How LASIK Works

You’ve undoubtedly heard the term LASIK eye surgery, and you may even know someone who has had the procedure done. But do you really know what steps are involved in a LASIK procedure?

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, commonly referred to as LASIK, is a procedure to treat farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. In these vision conditions, the cornea is shaped so light does not focus properly onto the retina so clear vision is not achieved. LASIK uses a laser to actually reshape the cornea so light does focus properly.

LASIK is not performed on a “whim.” An experienced LASIK surgeon will perform a detailed eye exam to determine your exact vision characteristics and determine if LASIK could help or hinder your vision. This procedure isn’t right for everyone; some people have corneas that are too thin to support the procedure…others have pre-existing eye health or medical conditions that will interfere with healing.

LASIK Steps

1. Numbing drops are placed into your eye and a lid speculum keeps the eyelids open
2. A corneal flap is created using either a hand-held microkeratome surgical tool or a femtosecond laser. Once the flap is created it is gently folded back to give the surgeon access to the underlying corneal tissue
3. Corneal tissue is removed/reshaped using a computer-controlled excmier laser
4. The corneal flap is put back into place where it begins to heal without stitches.

The entire process only takes a few minutes per eye and most people report that it is virtually painless.

There is a whole lot more to know about LASIK! If you are curious, contact Buckley Chang Eye Insitute today at 719-444-3000 or buckleychang.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation to get all of the facts about LASIK.

Give Dad the Chance at Better Vision

Father’s Day is June 16 this year. Your good ‘ole dad probably has dozens of neckties, fishing lures and golf pants in his closet, so why not give him a gift that may help him view his work and play in a whole new light?

LASIK eye surgery has given millions of Americans the freedom from wearing contacts and glasses to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. And while LASIK doesn’t always produce the exact same results for every patient, advanced LASIK technology has made this procedure a possibility for more people than ever. No LASIK center can absolutely guarantee 20/20 vision after LASIK, but many patients do experience these types of results.

Of course, you can’t just go out and buy LASIK for dad, or even yourself for that matter, without first having a LASIK Consultation. An eye surgeon must evaluate a patient’s health first to make sure he or she is a good candidate for the procedure. The surgeon will look at the thickness of the cornea, perform corneal mapping, tear film and pupil size evaluation and assess the patient’s overall medical health.

What you can do is schedule a LASIK Consultation for dad with us at Buckley Chang Eye Institute in Colorado Springs. Dad may need a bit of a push to pursue vision correction, and Father’s Day could be the perfect opportunity. We’ll take good care of him – we promise!

If you think your dad might benefit from LASIK eye surgery, contact us today at 719-444-3000 or buckleychang.com to schedule his LASIK Consultation. If he’s approved for the procedure, we have LASIK financing options to help make LASIK affordable for virtually any budget.

Possible Cause for High-Grade Nearsightedness Discovered

A recent study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has identified gene mutations associated with severe, high-grade myopia (nearsightedness). Researchers at Duke Medicine found these mutations in the SCO2 gene that metabolizes copper, which is important to regulate oxygen levels in eye tissue. When there is too much oxygen, the eye’s development can be altered.

"This is the first time a gene mutation for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic high-grade myopia in Caucasians has been discovered," said senior author Terri Young, M.D., MBA, professor of ophthalmology, pediatrics and medicine at the Duke Eye Center, Duke Center for Human Genetics and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS). "Our findings reflect the hard work and collaboration of our international research team."

"Our findings, plus information from the literature, suggest that copper deficiency could predispose people to develop myopia," Young said. "While this wasn't directly tested in this study, it's possible that our diets - which are deficient in a number of minerals and vitamins - play a role, and it may be something as easy as taking a supplement with copper that helps thwart the development of myopia."

Other factors besides gene mutations are likely responsible for myopia development. Additional myopia research will continue.

Nearsightedness is one vision condition that is often corrected through LASIK eye surgery. However, laser vision correction is not appropriate for all patients who have myopia, especially high-grade. The FDA has approved certain lasers to treat varying levels of myopia, even up to -.12 diopters; however, some doctors may recommend a different type of procedure for patients who don’t meet the right vision requirements.

If you have any degree of nearsightedness and would like to know if you are a good candidate for LASIK, contact Buckley Chang Eye Institute in Colorado Springs to schedule a LASIK Consultation: 719-444-3000 or buckleychang.com.