Thursday, May 31, 2012

Common Consultation Questions – Part 2


Last week we addressed some of the most common questions asked by different patients about LASIK. Here are a few more.

Can I have LASIK while I am pregnant?

The answer to this question is no. When you are pregnant, your body goes through many changes. One of these changes can be your eyesight. These changes can throw off our exam results. We pride ourselves on superior results for our patients; therefore, we will not perform laser vision correction on any woman who is pregnant. After birth, we may ask a patient to wait from six months to a year for their vision to stabilize again before correcting their vision.

There are people, even famous people, speaking out against having LASIK because they had a not-so-great experience. Why?

There is always something important to be learned from others’ mistakes. This is one. LASIK is not for everyone. Even so, some surgeons will perform LASIK on anyone who wishes to have the procedure. This is a BAD IDEA.

If you perform LASIK on patients who are not optimal candidates, their sight may be negatively affected with the outcome. At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center, we won’t take this risk. We will first ensure you are a candidate. If you are not, we will explain why and also let you know if there is anything we can do (i.e. another procedure) to help you see clearly.

This practice of performing LASIK on everyone who walks in the door is more common in a corporate-owned LASIK practice. Corporate practices are more concerned with their income, thus they’ll opt to do as many LASIK procedures as possible.

We will continue this discussion next week. If you are seeking answers immediately, please feel free to call our office, check out our website, or schedule a Free LASIK Consultation.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Common Consultation Questions


The purpose of the free LASIK consultation that we offer is three-fold:
  1. To ensure you are even a candidate for the procedure
  2. To answer all of your questions and make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision
  3. If you are not a candidate, we will also take the time to educate you on some of the other options to correct your vision
Often people come into our offices rather reluctantly, afraid of being sold on something they aren’t quite sure they even want. It’s more often that people won’t even come near our offices until they are absolutely SURE they are even considering having LASIK.

We offer a free consultation to anyone willing to consider vision correction because we believe that education is the key to making an informed decision. We don’t wish to “sell” any patient on a procedure that they may not want. We don’t like the stereotypical “car salesman” approach, and we know you don’t either. That’s why we train our staff to be patient, answer any and all questions, and we don’t pay them a commission to book surgeries. 

During the consultation, we often hear some of the same questions asked by different patients about LASIK. We’d like to take a moment to address a few of them.

My [optometrist/doctor/friend/family member] told me that LASIK won’t correct Astigmatism. Is this true?

No, this is not true. LASIK can actually correct astigmatism. While not every patient suffering from astigmatism is a candidate for LASIK, it does not mean that everyone with this refractive error cannot have their vision corrected. The only way to know for sure if LASIK will correct your astigmatism is to have a full evaluation by an ophthalmologist. We perform these exams during our free consultation and we will describe exactly how we can correct your astigmatism to help you see clearly.

Note: LASIK can also correct nearsightedness and farsightedness.

If I have LASIK this young (20s or 30s), will I have to have it again as I get older?

No. LASIK is a one-time correction of the cornea in your eye. This correction helps to fix the way light refracts onto your retina and transmits signals to the brain. Once corrected, your cornea will remain that shape, unless you contract an eye disease that may affect the cornea. LASIK will not give you any such disease.

It may be necessary to do what is called a LASIK enhancement. This is where the ophthalmologist may need to finish the correction of the cornea. However, if you seek out a board-certified, expert ophthalmologist, they will have an enhancement rate of less than 8% of their patients. 

My refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism) is very severe. Does this mean I will have to have LASIK a few times to get the accurate correction?

This is usually not the case if you visit an expert ophthalmologist who has performed thousands of operations. During the consultation and pre-op appointments, your ophthalmologist will plan a thorough and complete treatment plan for your eyes. This treatment plan is very precise and should not require additional surgeries. 

Every pair of eyes is unique. There may be the need for enhancements, but again, with a qualified and experienced surgeon, they will have a very low rate of enhancements needed to get a patient seeing clearly.

We will continue this discussion next week. If you are seeking answers immediately, please feel free to call our office, check out our website, or schedule a Free LASIK Consultation.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Fears and Misconceptions of LASIK – Is the Price Worth it in the Long Run?


We have personally seen many different types of people come through our Free LASIK Consultation. Some people question technology, some concern themselves with safety, and many are concerned that the cost of the procedure may not outweigh the benefits. Since our website deals largely with the issues of technology and safety, let’s address the issue of cost versus benefits.

First, let’s look at the benefits of a laser vision correction procedure, like LASIK or PRK:

It is possible for a patient to achieve 20/20 eyesight, or even better, with laser vision correction. You could live your life waking up and seeing immediately instead of searching for your glasses. You can experience the spontaneity of life, such as jumping in a swimming pool, playing in the rain, or going out on a windy day, without the fear of how any of these actions may affect your contacts and your ability to see. You can take a nap, free from the worry of taking your contacts out of your eyes first. You don’t have to rush to the store every time you are out of contact lens solution or order more glasses when yours accidentally break. You will be able to see life, naturally.

Is all that worth the cost of LASIK?

Our patients think so.

I wore contacts for many years and was never able to wear them comfortably in my eyes. I had a lot of problems with them. LASIK is the best thing I could have done.
- Cherie Camp

Having the Intralase procedure was one of the best decisions I have ever made. So many physicians wouldn’t even consider touching my eyes with the amount of astigmatism and nearsightedness that I had, but Dr. Lipstock didn’t hesitate and it was worth every penny!
- John Blair

However, some people have heard that people who have had LASIK eventually return to wearing glasses. How can this be if they have already had their vision corrected?

Let’s clear up one fact – LASIK or laser vision correction will NOT give you excellent vision for your whole lifetime.

Wait – what?

It’s true. Your eyes are living organs and there are certain, inevitable conditions that occur due to aging. One of these conditions is known as Presbyopia. Presbyopia is when the natural lenses in your eyes begin to harden. When you are young, your lenses are flexible so they can adjust to seeing near and far. As you age, these lenses harden. When they lose their flexibility, bifocals or reading glasses are used to help your eyes adjust.

Another inevitable is cataracts. Everyone will develop cataracts as they age. The affect that a cataract has on your vision depends largely upon the degree to which they form. Some people will never notice the affect while others may go blind.

The age at which you develop cataracts and/or presbyopia is not predetermined. For some, the symptoms of presbyopia can begin appearing as early as 40. For others, they may not have any side effects until 50 or older. For cataracts, most don’t appear until your early 60s or even into your 70s.


Let’s say you are nearsighted and you purchase disposable contact lenses every month. Then you have to purchase cleaning solution each month. If you lose a contact, tear it, it falls out, etc., then you have to replace your monthly supply faster than anticipated. You also have to get a pair of glasses for the times you don’t have contacts or if you have an eye infection or you’ve worn your contacts for too long. These glasses can easily be lost or broken, so it’s not just a one-time expense. 

This is a cost you have to pay, every month, consistently for 20 or more years. You are stuck with plastic on your eyes and the constraints they present just so you don’t have to compromise the ability to see.

Or you can have laser vision correction and have your procedure paid off in two years or less. You'll gain the extra money in your budget and excellent eyesight to view life as it is. You’ll also gain the spontaneity that life has to offer because you can see clearly, naturally - for the next 10, 15, or 20+ years.

Monday, May 7, 2012

LASIK vs. PRK


LASIK vs. PRK Vision Correction. What’s the Difference?

Laser Vision Correction
When your cornea is misshaped, you experience refractive error, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Laser vision correction is the procedure through which a laser is used to reshape the cornea of the eye, in order to achieve better vision.

While the actual correction of the cornea is completed with a laser, the steps leading up to this correction, and subsequently the healing after, will differ depending on the specific procedure the surgeon chooses for the patients’ eyes. The two main procedures used are LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratectomy) or PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy).

LASIK and PRK
Dr. Kenneth Lipstock says, “Most people have heard of LASIK and end up having the LASIK procedure. However, in some cases, LASIK isn’t the best procedure for them. This can be due to a multitude of reasons, but most often if their cornea is too thin, LASIK will not be advised.” This is why visiting an ophthalmologist that performs more than just LASIK is so important. “Other procedures, such as PRK, can be recommended and performed to achieve the same results,” continued Dr. Lipstock.

The main difference between LASIK and PRK comes during the second step of the process – creating the corneal flap. During LASIK, the surgeon must create a flap within the first few layers of the outer surface of the cornea, so that the laser will only reach the area that needs to be corrected. This can be done with a microkeratome blade, or during bladeless LASIK it can be done with a second laser that separates the outer layer of the cornea. After the primary laser is applied to correct the refractive error, this flap is folded back into place where it bonds readily.

PRK, which is performed on patients with thin corneas, removes the outer layer of the cornea completely. These cells are discarded and the body will regenerate new cells to replace them through the healing process. The results of PRK are equal to that of LASIK, however the healing time may take several weeks longer than LASIK.

Visiting a Qualified Ophthalmologist
Performing LASIK on a patient that is better suited for a procedure like PRK will increase the likelihood of potential risks, such as poor night vision or less than optimal results. To decrease these risks, visit a board-certified ophthalmologist who is skilled at multiple vision correction procedures. This will ensure you the best possible chances to achieve the vision results you are seeking.

BACKGROUND
Kenneth Lipstock, MD, founder of Lipstock Laser and Cataract Center, is Richmond Virginia's leading provider of LASIK laser vision correction and an accomplished cataract surgeon. He is one of the only surgeons in Central Virginia to routinely perform the most advanced technique known as No Needle -- No Stitch -- No Patch Cataract Surgery for added patient safety and convenience.

Lipstock Laser and Cataract Center - 3701 Westerre Parkway, Ste A Richmond, VA  23233 - (804) 288-1543