Celebrate the Summer Solstice

The summer solstice is Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 6:51am EDT. Hopefully you have plans to enjoy the longest day of the year with family and friends. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, some countries celebrate Midsummer’s Day which occurs near the solstice. Legend has it that the dew on Midsummer’s Day morning has special healing powers to make old people look younger, and Midsummer’s Eve is a time for wishes and magic.

Whether or not you believe in such folklore, this year’s summer solstice may be the perfect time to find out if your wish for better vision could come true. At Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center we have helped thousands of people reduce or eliminate their need for glasses and contacts through LASIK vision correction in Richmond. Many of our patients feel as though our LASIK technology truly is “magic” because after just a few short minutes of laser treatment they are already starting to see better. Of course, every patient heals at a different rate, but after a good night’s sleep most LASIK patients are able to see without glasses the next morning.

It’s important to note that even successful LASIK patients may require reading glasses later in life from a condition called presbyopia. This affects most people after age 40 and is caused as the eye lenses become less flexible as we age making it difficult to focus on up-close objects. So, the sooner you have LASIK as an adult, the longer you may be able to enjoy a lens-free life.

If you wish you could say goodbye to glasses or contacts, find out if LASIK might be right for you. Schedule a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract by calling 804-288-1543 or visiting lipstocklaser.com to schedule your appointment online. You can also take our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation anytime, day or night, to find out if you might be in the ballpark for this procedure. 

Give Dad What He Really Wants

Father’s Day is June 15, 2014. Rather than the traditional neck tie or golf accessories, why not give Dad the chance at improved vision? If you know a Dad who wears glasses or contacts, think how much easier his life would be if he could work and play without those hassles. By arranging a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center, you just might set in motion one of the very best Father’s Day gifts ever.

Some people simply aren’t very proactive when it comes to scheduling health appointments for themselves. Your Dad may need a little extra push to schedule that LASIK Consultation. But you can assure him that this is a very simple and pain-free process that is only meant to provide him with information about:

• His overall eye health
• His vision characteristics
• His vision correction options (LASIK may not be right for him)
• His possibilities for 20/20 vision
• LASIK technologies
• LASIK costs
• LASIK financing

You can also assure him that the LASIK Consultation will not include any hard sales tactics. The ultimate decision to proceed with LASIK in Richmond is his choice and his choice alone.

By the way, it also happens to be Men’s Health Week June 9-15, so it’s the perfect time to get Dad thinking about his overall health and well-being. Encourage your Dad to get plenty of sleep, stop smoking, exercise, eat healthy, reduce stress and have preventative check-ups. Included in this wellness checklist may also be that LASIK Consultation mentioned earlier.

If you have a well-deserving Dad in your life that might benefit from improved vision, contact Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center today at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com to schedule a free LASIK Consultation for him. 

LASIK for Astigmatism

In the early days of LASIK, patients with astigmatism were often not deemed good candidates for the procedure. Today, advances in LASIK technology allow many astigmatism patients to achieve better vision through this vision correction procedure.  

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common refractive error caused by an irregular shape of the cornea (the clear front of the eye) or by the curvature of the lens in the eye. Astigmatism eyes will not be the typical round shape, but rather football-shaped, which causes multiple focus points to occur on the front and/or back of the retina. This causes blurry or distorted vision for both near and far objects. Astigmatism can also be found in patients who are nearsighted or farsighted.

Not all astigmatism patients are good candidates for LASIK. The only way to know for sure is by having a full eye exam in Richmond with an ophthalmologist to have your eye anatomy analyzed. Conditions like corneal thickness, corneal topography and your medical history will be reviewed. At Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center, Dr. Lipstock will only approve patients for advanced LASIKif he feels the conditionsare perfect for a good outcome. No doctor can guarantee 20/20 vision after LASIK, but by only treating patients who are good candidates the odds are improved.

If you have astigmatism and must wear glasses or contacts to improve your vision, contact Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center to schedule a free LASIK Consultation in Richmond. There is no obligation to proceed with the procedure, and it will provide insight into your own eye health and help you fully understand your vision improvement options.

Call 804-288-1543 to speak to the practice directly or visit lipstocklaser.com to schedule an appointment online any time day or night. 

Will Glasses Stand the Test of Time?

Popular Mechanics recently published an online article titled “10 Things That Will Disappear in the Next 110 Years.” We thought we would share that list with you:

1. Eyeglasses
2. Video game consoles
3. Postage stamps
4. C batteries
5. Keys
6. Snow tires
7. Telephone poles
8. Band-Aids
9. Wallets
10. Flathead screwdrivers

The article didn’t go into any specifics on why the publication’s editors felt these items would no longer be relevant. However, at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center we can take a guess at one reason why the #1 item on the list might phase out: LASIK vision correction. LASIK is already helping thousands of people in our area eliminate their need for glasses or contacts. It’s a laser procedure that corrects vision for people who are nearsighted, farsighted or who have astigmatism, but it’s not for everyone. If a patient’s corneas are too thin or if other eye problems exist, an alternative to LASIK may be recommended. The only way to know for sure if LASIK might reduce or eliminate your need for eyeglasses is to schedule a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center by calling 804-288-1543 or visiting lipstocklaser.com.

It’s possible that no one reading this blog will know for sure if all of these 10 things will be gone in 110 years. But it’s going to be interesting to see what the future holds for all types of technology, including vision correction.

The Princess and the Laser

Once upon a time, there was a young and very imaginative blonde-haired girl who couldn’t see the white board at school. So her parents took her to the eye doctor and she got glasses to help her nearsightedness. When she wore her glasses, she pretended she was beautiful Princess Ivy who had x-ray vision. Sometimes she pretended her dog was a fire-breathing dragon, sent by the evil Queen Matilda to steal her spectacles.

As she got older, she realized that she had become pretty athletic after fighting all of those dragons. She joined the basketball team, the swim team and went skiing every chance she got. With all of these activities, she began to realize the adoration for her glasses was waning. They didn’t really give her x-ray vision, they slid down her nose in the heat and were impossible to wear during certain sports. Her contact lenses weren’t much better. Her eyes got irritated and the contacts often got lost. She guessed she could fill an entire castle with all of her lost contacts!

Finally, in her mid-twenties, she had had enough. She had LASIK laser vision correction (all of the grown-up princesses were doing it) and now she calls her ophthalmologist her Knight in Shining Armor. Her athletic ability is through the roof and her beautiful, uncovered eyes make her the Fairest of them All.

She found true love with her new vision. And so she lived happily ever after.

The End

We’ve spun this little yarn in honor of “Tell a Fairy Tale Day”. Even though it’s fictional, you might find a little bit of yourself in Princess Ivy. If you’re tired of wearing glasses, your Vision Knight in Shining Armor might just be waiting for you at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center. We provide LASIK vision correction using advanced techniques worthy of a King…or Queen. Call 804-288-1543 or visit lipstocklaser.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation or to take a free online LASIK Self-Evaluation.

Is LASIK Better Than Contacts?

A recent study has measured patient satisfaction with LASIK compared to contact lenses for vision correction. The study found that LASIK results in fewer vision problems with night driving both with former contact lens wearers and former glasses wearers. However, complaints about dry eye were common among people who had LASIK as well as those who wore contact lenses or glasses.

     The study, led by Francis Price Jr., M.D., gathered patient satisfaction over a three-year period. Patients in the study were between 18 and 60 years of age and included:

• 356 participants who wore contacts only
• 448 participants who wore contacts then had LASIK
• 154 participants who wore glasses and then had LASIK

 Participants were asked if they would recommend LASIK or contacts to a friend or family member. The results were as follows:

• 53% of patients who wore contacts agreed that they would recommended contacts
• 87% of patients who wore contacts and then had LASIK agreed that they would recommend LASIK
• 77% of patients who wore glasses and then had LASIK agreed that they would recommend LASIK

Another question asked of the group was whether patients believed LASIK works better than wearing contact lenses; 96% answered that they either “agreed” or “strongly agreed.”

Still another question addressed night vision difficulties. The rate of night driving problems decreased after LASIK for those participants who had previously worn contacts or glasses. “Overall, LASIK improves night driving vision and that was very significant,” said Dr. Price.

If you have been “on the fence” about having LASIK vision correction this new study may help you decide to take the first step toward improved vision. At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center, we have performed thousands of LASIK procedures.

Learn more about the risks of LASIK, the benefits of LASIK and whether your eyes are right for LASIK by scheduling a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center. Call 804-288-1543 or visit lipstocklaser.com to schedule your appointment. Or take our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation here.

Can Diabetics Have LASIK?

Many people who have diabetes wonder if they can have LASIK to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. There is no singular answer to this question; it depends on many different factors surrounding the patient’s eye health and overall health. Any reputable ophthalmologist will demand to know your medical history and current medical condition and will perform an extensive screening process before recommending LASIK.

LASIK should not be performed on diabetic patients who have:

• Diabetic Retinopathy, a disease that causes damage to the blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye)
• Uncontrolled blood sugar levels
• Unstable vision prescription

If you are a diabetic, the first step in finding out if it is safe for you to have LASIK is by scheduling a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center. Board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Lipstock will go to great lengths to ensure that your diabetes is controlled enough to support LASIK and allow for proper healing. It is possible for people with well-controlled diabetes to have successful LASIK procedures.

To learn more about diabetes and LASIK in Richmond, schedule a free LASIK Consultation by contacting Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com today.