Ophthalmologist- An opthalmologist is a medical doctor whose specialization is vision. An opthalmologist can diagnose vision concerns, treat vision concerns, manage vision concerns, perform eye surgery, prescribe medicine, and ophthalmologists can perform laser eye surgery.(10 May 2008 - Press article Dr. Boothe Laser Center )
Monovision- When one eye is deliberately corrected for distance vision and the other for close vision.
Astigmatism:
Astigmatism causes a distortion of vision, where a person may experience an overall blurriness. Information regarding an astigmatism is found in the cylinder column. Many people with myopia or hyperopia have some degree of astigmatism
Nearsighted, Myopia:
People can typically see things up close, but things far away may appear blurred. People who are nearsighted may find a negative number in the sphere column of their prescription.
Lens- The lens of the eye is the body between the iris and the vitreous humor that focuses light rays entering through the pupil to form an image on the retina. You may also want to research presbyopia.Dr. William Boothe
LASIK
LASIK is a more complex procedure than PRK. It is performed for all degrees of nearsightedness. The surgeon uses a knife called a microkeratome to cut a flap of corneal tissue, removes the targeted tissue beneath it with the laser, and then replaces the flap.
"With LASIK, the skill of the surgeon is important because he'll be making an incision," says Stephen Crawford, O.D., an optometrist practicing in Virginia, "compared to the PRK method where the machine does more of the work." Crawford urges people to find qualified, experienced doctors to perform this surgery. "You'll want someone who's done a number of LASIK procedures since this is a surgeon-dependent operation," he said.
According to Ken Taylor, O.D., vice president of Arthur D. Little, Inc., a technology and management consultant firm in Cambridge, Mass., "Last year, across the country, 40 to 45 percent of refractive surgeries performed by physicians were LASIK, which equates to approximately 80,000 procedures." Doctors not participating in clinical trials may choose to use the approved laser to perform LASIK procedures at their discretion, says Morris Waxler, Ph.D., chief of FDA's diagnostic and surgical devices section. But most uses are considered "off label" and are not regulated by FDA.
Dry Eyes After LASIK - Some patients may experience dry eyes after LASIK and PRK. Often it is a temporary side effect during the healing process. If a patient is prone to dry eyes, our medical teams may discuss options with the patient, or discuss non-candidacy if the patient's eyes are too dry to have laser vision correction. (14 December 2008 Dr. Boothe Eye Care )
Boothe Eye Care article
Microkeratome- A blade that creates a flap in the cornea during LASIK Surgery.
Optician- An optician makes glasses and performs adjustments on frames.( 13 January 2009 Blog article Dr. Boothe Laser Center )
