Posts Tagged ‘visian’

Visian: A LASIK Alternative

Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Vision: A LASIK Alternative

  What if you could have a contact lens to correct your vision that you couldn’t feel, didn’t have to remove or clean and never had to replace.  That’s the idea of a Visian implantable lens.  This lens, unlike a standard contact lens, doesn’t sit on the eye, it resides inside the eye. 
   So how does the Visian implantable lens compare withe LASIK?  For many patients, a Visian implantable lens may have advantages over LASIK?   LASIK is a great procedure, is safe and yields excellent results for the majority of patients.  However, for some individuals, LASIK may carry risks of side effects that can be prevented by choosing another procedure to correct vision.  In a LASIK procedure, tissue is removed and reshaped with a laser.  This process can lead to excessive thinning of  the cornea or a decrease in vision quality as a result of extreme reshaping of corneas with high prescriptions.  The Visian procedure leaves the shape and thickness of the cornea virtually unchanged.  This gives the implantable lens procedure a significant advantage over LASIK in  patients with thin or irregular corneas or patients with very high prescriptions.  They may also be a better choice for patients with certain cornel disorders.  
  The optical quality of an implantable lens is excellent leading to excellent quality of vision. Implantable lenses also do not tend to cause the significant dry eye side effects experienced by some LASIK patients.  In addition, once LASIK eye surgery is performed, because tissue is removed, the results are irreversible. In contrast, an implantable lens procedure is potentially reversible.  Removal of the implant may remove the source of any il effects or side effects.
Both LASIK and Visian implantable lenses have a very high level of patient satisfaction. There is no one best procedure.
  If you are not an excellent candidate for LASIK, you may be a great candidate for implantable lenses.  Of course, all medical procedures have risks, and the risks of implantable lenses are different than that of LASIK.  Make sure you discuss these risks with your surgeon.  Want to compare and contrast the risks and benefits of LASIK vs implantable lenses?  Make sure you consult a physician who performs both!
  At the Laser Eye Center of Carolina, we offer LASIK and numerous other procedures for patients in North Carolina and beyond.  Our consults are free so the only thing you risk is. Little of your time to make sure you are informed of all your options.

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Posted in lasik, LASIK Complications, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

LASIK Alternative: The Implantable Lens

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

  
  For some patients, an implantable lens may have advantages over

A Visian Implantable Lens fits behind the iris. The patient cannot feel the implant.

LASIK.  Intraocular lenses have a long history of use in ophthalmology.  Virtually all cases of cataract surgery utilize an intraocular lens.  Intraocular lenses have a power, just as do contact lenses.  They are placed inside the eye, so they cannot be felt by the patient.  They do not irritate the eye like contact lenses nor can they become coated so they don’t require cleaning.
  In a LASIK procedure, tissue is removed and reshaped with a laser.  In contrast, an implantable lens procedure is potentially reversible.  Removal of the implant may remove the source of a patient’s dissatisfaction.
  An implantable lens may be a better option than LASIK for some patients. These include patients with thin or irregular corneas or patients with very high prescriptions.  They may also be a better choice for patients with certain cornel disorders.  The optical quality of an implantable lens is excellent leading to excellent quality of vision.
  Implantable lenses also do not tend to cause the significant dry eye side effects experienced by some LASIK patients.
  If you are not an excellent candidate for LASIK, you may be a great candidate for implantable lenses.  Of course, all medical procedures have risks, and the risks of implantable lenses are different than that of LASIK.  Make sure you discuss these risks with your surgeon.  Want to compare and contrast the risks and benefits of LASIK vs implantable lenses?  Make sure you consult a physician who performs both!
  At the Laser Eye Center of Carolina, we offer LASIK and numerous other procedures for patients in North Carolina and beyond.  Our consults are free so the only thing you risk is. Little of your time to make sure you are informed of all your options.

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LASIK Can’t “Do It All”

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Consider LASIK Alternatives

This Independence Day got me to thinking about patients and their desire to be independent of their eyeglasses. For patients seeking LASIK, often there is a ‘tipping point’ such as a contact lens related problem or it’s time to go in for their exam with the prospect of exam fees, contact lens fitting fees and the purchase of new glasses or contact lenses. Sometimes the patient just got back from a vacation or participated in an event where glasses got in the way. Or maybe the patient just got tired of pushing their glasses up their nose, putting in their contact lenses every morning or waking up unable to see. This is the point where they come in to see me. Often they are happy with what I tell them but a significant number are disappointed to learn that LASIK may not offer them everything they are looking for or is just not advised.

LASIK is a great procedure and has been around for a number of years. However, there remains a very specific ‘subset’ of patients for which LASIK is ideal. This subset includes patients between the ages of 18 and 40 without pre-existing dry eye problems, keratoconus or certain other eye diseases. The patient may have small amounts of farsightedness, or nearsightedness and/or astigmatism below a certain amount. Now don’t misunderstand me, almost half of my LASIK patients are not in this ideal category (usually because they are over the age of 40) but what I am saying is that patients who are not ideal may want to consider LASIK alternatives like Visian Implantable Contact Lenses, PRK or refractive lens exchange. The alternative is to accept certain compromises: an example might be the need for reading glasses.

The Laser Eye Center of Carolina offers more than just LASIK because LASIK is limited in who can benefit from the procedure and what it can offer. If you have a desire to become independent of glasses, consider all your options: not just LASIK.

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LASIK alternatives

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

For patients who are not good LASIK candidates there are several good alternatives including PRK and implantable contact lenses. For more on these options visit the Visian website or view my video on Monkeysee.com http://www.monkeysee.com/play/11385-lasik-surgery-alternatives. More information can be found at: www.drdeandornic.com/implantable_lenses.

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