Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
CustomVue technology actually increases patient night vision satisfaction.
- Night glare and starbursts are a potential side-effect of any eye surgery.
Many people who have never had eye surgery, if they are careful observers, can notice some starburst, halo, glare, or shadows in their vision under low light conditions, especially if they need to wear glasses or contact lenses. It is common to notice one or more of these after LASIK eye surgery, especially during the early postoperative period. These side effects generally diminish with time but some patients will notice one or more of these even with excellent correction, sometimes for a long time or even indefinitely. Of those patients who do notice these side effects, most will find them annoying and it is possible that some patients may feel they cause mild to serious visual impediments.
The LASIK procedure creates a change in curvature in the central part of the cornea. If changing the corneal curvature also results in distortion of the cornea then aberrations in vision quality may result. These aberrations in vision may be most noticeable at night, when the pupil opens wide. This can result in seeing a halo type effect or perhaps just a decreased contrast or sharpness of vision. Regardless of how it is described, there are some patients who feel that their night or reduced light vision is poor even when their uncorrected vision is good or excellent in normal lighting. This may be a significant issue for some patient for night driving, playing tennis or baseball at night or other similar activities, even before refractive surgery is performed. A technology developed by AMO/VISX termed CustomVue and utilized in the iLASIK procedure was developed in an effort to improve night vision. The CustomVue technique makes use of a wavefront analyzer to measure and correct visual aberrations. Clinical studies show that more patients are actually satisfied with their night vision after LASIK when this technique is used. The wavefont guided CustomVue technique should not be confused with the wavefront optimized technique utilized by the Wavelight/Allegretto laser. Only the CustomVue technology associated with iLASIK results in better night vision.
Tags: customvue, glare, halos, ilasik, lasik, night vision, side-effects, starbursts, wavefront
Posted in lasik, Uncategorized, wavefront | 1 Comment »
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
One of the most common phrases we hear is “I’d like to have my vision corrected but I’m afraid to have LASIK”. Patients verbalize a fear of having an eye procedure because they are afraid of the risk of vision loss. There is not much worse fate one can imagine than to have to go through life blind or with greatly diminished vision. Some patients may even relate the story of “a friend of an acquaintance” that they ‘heard’ had vision loss from a LASIK procedure but yes, everyone that they know who had LASIK seems to be doing just fine. Just like many urban legends, the details of this alleged vision loss are not really known by the reporter.
Yes, there are cases of patients who have lost vision from LASIK; but those cases are exceedingly rare, and, with advances in technology, becoming rarer. Most patients are surprised to hear that the risk of vision loss is actually greater from contact lens wear than from LASIK. You mean you can lose vision from contact lenses? Yes, and every year patients, some of who were afraid to have LASIK, lose their vision from contact lens associated corneal infections.
So, if you don’t want to wear glasses or find they interfere with your ability to function in your job or leisure activities, making the transition from contact lenses from LASIK really does not increase your risk of vision loss. And, as numerous studies bear out, actually saves you money in the long run.
How then do you maximize your chance and minimize your chance of vision loss from a LASIK procedure? Well, first make sure you actually are a good LASIK candidate. Go to a surgeon who can offer more than just LASIK. If you are not an excellent LASIK candidate,just don’t have it: do something else like implantable contact lenses or advanced surface ablation. If you are a good candidate, make sure you are being offered the best and safest technology. IntraLase LASIK has been shown to be the safest LASIK technology for the great majority of patients so insist on this. The decision to have vision correction is one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime so why would you go to someone who offers only LASIK and worse yet, why would you choose someone because they offered the lowest price? Over the years, thousands of Raleigh are patients have chosen Dr. Dean Dornic of the Laser Eye Center of Carolina. His opinion can be trusted because he can offer more than just LASIK. To make an appointment for a free, no obligation consultation just call 1-888-376-EYES and we’ll get you started on the road to visual freedom.
Tags: contact lenses, fear, infection, intralase, lasik, raleigh, safest, vision loss
Posted in lasik, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Monday, February 14th, 2011
Medicine is a rapidly changing field. LASIK eye surgery has changed a lot since I was first trained in this technique 13 years ago. Back then, LASIK flaps were all made with bladed instruments either on gears or rails and surgeons had to be adept at centering the laser on a moving pupil with a joystick device. Over the years the technique, technology, our understanding on who is a good candidate and management of side-effects have all evolved. As a result, the procedure has been made safer, side-effects have been minimized and the overall quality of vision along with patient satisfaction all have increased. A LASIK eye surgeon who fails to keep up with the changes in the vision correction field does a disservice to his patients by cheating them out of the tremendous improvements in results and safety. One of the ways of achieving continued competence is through reading: and there is a tremendous amount of articles written and available in books, professional journals and on line. On-line bulletin boards and forums are another way to share and gain valuable information. One of the best ways to advance knowledge is through professional meetings or “conventions”. Such meetings allow innovators to present their work and allow attendees to question and challenge presenters.
But attendance at such meetings requires time away from the office. An efficient way to minimize practice down time is to combine continuing education with vacation time and that is precisely what I did this Valentine’s weekend. You see, Valentine’s is a special time for my wife and I. Our first date was on Valentine’s Day. As a young college student, I finally got the nerve to ask my wife out. I prepared a home cooked meal and took her to a $2 movie on campus. This weekend, we celebrated with a long weekend in St. Thomas where there just happened to be a great ophthalmology meeting: the Caribbean Eye Meeting. So I woke up early and attended courses and lectures from 7AM until noon, then spent the rest of the day enjoying the island. I took home some great new information on LASIK and other eye surgeries plus I got my batteries recharged. How did I find time to write this blog? Well, I’m writing this well waiting for my flight from Miami to Raleigh. Hope you enjoyed your Valentine’s Day as much as we did.
View from our hotel window
Tags: lasik, meetings, raleigh, safer, side-effects
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Monday, February 7th, 2011
The first step of the LASIK procedure is to create a “flap”. The flap can be created by several different instruments including a microkeratome which is an instrument with a blade to cut a thin sheet of the cornea or a femtosecond laser which creates a flap through photodisruption and tissue separation. The creation of a flap does not contribute to the correction of refractive error. The LASIK flap simply serves as a lid under which the reshaping of the cornea takes place. Although the creation of a flap with a microkeratome (blade) is generally safe and for many years was the only way a LASIK flap was made, if a complication occurred during a LASIK procedure, it almost always was related to this first step of flap creation.
The IntraLase femtosecond laser was introduced as a safer way to create a flap several years ago. It offers unparalleled safety because it offers more precise thickness settings, is more customizable, is unaffected by the shape of the patients cornea, allows the surgeon to visualize flap creation and offers a “second chance feature” In addition the flap parameters can be adjusted to create a “manhole” configuration that causes the flap to fit snug decreasing the risk of flap slippage.
Raleigh LASIK patients may be confused by “cut-rate” LASIK centers offering blade-free or All-Laser Z-LASIK assuming this is the same as IntraLase. While Z-LASIK is indeed blade-free and does offer precise thickness settings like IntraLase, it offers none of the other safety features ie customization, lack of variability related to an individual patients starting cornea shape, the surgeon can not watch the flap being created and there is no second chance feature: basically you have only one chance to get it right.
Another important difference between the two types of flap-making lasers used in the greater Raleigh area is that a Z-LASIK flap is a single plane cut just like that created by a microkeratome blade whereas the IntraLase has a customizable side cut by which the surgeon can create a “lock-top”. This means the IntraLase flap is more secure against displacement from eye rubbing, squinting and squeezing during the first several hours after the procedure. The flap is also more secure from trauma in the months and years after the LASIK procedure.
So don’t be fooled into thinking all LASIK procedures are the same or that all Blade-Free LASIK procedures are the same. Many patients seek out our services over cheaper providers because they took the time to study the difference in technology and value their safety over a couple hundred dollars in savings.
The Intralase flap fits more securely.
Tags: flap, intralase, lasik, microkeratome, raleigh, Z-LASIK
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Sunday, January 23rd, 2011
Like many medical procedures, LASIK eye surgery has evolved and improved with time. Many patients are surprised to find out just how long LASIK has been around.
In 1949 a Columbian ophthalmologist by the name Barraquer performed a corneal procedure to correct refractive error termed automated lamellar keratoplasty (ALK). ALK involved the use of a microkeratome to create a flap and remove a disc of corneal tissue in order to decrease nearsightedness.
With the introduction of the excimer laser to the ALK procedure the name of the procedure was changed to LASIK. The excimer laser made the procedure more precise and resulted in more widespread acceptance but this was, by no means, the only important advance in vision correction technology. Over the years, a number of innovations such as eyetrackers, iris registration, wavefront technology and introduction of the IntraLase laser have improved safety and outcomes.
Today, the safety of LASIK exceeds that of contact lens wear and the risk of such side-effects as night halos is reduced to such a low level that most patients will actually experience an improvement in night vision.
Of course, patients should be aware that there are different technologies available all with different safety profiles and success rates. Some of the more important innovations: IntraLase and CustomVue are associated with increased costs but if you’ve been holding off on LASIK waiting for the procedure to get better, the increased costs may well be worth it.
Tags: complications, Cusomvue, excimer, halos, intralase, lasik, safety, side-effects, wavefront
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Saturday, January 8th, 2011
McDonalds revolutionized the fast food industry with mass production.
Perhaps you’ve seen the LASIK only centers advertising proudly an incredibly high number of LASIK procedures. They triumphantly exalt the thousands and thousands of LASIK procedures they have performed as though this should be a source of pride much like the McDonald’s restaurants that boast of the billions of burgers served. But doesn’t this expose exactly why you would want to avoid such a facility for a once in a lifetime medical procedure?
McDonald’s became a corporate success by automating the production of low cost fast food: not by hiring the finest chefs or providing a fine dining experience. The menu at McDonald’s is somewhat limited. The menu at a LASIK only center is even more limited: everyone gets LASIK. McDonald’s doesn’t have the best hamburgers (some may disagree). Cut rate LASIK centers don’t offer the best technology (although their claims are that they do). You wouldn’t take your spouse out to McDonald’s to celebrate an important occasion so why would you skimp on yourself for such an important event as vision correction? For patients in the Raleigh North Carolina area contemplating LASIK, why not take the step to consult with the Laser Eye Center of Carolina and explore all your options? We can customize a treatment approach that is just right for you.
Tags: lasik, McDonald's, North Carolina, raleigh
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Monday, January 3rd, 2011
LASIK refers to a group of diverse procedures that involves reshaping the cornea under a flap. Over the years, LASIK has evolved with the introduction of many advances in instrumentation and techniques that have made vision correction safer and more successful. Now we can offer conventional LASIK but also Z-LASIK, CustomVue wavefront-guided LASIK , and IntraLase LASIK. All too often, however, I hear patients and even investigative or consumer reporters attempt to generalize, inappropriately, on the merits and/or risks of the LASIK procedure. I will hear statistics quoted on side-effects, for instance, that may be from studies performed years ago using old, and now outdated, technology.
Two of the more important factors that effect risk of a LASIK procedure are the exact technologies involved in performing the procedure and the particular characteristics of the patient themselves. For instance, the risk of a patient with high myopia and astigmatism needing an enhancement (or “touch-up”) procedure might be double that of a patient with low myopia and no astigmatism. The risk of a flap complication is 6 times lower with IntraLase versus Z-LASIK. The risk of night time vision problems is up to 20 times lower with CustomVue technology compared to other technologies. The statistical spread is so wide, that discussions about the ‘risk of LASIK’ can be virtually meaningless without knowledge of the patient and the exact technique utilized.
Patients can be severely misled about the side-effect profile of LASIK if they rely on old data or make the mistake in assuming that all LASIK procedures are equivalent. Raleigh area patients should be aware that in our area there are several different providers offering different LASIK technologies. Patients can minimize their risk by insuring that they use the safest available technology (iLASIK) and, when individual risk rises to an unacceptable level, choosing an alternative vision correction procedure such as implantable contacts or PRK that may yield a higher chance of success.
Tags: ilasik, intralase, lasik, raleigh, risk, side-effects, Z-LASIK
Posted in lasik, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
The prospective LASIK patient may be confused about what to ask about before choosing a Refractive surgeon. Most commonly, they make the assumption that LASIK is LASIK, that all technology and providers are more or less equivalent . They then set about choosing their LASIK provider by calling various offices asking about price.
Often the unwary patient may be swayed by claims such as “newest” “most advanced” or “most precise” LASIK technology. But such claims should be taken only for what they are: subjective opinion with little true meaning.
Over the years, LASIK technology has changed and evolved and several large medical corporations manufacture the various lasers and other equipment. Each of these corporations have found their niche. Some appeal to the LASIK surgeon because of their improved safety, higher success rate, ease of use or reduced cost. Obviously if there was a laser manufacturer that offered LASIK equipment that was the lowest price to purchase and operate and also offered the best result and safety profile, that manufacturer would soon dominate the industry and every LASIK surgeon would gravitate toward that manufacturer.
In the Raleigh market area, there are two main competing LASIK technologies: IntraLase LASIK and Z-LASIK. There also exists a few older and still effective technologies. The main advantage of the Z-LASIK technology is cost and ease of use. The advantage of IntraLase LASIK is superior safety and outcomes.
So there you have it. If you are looking for the cheapest LASIK, Z-LASIK is a possible choice. If you are mainly concerned with safety and want to maximize your chance of achieving 20/20 vision with excellent night vision you will choose IntraLase or iLASIK. Raleigh area patients looking for true value choose iLASIK and when looking for a provider with the longest history of using IntraLase technology, they choose Dr. Dean Dornic of the Laser Eye Center of Carolina.
Tags: cost, Dr. Dean Dornic, ilasik, intralase, lasik, raleigh, technology, Z-LASIK
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Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Competitors may make assertions that are opinions eg “we have the best or most precise technology etc.” Our claims are fact-based with clinical studies to back them up. There are less expensive ways to perform LASIK using similar technology but clinical studies prove:
1. The IntraLase laser is the safest way to make the flap (See our article on the Ziemer laser)
2. CustomVue technology with AMO’s VISX Star S4 offers the highest incidence of 20/20 vision ever reported to the FDA in clinical trials and it has the potential to actually improve patient satisfaction with night vision (see our articles comparing CustomVue technology with wavefront-optimized procedures)
There does not currently exist a LASIK technology that yields superior results to iLASIK. iLASIK has the lowest risk of flap complication. iLASIK technology yields the highest level of 20/20 results and has the potential to result in better quality of vision including improved night vision.
Our view is that the ¬only advantage that Z-LASIK offers the LASIK consumer is reduced cost. We can offer similar technology at the same price as the LASIK discounters but for the discerning patient we can also offer superior technology for a minimal upcharge.
Tags: customvue, ilasik, lasik, Z-LASIK
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Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Over the years, the LASIK procedure has evolved to become better and safer. The LASIK procedure still consists of two main steps: 1. creating a flap and 2. reshaping the cornea under the flap. The ultimate in safety and results in LASIK is iLASIK which is the culmination of improvements in both steps.
In the first step, flap creation, a metal blade is replaced with a laser. In the second step, a technology termed “wavefront-guided” treatment is used to insure the final shape is free of aberrations in order to achieve the best quality of vision. The resulting advance in LASIK technology is termed “iLASIK”. Because new instruments and user fees set by the laser manufacturers are added to this premium LASIK procedure, patients can expect to pay more for iLASIK than conventional LASIK.
Recently other technology has been developed to reduce the cost and still achieve some of the advantages of iLASIK. Z-LASIK offers the advantage of a more precise flap thickness over the bladed microkeratome but it does not match the safety or visual results of iLASIK.
Patients may want to believe that the newer, cheaper Z-LASIK technology is just as good as iLASIK, but just as with many other things in life, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t”. The iLASIK procedure has proven itself to be the best technology available for LASIK vision correction. After extensive investigation, the U.S. military has chosen iLASIK exclusively for performing vision correction on our troops because of it’s stellar history.
Medical Director, Dean Dornic, MD is the first Raleigh ophthalmologist to perform iLASIK and has extensive experience in all-laser LASIK procedures. If you believe, as we do, that the few extra dollars to receive a better LASIK procedure is worth it, why not come in for an evaluation?
So to book you free LASIK Raleigh consultation call today at (919) 467-9955, spots are filling up quickly..
Tags: best technology, dean dornic, flap, ilasik, intralase, lasik, raleigh, wavefront, Z-LASIK
Posted in lasik, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »