Laser Vision Correction

Advanced Laser Systems

At the Center for Advanced Eye Surgery, we use the VISX Star S4 Tracking Laser to perform all refractive procedures. This VISX Star S4 excimer laser system has a faster chair, automatic alignment™ for both eyes along with horizontal alignment capability, multiple treatments, offline programming and the following exciting features:

Variable Spot Beam Technology:

Variable-shaped beams ranging in size from 0.65 to 6.5 millimeters are scanned and offset to allow personalized refractive treatments. Exclusive SmartBeam™ technology adjusts beam size according to treatment, minimizing corneal tissue removal.

ActiveTrak™ 3-D Active Eye Tracking:

The only laser system that can capture all three dimensions of intraoperative eye movements without the requirement of pupillary dilation.

Larger Ablation Zones:

VSS™ (Variable Spot Scanning) technology adds a blend zone that increases the ablation zone by 51%, increasing the overall diameter of the ablation to 8 millimeters.

For more information contact our Patient Advisor at 330-747-2733 or [email protected].

Everyone is talking about LASIK surgery. LASIK is short for Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis – a refractive procedure that uses an excimer laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea to correct a variety of vision problems.

Who Can Benefit from Lasik or any Refractive Procedure?

Refractive procedures can effectively correct a variety of vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. You need to meet a certain qualifying criteria to be eligible for a refractive procedure. Your eye must be healthy, your current prescription must be stable for at least one year, and you should be in good general health.

How Do I Know if I Am a Good Candidate?

When you schedule a pre-operative examination, you will receive a thorough evaluation. It will be necessary to do a number of different tests to measure the curve, shape and thickness of the cornea. Your eyes will be dilated so we can evaluate the health of the complete eye. When all the tests have been completed, the doctor will sit and discuss which refractive options are available for your consideration. This examination usually takes about two hours to complete.

If I Wear Contact Lenses, Do I Need to Take Them Out for the Exam?

Contact lenses, whether they are soft or gas permeable, change the shape of your natural cornea. When considering a refractive procedure, it is of the utmost importance that the surgical measurements we gather reflect your true cornea and not the cornea that has been modified by the contact lens. Therefore, we have a set of guidelines that we follow. Soft contact lenses need to be out of the eye for at least three days prior to the examination. If the exam tells us that you are a good candidate and you want to move forward to plan the procedure, we will ask that the lenses stay out for seven days prior to the surgery date.

Gas permeable lenses present a different scenario because the cornea takes much longer to return to its natural state. We like to be able to start from the beginning and monitor the corneal shift. In order to do this, we ask that you take out the lens the night before your preliminary exam. At this exam, you will be at the office for about 30 minutes. We will basically check your refraction and pachymetry (corneal thickness). With those two tests, we can determine if your corneal thickness will allow a refractive procedure. If it does, and you want to pursue the complete exam, we will then ask you to return to the office in two to three weeks. At that time, we will again check your refraction and verify how much change has taken place. We will ask you to return one last time in another two weeks at which time we will perform a dilated exam. When we know that the corneal shift is complete, we will allow the surgery to take place. It is a longer process, but it is the only way to be sure of providing you with your best personal vision. (Please note: when coming back at 2-week intervals, contact lenses have to stay out.)

Is the Procedure Done at a Hospital?

No. Our refractive procedures are performed at our free-standing outpatient surgery center – The Center for Advanced Eye Surgery on Western Reserve Road in Poland, Ohio. On the day of your procedure, you should plan to be with us for about one to two hours. The surgery requires only anesthetic eye drops and is done in your street clothes. Refractive patients are awake for their procedures that are completed in only a matter of minutes. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home from your procedure.

Is There any Pain?

There is no pain during the procedure. If you are having LASIK procedure, you will feel a brief moment of pressure when the microkeratome is being used to create the flap. Other than that, patients report no discomfort during the procedure.

Once the procedure is completed, and the surgeon has released you, you will be asked to keep your eyes closed to allow the healing of the flap to begin. A sleeping pill is prescribed to allow you to obtain about six to eight hours of immediate sleep. Once you have gotten past that time period, the flap has already started the healing process and patients note little discomfort.

For those that cannot sleep, mild discomfort may be experienced. It may feel as if there is an eyelash or a little piece of glass in the eye. This discomfort lasts for six to eight hours. If you sleep, by the time six to eight hours have passed, enough of the flap edge has begun to heal that you do not experience that sensation.

How often will I Plan to See the Doctor?

Your post-operative visits are vital to allowing us to monitor your healing process, and every effort must be made on your part to keep them as scheduled. You will see your surgeon on the morning after your LASIK procedure. On the fifth day, you will once again see the doctor who performed your pre-operative examination. You will need to see them again at the 1 and 3-month marks.

Are there Risks Associated with LASIK?

There are risks involved in every surgery. At your pre-operative examination, you will be asked to view a surgical consent video that is meant to help make you aware of such possibilities. These will also be discussed in more detail with your doctor during your examination, and they can include infection, undercorrection, overcorrection, irregular astigmatism and flap-related complications. We take every precaution to avoid as many risks as possible for our patients.

What if I Need a Retreatment?

Retreatments can be performed as long as there is enough remaining corneal tissue and the surgeon feels that you would obtain a visual benefit from the enhancement. Retreatments can only be planned when we know that the current refraction has remained stable for a period of time. It is not recommended to plan an enhancement until at least three to six months following the original procedure.

For more information, please contact the patient advisor by phone at 330-747-2733330-747-2733 or [email protected].

There are many refractive surgery options available today. Most of them involve a process of modifying the shape of the cornea, as is done with LASIK, Epi-LASEK and PRK. The clear lens exchange procedure is different. This procedure is similar to modern cataract surgery in that the physician uses a multi-focal, intra-ocular implant. The implant is designed with concentric rings that allow the patient to see near, far, and in-between, in other words, more clearly at all distances.

The Epi-LASEK procedure involves a gentle loosening of the most superficial layer of the cornea, instead of creating an incisional flap in the cornea. This tissue is slid off to the side while the excimer laser is used to modify the shape of the cornea. A contact lens is placed on the surface of the cornea to both protect the eye and provide patient comfort for the first five days following the procedures.

 Epi-LASEK is an ideal choice of procedures for anyone with too thin a cornea or who have been diagnosed with very dry eyes, glaucoma, vascular problems, or a scotopic (large) pupil. It is also preferred for those who have undergone a previous corneal surgery, including PRK, and for those whose profession or hobby puts them at a high risk for trauma. With less intraoperative and postoperative complications, Epi-LASEK has a higher margin of safety compared to standard LASIK.

Why Must I Wear a Contact Lens for Five Days

Due to the way the procedure is performed on the cornea, it takes a little time for it to heal into place. The bandage contact lens allows for the superficial layer to heal faster (within five days) and helps you feel less discomfort. With continued healing, visual clarity takes about two to four weeks.

Will I be Able to See During this Healing Process?

Yes… you will have vision, but it will not be as clear as you had with your glasses or contacts. During the initial 10-day period, your vision will be slightly blurry. Our patients give us a good description – they tell us that it is like looking through a thin layer of Vaseline. Once you are past this period, the vision quickly and steadily improves each day. By one month, most Epi-LASEK patients have vision equal to a standard LASIK patient.

Since this Procedure is Done Differently, is it Still Performed as an Outpatient?

Yes, this procedure is performed as an outpatient and does not involve any extra surgical time. We do expect that you might have some discomfort during the first eight to ten hours following the procedure. Pain pills and sleeping pill are prescribed to help ease discomfort.

If My Vision will be Blurry, How Soon can I Return to Work and all Normal Activities?

Most patients prefer to have both eyes done at the same time. We ask you not to drive for one week after the procedure if you have both eyes done, but many patients are able to return to work earlier. If you do not have the opportunity to alter your schedule, you have the option of doing one eye at a time.

If I Have to Expect Blurry Vision in the Beginning, Why would I want to Have Epi-LASEK?

For some patients, it is their only choice, so that makes it easy for them. For patients who do not have a medical reason to choose Epi-LASEK, it is just a matter of personal choice. Some patients fear the actual LASIK procedure and flap creation. Some patients prefer a procedure with less instrumentation and less risk both intraoperatively and postoperatively. For those who have a profession that may cause them to get a piece of metal or wood in the eye, this procedure is the safer choice. This procedure is also recommended for police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, etc., who have to worry about taking a blow to the face or eye.

For more information, please contact the patient advisor by phone at 330-747-2733330-747-2733 or [email protected].

Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK)

Astigmatic Keratotomy is a refractive procedure that removes or reduces astigmatism through a series of small incisions created in a curved pattern. This causes the steep axis of the cornea to flatten changing the focusing power. Most often, this procedure can be performed in our surgery room within our clinic with the patient awake and in their street clothes. First, the patient will receive anesthetizing drops to the eye(s). The surgeon will then make a temporary mark in a spore-like pattern upon the cornea. Using a microscope and a diamond-tipped instrument, a pair of incisions will be made on the cornea to the specific length and depth required to achieve the proper optical correction.

What Can I Expect After the Procedure is Completed?

For the first 24 hours following the procedure, you may experience some mild light sensitivity and irritation. There may be some pain, which is usually alleviated by over-the-counter medication. We suggest that you schedule no activities for the remainder of the day and evening. You will be given drops to use for one week.

How Do You Decide if this is the Best Choice of the Refractive Procedures for Me?

Before any refractive procedure is scheduled for you, a complete pre-operative examination will be performed. Thorough testing will be done during this dilated exam. At the completion, the doctor will be able to discuss your refractive options and help guide you as to which would best suit both your visual and lifestyle needs.

Are there any Risks Associated with this Procedure?

There are risks involved in every surgery. These will be discussed in detail with your doctor during the examination, but they can include infection, undercorrection and over correction. We do take every precaution to avoid as may risks as possible for our patients.

Keratectomy (PRK)

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a laser vision correction procedure used by ophthalmologists to permanently change the shape of the cornea to improve the way it focuses light on the retina. Instead of creating an incisional flap in the cornea, as is done with the LASIK procedure, a very small amount of surface corneal cells are removed. With the laser, gentle pulses of concentrated, cool, ultraviolet light beams are then applied to modify the shape of the cornea. A contact lens is placed on the surface for the first few days and visual acuity is steadily gained over the first month.

In recent years, a modified version of PRK procedure was developed and is now referred to as Epi-LASEK. It involves a gentle loosening of the most superficial layer of the cornea and the reshaping of the cornea with the excimer laser. The difference is that with Epi-LASEK, the loosened tissue is slid back in place on the cornea and a contact lens is placed on the surface to both protect the eye and provide patient comfort. Epi-LASEK allows the patient the benefit of a shortened healing process over the PRK procedure.

Knowing that Healing Time is Extended with PRK, Why Would I Choose it over LASIK or Epi-LASEK?

PRK is not the most frequently requested procedure. While the procedure has its merits, the delayed healing process causes many potential patients to choose one of the alternative methods. There are, however, some instances when it is the only procedure for consideration due to a particular job requirement. This occurs in some isolated circumstances with certain branches of law enforcement professions.

For more information, please contact the patient advisor by phone at 330-747-2733330-747-2733 or [email protected].

Why Would Someone Choose this Procedure?

The Clear Lens Exchange Procedure is Recommended For:

How is this Procedure Accomplished?

To perform this procedure, the physician will replace the natural lens inside your eye with the new implant. Creating a very small incision (less than 3 mm) on the white of the eye, the physician is able to use a special piece of equipment that uses ultrasonic vibrations to break apart the natural lens and vacuums it from the eye. The foldable implant is then inserted through the small incision. Once inside, the implant unfolds and is placed into permanent position. The incision that was created is so minuscule that it seals itself and no stitches are required. The whole procedure takes about 15 minutes.

This procedure is performed in our outpatient surgery center – The Center for Advanced Eye Surgery, located on Western Reserve Road in Poland, Ohio.

For more information please contact the patient advisor by phone at 330-747-2733330-747-2733 or [email protected].

The Epi-LASEK procedure involves a gentle loosening of the most superficial layer of the cornea, instead of creating an incisional flap in the cornea. This tissue is slid off to the side while the excimer laser is used to modify the shape of the cornea. A contact lens is placed on the surface of the cornea to both protect the eye and provide patient comfort for the first five days following the procedures.

Epi-LASEK is an ideal choice of procedures for anyone with too thin a cornea or who have been diagnosed with very dry eyes, glaucoma, vascular problems, or a scotopic (large) pupil. It is also preferred for those who have undergone a previous corneal surgery, including PRK, and for those whose profession or hobby puts them at a high risk for trauma. With less intraoperative and postoperative complications, Epi-LASEK has a higher margin of safety compared to standard LASIK.