Gailey Eye Clinic

Not everybody is a good candidate for LASIK, but that does not mean they cannot have vision correction. Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) is an alternative way of using a laser to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. It is an improved version of what used to be called PRK, standing for Photorefractive Keratectomy.

ASA Candidates
If you have thinner-than-average corneas, ASA might be an excellent choice for you. Or you may have thick enough corneas for LASIK, but if your lifestyle includes contact sports or any risk of eye trauma in your occupation, you may be a better candidate for ASA.

How ASA Works
ASA uses the same top-quality Allegretto WaveLight Eye-Q laser that LASIK uses, but prepares your eyes for treatment in a different way. To protect your relatively thin corneas, the top corneal layer, known as the epithelium, is gently removed with a spatula-like implement and a sponge. This allows the laser to correct your vision on the middle corneal layer, the stroma, which is stable and will retain the new shape.

Dr. Lockhart will place a therapeutic contact lens over the treated area, allowing the corneal epithelium to regrow and heal during the next three to ten days. He will give you printed instructions for how to care for yourself during recovery. It is important to follow them exactly for best results.

If you would like to know more about the options for laser vision correction, and which procedure would be best for you, please call or email Gailey Eye Clinic to schedule a personal consultation.

LASIK is an astonishingly precise procedure using a laser to reshape the front clear part of the eye, known as the cornea. It has become increasingly safe and accurate since it was first offered in the mid-1990s.

When LASIK was new it was based on a traditional diagnosis. That is, the diagnosis of your nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism was done the same way as it is for glasses and contact lenses. That meant that your LASIK results were on the same level of precision as your glasses or contacts correction. This approach is now known as Traditional LASIK.

Dr. Lockhart offers the more recent and more accurate procedure known as Custom LASIK. He uses the Allegretto WaveLight Eye-Q system, which gives you the benefits of wavefront technology.

Benefits of Allegretto WaveLight LASIK

Before your LASIK treatment is done, there is a separate visit for diagnosis and establishing your treatment plan. The Allegretto system will provide Dr. Lockhart with microscopically detailed 3-D maps, one for each eye.

Every human eye is unique and your two eyes are different from each other. Your LASIK vision correction will be individual for each eye and unlike anyone else’s vision correction.

• There is a 93 percent chance you will achieve 20/20 vision or better
• You’ll have an 85 percent chance of seeing better after LASIK than you did with your glasses or contacts
• Treatment is quicker
• Recovery time is shorter
• Night vision will be better
• Results will be evident sooner

To learn more about LASIK and whether you are a good candidate for it, or whether another vision correction procedure might be better for you, please contact Gailey Eye Clinic today for a personal consultation.