Thursday, May 20, 2010

Dr. Boothe Laser Center - LASIK and PRK

Dr. Boothe Eye Care


Acuity- Acuity refers to the sharpness or clarity of your vision.

Cornea- The cornea is the transparent front portion of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil; it is continuous with the sclera.
Boothe Laser Center
Presbyopia:
LASIK surgeons cannot correct this age-related vision problem; it occurs in most individuals starting in the early 40s and progresses with age.
Muscles inside the eye lose flexibility and reading can become difficult.
People may have presbyopia in combination with another vision problem like nearsightedness.
The nearsightedness would be correctable by LASIK surgery, but the presbyopia would not; however, we may be able to find an adjustment to compensate for both.
Other types of refractive surgery
Radial Keratotomy or RK and Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK are other refractive surgeries used to reshape the cornea. In RK, a very sharp knife is used to cut slits in the cornea changing its shape. PRK was the first surgical procedure developed to reshape the cornea, by sculpting, using a laser. Later, LASIK was developed. The same type of laser is used for LASIK and PRK. Often the exact same laser is used for the two types of surgery. The major difference between the two surgeries is the way that the stroma, the middle layer of the cornea, is exposed before it is vaporized with the laser. In PRK, the top layer of the cornea, called the epithelium, is scraped away to expose the stromal layer underneath. In LASIK, a flap is cut in the stromal layer and the flap is folded back.
Corneal Epithelium- The corneal epithelium is the thin, protective layer encasing the eyeball. Prior to LASIK eye surgery, the epithelium must be lifted or polished away to expose the underlying cornea. The epithelium is regenerative and heals quickly.
Boothe Eye Center: Microkeratome- A blade that creates a flap in the cornea during LASIK Surgery.

LADAR

Using laser and radar technology developed by NASA, LADARVision® was the first approved system with active eye tracking, which compensates for involuntary eye movements. Although other laser systems have now developed eye-tracking systems, LADARVision® has the only system utilizing laser radar tracking technology, a system that measures eye movement 4,000 times each second and is capable of following eye movements regardless of how rapid or erratic they may be. Successful laser application does not rely on your ability to hold your eye perfectly still.

Dr. Boothe




Good LASIK Candidates Must:
Be at Least 18 Years Old
Be in Good General Health
Have No Health Issues Affecting the Eyes
Have No Active Eye Conditions Which May Affect Healing
Have a Stable Vision Prescription for at Least One Year

Hyperopia or Hypermetropia- Many Hyperopic patients have difficulty seeing things up close, and often have crisp-acute distance vision.
Dr. Boothe Laser Center
Another type of refractive surgery is thermokeratoplasty in which heat is used to reshape the cornea. The source of the heat can be a laser, but it is a different kind of laser than is used for LASIK and PRK. Other refractive devices include corneal ring segments that are inserted into the stroma and special contact lenses that temporarily reshape the cornea (orthokeratology).
Dr. William Boothe Iris- The iris is the colored portion of the visible eye. It is a muscle that affects the size of the pupil, depending on the amount of light needed to enter the pupil.