As most patients know, LASIK is not an excellent option for everyone. Some patients may not be ideal candidates because their prescription is outside recommended limits, their corneas may be too thin or their may simply be a better procedure for their particular visual problem. Many Raleigh NC area patients have consulted us after finding out that they faced unexpected risks or an uncertain result with LASIK. Many were pleasantly surprised to learn the solution to their visual problem was implantable lenses, refractive lens exchange, Intacs or some other procedure that they may never have heard of. For many patients, LASIK offers the chance for spectacle and contact lens independence. Other patients may find that one of several other vision correction procedures might be a better choice. If you are contemplating LASIK, you owe it to yourself to contact a center like the Laser Eye Center of Carolina that offers more than LASIk to be assured that you are offered the best procedure for your unique vision problem.
Posts Tagged ‘refractive lens exchange’
When LASIK is Not an Option
Sunday, December 20th, 2009Hate Bifocals? See Us for Options
Sunday, October 18th, 2009When the cause of your eyeglass dependence is nearsightedness, the vision correction options are pretty straight-forward. When there is a need for reading glasses or bifocals, solutions can be more complicated.
Most people develop a condition called presbyopia as they approach age 40. Presbyopia is the inability of the eye to focus at all distances, usually noticed when fine print starts to blur.
Some eye doctors disagree about what causes presbyopia. Most believe stiffening of the eye’s lens contributes to the condition. Other theories suggest that presbyopia could also be related to continued growth of the lens or atrophy of the muscles controlling the lens.
In the past, the usual remedy was to wear reading glasses or special multifocal lenses (bifocal or progressive) for presbyopia. But in modern times, surgical remedies for presbyopia also are available for qualified candidates.
One of the first effective surgical options for presbyopia correction involved producing what is known as “monovision” during LASIK. But other surgical procedures such as conductive keratoplasty or CK also have been approved by the FDA, which gives eye surgeons additional options for correcting this common vision problem.
In some cases, refractive lens exchange (exchanging the patient’s natural lens with a bifocal lens or artificial flexible lens) can solve the problem. The surgical solution for presbyopia continues to evolve. If you would like to explore your options, why not see us for a complimentary evaluation?