very large, or your corneas are very thin, LASIK would not be recommended. There are other procedures that are more appropriate to correct these aberrations.

No matter what your age, if your vision isn’t perfect, please contact Dr. Harvey Carter at the Carter Eye Center in Dallas. Not only will he schedule a free consultation, but, if you qualify for LASIK, he will also give you his 20/20 or it’s free guarantee.