Prepare Your Eyes for a Special Event

Weddings…reunions…barbecues…vacations…

Special events abound during the spring and summer months. Many people take measures to look their very best for special events – they go to the hairdresser, buy new clothing, maybe even lose weight. If you have a special event coming up, and don’t want to have to hassle with glasses or contacts, you may choose to add LASIK to your To Do list.

The good news is that most people can be back to their normal activities – and seeing with more clarity – the day after their LASIK procedure. It is advised that you not wait until the last minute to schedule your appointment. Some people simply aren’t good candidates for LASIK because of their overall eye health, the fact that their corneas are too thin or other health reasons.  It’s important to schedule a LASIK evaluation well in advance of your special event just in case a different type of vision correction procedure like PRK is warranted. Some LASIK alternative procedures require more recovery time even though they can provide similar vision outcomes overall.

LASIK is an investment in you. The procedure has helped millions of Americans have the visual freedom to live a lens-free life. Find out if LASIK can give you the same freedom.

Get your eyesight in tip-top shape for your next special event. Contact Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center to schedule a free LASIK Consultation at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com.

Using Flex Plans to Pay for LASIK

Tired of wearing glasses or contacts but not sure how to pay for LASIK? If your company offers a Flexible Spending Account, you can choose to place a portion of your pre-tax earnings into this short-term, tax-free savings account to use for non-reimbursable medical expenses, such as LASIK. You can save up to $2,500 on LASIK, depending on your annual income. This program lowers your taxable income.




Use it or Lose it! Most Flex Plans have strict usage rules. If you don't spend your money on your procedure within the specified timeframe, you will lose your savings.




Follow These Steps for Flex Plan Savings 

1. Find out if you are a candidate for LASIK by scheduling a Free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center
2. Find out your company's deadline for open enrollment to sign up for Flexible Spending Accounts 
3. Find out how the cost of your LASIK procedure so you’ll know how much to set aside in your account. This will be determined during the Consultation. Dr. Lipstock cannot pre-determine what procedure will be best for you without examining your eyes first.

Combine Flex Plan Savings with LASIK Financing! Contact Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center to learn more about our 0% interest LASIK financing program, how LASIK is performed and what advanced LASIK technologies Dr. Lipstock uses. Contact us today at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com.

How Do You Handle Visual Information Overload?

Have you ever experienced information overload…on your eyes? There is a real condition called Load-Induced Blindness that occurs when you have too much visual information coming at you. A new study showed that when you are faced with a lot of visual data at once, your ability to see critical information is reduced – similar to what happens when there are lower light levels on an image you need to detect.

The study included volunteers with normal vision who completed a sensory memory task involving colors, positions and line orientations on rapidly flashing squares. In high load situations (lots of visual data), participants were only able to accurately spot line orientation in 64% of the images; in low load situations, that percentage went up to 95%. In the high load situations, participants needed 50% more light contrast to increase accuracy.

The bottom line is that too much visual information at one time may cause you to miss important things. Add into the mix that your vision is impaired with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism and you may have an even more difficult time at distinguishing important images during attention-demanding situations (although this was not specifically included in the study).

Having LASIK in Richmond to correct vision problems will not change how your brain processes high loads of visual information, but it may allow you to see without the need forcorrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses)…removing one more barrier to seeing clearly. LASIK has changed the lives of many of our patients at Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center, allowing them to work, play and parent with visual freedom in Richmond.

To learn more about LASIK technology and find out how much LASIK costs, contact Dr. Lipstock to schedule a free LASIK Consultation. Call 804-288-1543 or visit our website at lipstocklaser.com today. 

Life-Changing LASIK

Recently we saw an article on BuzzFeed that listed out the “30 Life-Changing Things that are Worth Every Penny.” On that list were things like a good mattress, electric toothbrush, water flosser, high thread count sheets, good knife, fancy olive oil, good radar detector, good tires, plushy toilet paper and others.

We were excited to see that number 13 on the list was LASIK eye surgery! According to the article, “This short surgical procedure basically gives you a power-up in life, and you’ll save money in the long run.” We couldn’t agree more.

At Lipstock Laser & Cataract Center, we use advanced LASIK technology in Richmond to help as many patients as possible achieve 20/20 vision – or better. Dr. Lipstock ensures that every patient he ‘green lights’ for LASIK meets the right eye and physical health requirements; he simply won’t perform LASIK on patients if he doesn’t expect to have a good outcome.

We also help patients afford LASIK by offering 0% financing for up to 24 months. Studies have shown that you can spend up to $10,000 or more on glasses, contacts and supplies over a 10-year period; when you look at it that way, LASIK will save you money in the long run. Plus, you’ll definitely have that ‘power-up’ in life because of the visual freedom.

We should also mention that number 20 on the list was a high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses, which you could splurge on after you have LASIK (no need for prescription sunglasses).

Contact Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation in Richmond and find out for yourself if LASIK is worth every penny. We’re sure you will agree!

Is LASIK Safer than Contacts?

Some studies have shown that LASIK can be up to five times safer than contacts* due to lens-related eye infections over long-term use. There are quite a few “human” errors that may account for many of the complications from contact lenses.

If you wear contacts, you were probably instructed by your eye doctor about the proper way to care for your contacts. But do you really remember all of that advice? Take a minute to read through this list and audit your own contact lens habits. Do you follow every one of these recommendations?

• Follow the usage instructions of your contacts implicitly; don’t wear contacts longer than they are meant to be worn – this can lead to infection
• Don’t sleep in contacts; this will further deprive your eyes of oxygen
• Replace your lens case every three months, even if you wash it regularly, to avoid bacteria build-up
• Keep tap water (from sinks or even showers) and chlorinated water (from swimming pools) away from your lenses; these water sources are not sterile and may lead to infection
• Wash your lens case regularly with cleaning solution (not tap water), but make sure you allow it to dry completely before closing it
• Never reuse contact cleaning solutions; yesterday’s solution probably has bacteria in it and you don’t want your lenses soaking in a dirty solution today
• Never use your own spit to clean lenses; your saliva is riddled with bacteria
• Avoid buying cheap lens cleaning solutions; you should ask your doctor what the best cleaning solution is for your unique eyes to avoid having eye sensitivities
• Throw away old contact lenses and old cleaning solutions; check expiration dates to avoid the risk of infection
• Don’t wear contacts if your eyes are irritated or if the contact appears damaged; this can lead to infection or a scratched cornea
• Wash your hands before putting in your contacts
• Avoid waterproof makeup; it can stick to your lenses

If this list raised some red flags for you regarding your contact lens usage, it might be time to consider LASIK to correct your nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. At Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center we offer LASIK vision correction in Richmond, VA to help our patients reduce or even eliminate the need for contact lenses.

Contact us today at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. It might just help the overall health of your eyes and help you live a lens-free life.

* Sources: Mathers, W.D. Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2006; vol 124: pp 1510-1511. William Mathers, MD, professor of ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University Casey Eye Institute, Portland, OR.