Gailey Eye Clinic

Medical lasers are astonishingly precise and the LASIK laser is no exception. LASIK works by using an excimer laser to ablate or vaporize microscopically tiny pieces of tissue from the eye’s front surface – the cornea. This is done according to your pre-determined treatment plan, different for each eye.

We offer Custom LASIK, which is even more precise than the original LASIK procedures that began in the mid-1990s. That is because it uses Wavefront technology to make a far more precise diagnosis of your eye’s refractive errors. Each human eye is unique. Your Custom LASIK treatment will be different from every other LASIK treatment ever done, because it is based on Wavefront data gathered from each of your two different eyes.

LASIK Alternatives
Not everybody is a good candidate for LASIK. Some people have corneas that are too thin or steep, or pupils that are too large, for a safe LASIK surgery. However, an eye surgeon can still give them laser vision correction by using ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation) – a name for the improved version of PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy).

ASA uses the same excimer laser for vision correction but does not prepare your eyes in the same way.

• LASIK first creates a protective covering in the corneal surface, folding it back for treatment and then replacing it to act as a bandage during recovery.
• ASA gently removes the top layer of corneal cells (the epithelium) to give the laser access to the middle layer, the stroma. Both LASIK and ASA correct corneal curvature on the stromal layer, but ASA does not penetrate as deeply. During your ASA recovery period, the surface cells regrow and while that happens you have a therapeutic contact lens as a bandage.

Whether it is done using LASIK or ASA, laser vision correction gives outstanding results. Most people are able to discard their glasses or contact lenses. To learn more about your own vision and how it might best be improved, please contact our LASIK office today for a personal consultation.

LASIK is a painless and quick procedure. Once you have been examined by one of our experienced LASIK surgeons and determined to be a good LASIK candidate, you will have another appointment for diagnosis.

We use the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q technology for diagnosis and treatment. It will create two 3-D maps, one for each of your eyes, showing the microscopically exact refractive errors in each eye. Your eye surgeon will use that information to plan your precise laser vision correction.

The LASIK Procedure
On the day of your LASIK surgery, we will first numb your eyes with anesthetic eyedrops. Then we will settle you comfortably on the patient bed. It is part of the whole floor-standing Allegretto equipment which also includes a computer, the excimer laser, a microscope for your eye surgeon, and a tracking device to keep the laser properly focused any time your eyes move a tiny bit.

Your eye surgeon will use a device called a microkeratome to create the protective cover before starting vision correction. He will carefully fold it back, and you will not be able to feel any of this. Then he will position a special implement to hold your eye open during treatment. This does not hurt. The treatment itself lasts only a few minutes for each eye, and you will not feel the laser doing its vision correction. It does not burn. No tissue is cut during treatment and there is no bleeding. Nor is there any scar afterwards.

Recovery
When the correction is done you will be led to a recovery room where you can relax until you feel ready to go home. Your LASIK surgeon will monitor you and determine when it is safe for you to leave. Most people like to keep their eyes closed at this time, and also like to rest or sleep for the remainder of the day.

However, you will notice immediate vision improvement whenever you do open your eyes. Many people find it quite startling and exciting, to be able to see clearly across the room without any contacts or glasses. You can return to normal activities the next day.

To learn more about LASIK, please call or email our vision correction surgeons today and schedule a personal consultation.