Online press Dr. William Boothe

Myopia- Myopic people typically have difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Myopia can be so severe that people have difficulty seeing objects up close too.
The FDA does not have the authority to:

Regulate a doctor's practice. In other words, FDA does not tell doctors what to do when running their business or what they can or cannot tell their patients.
Set the amount a doctor can charge for LASIK eye surgery.
"Insist" the patient information booklet from the laser manufacturer be provided to the potential patient.
Make recommendations for individual doctors, clinics, or eye centers. FDA does not maintain nor have access to any such list of doctors performing LASIK eye surgery.
Conduct or provide a rating system on any medical device it regulates.
The first refractive laser systems approved by FDA were excimer lasers for use in PRK to treat myopia and later to treat astigmatism. However, doctors began using these lasers for LASIK (not just PRK), and to treat other refractive errors (not just myopia). Over the last several years, LASIK has become the main surgery doctors use to treat myopia in the United States. More recently, some laser manufacturers have gained FDA approval for laser systems for LASIK to treat myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism and for PRK to treat hyperopia and astigmatism.(26 September 2007 - Online article Dr. Boothe Eye 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.
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.
WILL MY PROCEDURE BE PAINFUL?
Patients experience virtually no discomfort during the LASIK Vision Correction procedure. Eye drop anesthesia is used to numb the eye prior to the procedure, so no injections are necessary. Immediately after treatment, some patients have reported minor discomfort, like having an eyelash or a dry contact lens in their eye.
Optometrist- An optometrist is a doctor whose specialization is vision. An optometrist can diagnose vision concerns, treat vision concerns, manage vision concerns.Boothe Eye Center

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.
Keratomileusis- Keratos is the greek word for cornea, and mileusis means to reshape. Together they mean to reshape the cornea. (25 November 2007 Dr. William Boothe )

Boothe Eye Care article

Keratotomy- Keratos is the greek word for cornea, and otomy means to create an incision. Together they mean to create an incision in the cornea.
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.( 10 December 2008 Online press Dr. William Boothe )

Boothe Laser Center article

LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The goal of this Web site is to provide objective information to the public about LASIK surgery. See other sections of this site to learn about what you should know before surgery, what will happen during the surgery, and what you should expect after surgery. There is a glossary of terms and a checklist of issues for you to consider, practices to follow, and questions to ask your doctor before undergoing LASIK surgery.
The FDA does not have the authority to:

Regulate a doctor's practice. In other words, FDA does not tell doctors what to do when running their business or what they can or cannot tell their patients.
Set the amount a doctor can charge for LASIK eye surgery.
"Insist" the patient information booklet from the laser manufacturer be provided to the potential patient.
Make recommendations for individual doctors, clinics, or eye centers. FDA does not maintain nor have access to any such list of doctors performing LASIK eye surgery.
Conduct or provide a rating system on any medical device it regulates.
The first refractive laser systems approved by FDA were excimer lasers for use in PRK to treat myopia and later to treat astigmatism. However, doctors began using these lasers for LASIK (not just PRK), and to treat other refractive errors (not just myopia). Over the last several years, LASIK has become the main surgery doctors use to treat myopia in the United States. More recently, some laser manufacturers have gained FDA approval for laser systems for LASIK to treat myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism and for PRK to treat hyperopia and astigmatism.(22 June 2009 - Online press Dr. Boothe )
LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) or a laser keratome (a laser device) is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced. There are other techniques and many new terms related to LASIK that you may hear about.
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.
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
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.Dr. Boothe Laser Center

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.
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. (26 January 2008 Dr. Boothe Eye Care )

Boothe Laser Center article

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."
Hyperopia or Hypermetropia- Many Hyperopic patients have difficulty seeing things up close, and often have crisp-acute distance vision.( 24 October 2007 Blog article Dr. Boothe Laser Center )

Blog article Dr. Boothe Laser Center

Refractive Error- This word refers to vision problems associated with the cornea: Astigmatism, Hyperopia, and Myopia.
WILL MY PROCEDURE BE PAINFUL?
Patients experience virtually no discomfort during the LASIK Vision Correction procedure. Eye drop anesthesia is used to numb the eye prior to the procedure, so no injections are necessary. Immediately after treatment, some patients have reported minor discomfort, like having an eyelash or a dry contact lens in their eye.(13 May 2007 - Online blog Boothe Laser Center )
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.
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.
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."
Precision Surgery

PRK is an outpatient procedure generally performed with local anesthetic eye drops. This type of refractive surgery gently reshapes the cornea by removing microscopic amounts of tissue from the outer surface with a cool, computer-controlled ultraviolet beam of light. The beam is so precise it can cut notches in a strand of human hair without breaking it, and each pulse can remove 39 millionths of an inch of tissue in 12 billionths of a second. The procedure itself takes only a few minutes, and patients are typically back to daily routines in one to three days.
Before the procedure begins, the patient's eye is measured to determine the degree of visual problem, and a map of the eye's surface is constructed. The required corneal change is calculated based on this information, and then entered into the laser's computer.
Since 1995, a limited number of laser systems has been approved by FDA to treat various refractive errors, both with PRK and LASIK.
According to FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, clinical studies showed that about 5 percent of patients continued to always need glasses following PRK for distance, and up to 15 percent needed glasses occasionally, such as when driving. In addition, many patients experienced mild corneal haze following surgery, which is part of the normal healing process. The haze appeared to have little or no effect on final vision, and could only be seen by a doctor with a microscope. Some patients experienced glare and halos around lights. These conditions, however, diminished or disappeared in most patients in six months. For about 5 percent of patients, however, best-corrected vision without corrective lenses was slightly worse after surgery than before. In view of these findings, FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (which oversees advertising) issued a letter to the eye-care community in May 1996 warning that unrealistic advertising claims, such as "throw away your eyeglasses," and unsubstantiated claims about success rates could be misleading to consumers.Boothe Eye Care

Hyperopia or Hypermetropia- Many Hyperopic patients have difficulty seeing things up close, and often have crisp-acute distance vision.
Conductive Keratoplasty- CK is performed using a probe about the size of a human strand of hair, which release radiofrequency (RF) energy, shrinking the tissue to increase the curvature of the cornea. LasikPlus will not perform CK. (09 May 2009 Dr. Boothe )

Dr. William Boothe article

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.
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.( 10 March 2008 Blog article Dr. Boothe Laser Center )

Boothe Laser Center ~ Dr. William Boothe

Dr. Boothe Eye Center

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 Eye Center

PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy- PRK is a corneal procedure where the superficial cornea is removed to improve vision. PRK is an Alternative to LASIK Eye Surgery.


WILL MY PROCEDURE BE PAINFUL?
Patients experience virtually no discomfort during the LASIK Vision Correction procedure. Eye drop anesthesia is used to numb the eye prior to the procedure, so no injections are necessary. Immediately after treatment, some patients have reported minor discomfort, like having an eyelash or a dry contact lens in their eye.
How Safe is LASIK Really?
Corrective laser eye surgery is extremely safe when performed by qualified doctors. Like any surgical procedure, there can be complications, but the complication rate is extremely low.
Results of clinical studies indicate the chances of having a vision-reducing complication from LASIK Eye Surgery are less than 1%. There have been no reported cases of blindness resulting from laser eye treatment in the United States.
Dr. Boothe Laser Center:
LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The goal of this Web site is to provide objective information to the public about LASIK surgery. See other sections of this site to learn about what you should know before surgery, what will happen during the surgery, and what you should expect after surgery. There is a glossary of terms and a checklist of issues for you to consider, practices to follow, and questions to ask your doctor before undergoing LASIK surgery.
Nearsightedness- Nearsightedness is another name for Myopia. Nearsighted people typically have difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Nearsightedness can be so severe that people have difficulty seeing objects up close too.

Dr. Boothe

What is LASIK?
The eye and vision errors
The cornea is a part of the eye that helps focus light to create an image on the retina. It works in much the same way that the lens of a camera focuses light to create an image on film. The bending and focusing of light is also known as refraction. Usually the shape of the cornea and the eye are not perfect and the image on the retina is out-of-focus (blurred) or distorted. These imperfections in the focusing power of the eye are called refractive errors. There are three primary types of refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Persons with myopia, or nearsightedness, have more difficulty seeing distant objects as clearly as near objects. Persons with hyperopia, or farsightedness, have more difficulty seeing near objects as clearly as distant objects. Astigmatism is a distortion of the image on the retina caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens of the eye. Combinations of myopia and astigmatism or hyperopia and astigmatism are common. Glasses or contact lenses are designed to compensate for the eye's imperfections. Surgical procedures aimed at improving the focusing power of the eye are called refractive surgery. In LASIK surgery, precise and controlled removal of corneal tissue by a special laser reshapes the cornea changing its focusing power.
Microkeratome- A blade that creates a flap in the cornea during LASIK Surgery.
Boothe Eye Care

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.
Dr. Boothe Eye Care
Optician- An optician makes glasses and performs adjustments on frames.

Dr. Boothe Eye Care - Keratomileusis

Dr. Boothe Laser Center

How Safe is LASIK Really?
Corrective laser eye surgery is extremely safe when performed by qualified doctors. Like any surgical procedure, there can be complications, but the complication rate is extremely low.
Results of clinical studies indicate the chances of having a vision-reducing complication from LASIK Eye Surgery are less than 1%. There have been no reported cases of blindness resulting from laser eye treatment in the United States. Boothe Eye Care
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.
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.
Microkeratome- A blade that creates a flap in the cornea during LASIK Surgery.

Boothe Eye Center: Refractive Error- This word refers to vision problems associated with the cornea: Astigmatism, Hyperopia, and Myopia.
Keratotomy- Keratos is the greek word for cornea, and otomy means to create an incision. Together they mean to create an incision in the cornea.

Dr. Boothe

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.

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. Dr. William Boothe

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 Eye Care
Keratomileusis- Keratos is the greek word for cornea, and mileusis means to reshape. Together they mean to reshape the cornea.