LASIK is not the best choice for permanent vision correction for everyone. At Evergreen Eye Center, we offer a variety of options to help you reduce your dependency on contact lenses or glasses.
How Do I Know If LASIK is Right For Me?
LASIK is an acronym for laser in-situ keratomileusis. During this common elective procedure, your LASIK surgeon uses a laser to reshape the tissue in your cornea. Reshaping the cornea corrects your eye’s natural refractive error. LASIK surgeons perform this procedure on adults with generally healthy eyes.
In order to qualify for the procedure, you must be a good LASIK candidate. A good LASIK candidate will need to have thick enough corneas, a stable eyeglass prescription, and be an appropriate age for the procedure to succeed. Certain eye conditions may affect your candidacy for the procedure. The first step in finding out if you are a good candidate for LASIK is to schedule a consultation with your eye doctor.
Due to a variety of factors, the LASIK procedure is not suitable for everyone. There are other options that can help accomplish your permanent vision correction goals.
What are other Vision Correction options that are available?
Our experienced eye doctors at Evergreen Eye Center offer various alternatives to LASIK that can correct your vision. The most common LASIK alternatives are PRK and ICL.
What is PRK?
PRK is a procedure that can permanently correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. This procedure is often a good option for patients who do not qualify for LASIK surgery, particularly those with thin corneas. PRK stands for photorefractive keratectomy. During the PRK procedure, your eye surgeon will remove the cornea’s outer layer called the epithelium, then use an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. PRK is an outpatient procedure that can be done in the doctor’s office and generally takes around ten minutes to complete. After the procedure, your eye doctor will place a temporary bandage contact lens over your eye while you heal.
You may need to take prescription eye drops during the healing process. Most patients report immediate improvement in their vision within the first week, but it may take a month or so to experience your best vision.
Are you interested in learning more about the alternatives to LASIK offered at Evergreen Eye Center? Schedule an appointment at Evergreen Eye Center today!
What is an ICL?
ICL stands for implantable collamer lens. An ICL is a soft, flexible lens that is implanted in your eye to correct moderate to severe amounts of nearsightedness and astigmatism. Like LASIK, patients who have the EVO ICL are able to reduce their dependence on contact lenses and glasses after the procedure. It is a permanent solution that will help improve your vision and quality of life.
At Evergreen Eye Center, our experienced physicians offer different options of ICLs that can correct your vision, including the EVO ICL.
ICL
The ICL lens material filters ultraviolet light and is flexible enough to be inserted into the eye through a tiny opening that heals quickly. This ICL bends the light to focus directly on your retina, correcting your refractive error.
When the light falls appropriately on your retina, the image you see will be crisp and clear. Though the lens can be a permanent solution, it can be removed or updated if needed.
EVO ICL
The eye doctors at Evergreen Eye Center are proud to offer their patients the state-of-the-art EVO ICL. This implantable lens corrects nearsightedness and nearsightedness with astigmatism.
The EVO ICL also provides excellent day and night vision. A significant benefit of the EVO ICL compared to other ICLs is that the EVO ICL does not require a laser procedure called a peripheral iridotomy prior to the procedure.
Many other types of ICL require this laser procedure to combat high eye pressure after the procedure.
