Dr. Boothe
Farsightedness- Farsightedness is another name for Hyperopia or Hypermetropia. Many Farsighted patients have difficulty seeing things up close, and often have crisp-acute distance vision. Boothe Eye Care
Keratectomy- Keratos is the greek word for cornea, and ectomy means to remove. Together they mean to remove corneal tissue.
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.
Pupil- The pupil is the dark opening in the visible eye. It will open when more light is needed to see, and it will get smaller if less light is needed to see.
Dr. Boothe Laser Center: IOL or Intraocular Lens Implant- A lens is implanted in front of, or in place of, the eye's natural lens. IOLs may be a great option for patients with severe vision prescriptions.
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
Dr. Boothe Eye Care
Refractive Error- This word refers to vision problems associated with the cornea: Astigmatism, Hyperopia, and Myopia.
Diopter- A diopter is one whole number on a prescription. The number of diopters on your prescription represents how much correction is needed to normalize your vision. The more myopic or hyperopic you are, the higher your prescription will be represented in diopters; or rather the farther away from zero your prescription will be.
Boothe Laser Center
HOW LONG WILL MY LASIK PROCEDURE TAKE?
The LASIK procedure time is between five and fifteen minutes. We ask our patients to plan to be with us for approximately two hours on the day of their treatment. This gives our medical team adequate time for your procedure preparation, additional paperwork, final examination, and give you an opportunity to ask questions after your vision correction.
Boothe Eye Center
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.
