WHAT IS VISION CORRECTION?
Vision correction surgery improves vision by using a laser to shape the cornea in an effort to repair refractive errors in the eye. Vision correction surgery treats several issues, including:
Nearsightedness (myopia)
Farsightedness (hyperopia)
Astigmatism
Need for reading glasses
With LASIK, a doctor uses a laser to create a flap on the front of the eye (cornea). The surgeon then folds the flap back and uses another laser to correct the irregularities in the eye. The laser reshapes the cornea and corrects the imperfections in the patient’s vision. Once the correction is complete, the surgeon replaces the corneal flap, which will then act as a natural bandage. With LASIK, most patients are seeing clearly within a few hours after the procedure, and are able to return to work and daily activities the following day with little to no discomfort.
PRK may be a better option than LASIK for certain types of eyes. Instead of creating a corneal flap, a doctor uses a chemical solution to to dissolve the skin of the cornea. Once the skin is removed, a surgeon uses a laser to treat the cornea in the same way as LASIK. The doctor then places a bandage lens on the eye while the skin heals. You may have some discomfort for the first few days after the procedure. You will see relatively well immediately after surgery, but vision may fluctuate for several weeks, and it may take a month or longer to fully achieve perfect vision. All studies show no difference between LASIK and PRK with regards to visual acuity that is achieved three months after surgery.
Patients that have issues with near vision may greatly benefit from monovision correction. This is where doctors correct on eye for distance and corrects the other eye for near vision. Typically your brain is able to learn to use one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision. This allows you to see up close and far away without glasses. To ensure you will like this type of vision, Dr Richards will have you try it with glasses or contacts before proceeding to surgery.
Patients who have difficulty seeing up close might be great candidates for refractive lens exchange (RLE, or clear lens extraction). RLE surgery involves removing the eye’s natural focusing lens and replacing the lens with an artificial intraocular lens.
As with any surgical procedure, vision correction surgery does involve a degree of risk, and there have been rare instances of complications, including: over-and-under correction, induced astigmatism, infection, inflammation and flap irregularities. Although these complications can occur, the likelihood is extremely low, especially with the technology utilized by Dr. Richards.
Dr. Trent Richards is confident in the results he provides and offers all laser vision correction patients a lifetime warranty program. In the event your vision decreases from the intended result due to myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, he will enhance the original vision correction at no charge, assuming the following:
