Dr. Boothe
LASIKLASIK 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.
Dr. Boothe Eye Care
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.
Refractive Error- This word refers to vision problems associated with the cornea: Astigmatism, Hyperopia, and Myopia.
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. Boothe Eye Center: WILL MY IMPROVED VISION BE PERMANENT?
LASIK with LasikPlus Vision Centers is designed to be a permanent correction for your vision. Studies to date show excellent vision stability for more than a decade following treatment. LasikPlus also offers an opportunity to participate in a LasikPlus Lifetime Satisfaction Plan. Because the FDA does not allow guarantees on a medical procedure, we wanted to offer patients some kind of peace of mind. A Lifetime Acuity Plan allows patients to have laser vision correction again, at no cost. Of course this only covers vision degradation related to corneal problems: nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The details and restrictions will be covered by the medical team.
LASIK- LASIK is an acronym that allows us to quickly say, "laser assisted in situ keratomileusis." This is more simply said as "reshaping the cornea using a laser."
Dr. William Boothe
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.
What the FDA regulates
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the sale of medical devices such as the lasers used for LASIK. Before a medical device can be legally sold in the U.S., the person or company that wants to sell the device must seek approval from the FDA. To gain approval, they must present evidence that the device is reasonably safe and effective for a particular use, the "indication." Once the FDA has approved a medical device, a doctor may decide to use that device for other indications if the doctor feels it is in the best interest of a patient. The use of an approved device for other than its FDA-approved indication is called "off-label use." The FDA does not regulate off-label use or the practice of medicine. Boothe Eye Care
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.
Boothe Eye Center Monovision- When one eye is deliberately corrected for distance vision and the other for close vision.
