Lakeside Family Vision Care is committed to bringing you the highest quality eye health and vision care. In some cases, refractive surgery may be recommended to you by one of our doctors.

If you are interested in a surgical refractive procedure, ask our qualitfied doctors if you are a candidate. Your appointment for a "refractive surgery evaluation" will be scheduled, and any and all questions pertaining to the procedure will be discussed at this time. After a refractive surgery procedure, you will typically be using prescription eyedrops for approximatley 1 week to 3 months. The length of time you will be using the eyedrops will be determined by the type of procedure you have performed and your individual circumstances. Your doctor will explain this to you before your procedure is performed. We will co-manage with your surgeon...this will be more convenient for you.

Here are brief discriptions of the various refractive surgery options available:

LASIK = Laser-In-Situ-Keratomileusis

LASIK is an acronym for Laser-in-situ Keratomileusis, which means, "to shape the cornea using a laser". LASIK surgery corrects impaired vision by reshaping the cornea to reduce or eliminate refractive errors.

LASEK= Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis

LASEK lifts a very thin superficial layer of the cornea and applies a laser to the cornea. LASIK has a thicker flap and applies the same laser into a deeper tissue bed. LASEK is less traumatic and more forgiving. LASIK involves tissue cutting plus laser. The visual recovery is a little longer with LASEK compared to LASIK and a little more uncomfortable early in the healing stages.

PRK = Photorefractive Keratectomy

PRK uses a laser to reshape the cornea by removing a small portion of the surface of the eye. Recovery from PRK is longer and the patient is in more discomfort than LASIK and LASEK. A bandage contact lens is worn for 3-4 days after surgery. PRK is used in cases when the patient is not a candidate for LASIK due to a thin cornea, too steep or too flat corneas, dry eye, or prominent brows. Ironically, this is a safer procedure than LASIK since there is no corneal flap (which is one of the risks of LASIK). Custom Laser Vision Correction All three of the above procedures can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A new laser technology is "Custom laser vision correction." This technology not only corrects the prescription of the patient, but aberrations (or optical distortions). These aberrations can cause halos at night, blurred vision with a correction, and shadow against letters.

CK = Conductive Keratoplasty

This is the first FDA-approved technology for the condition called "presbyopia." Presbyopia is the condition that causes near vision to fade when the patient reaches 40 years of age. Sufferers typically hold things at arm's length to help focus items properly. Many people with presbyopia must use reading or magnifying glasses to perform simple tasks like reading a menu or newspaper. The CK procedure is minimally invasive. It utilizes radio frequency waves to reshape the cornea...no laser. The radio waves shrink areas of tissue to increase the curvature of the cornea and restore near vision. The procedure was previously approved in 2002 for age-related farsightedness. This procedure is not for patient who are 40 years of age and younger.

Verisyse Phakic IOL

The Verisyse Phakic IOL is used to treat moderate to severe nearsightedness. The word "phakic" means that the natural crystalline lens is left in the eye. This is important because the natural lens plays an important role in helping the eye adjust between seeing objects that are near and far. This procedure is approved for patients who are 21 years of age and older and those who are tired of thick glasses and are not candidates for Custom LASIK. The procedure involves placing the Verisyse Phakic IOL behind the cornea and on top of the iris. This gives the eye another focusing lens. Although this procedure is intended to be permanent, the procedure is reversible if desired and one eye is treated at a time.

REZOOM Multifocal IOL

The ReZoom Multifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) is designed to provide patients with multifunctional vision. The ReZoom lens not only treats cataracts, but it also helps patients to see up close and at a distance. The patient's own lens that is in their eye is removed surgically (like cataract surgery), and the ReZoom multifocal lens is put in its place. This is a more invasive surgery and one eye is done at a time.

Call to schedule your refractive surgery appointment today!