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Questions
regarding Common Fears and Misconceptions about Colorado Laser
Vision Correction in Denver & Boulder Colorado.
1. I HAVE HEARD THAT ULTRAVIOLET
LIGHT CAN CAUSE CANCER. CAN THIS LASER CAUSE CANCER OR ANY OTHER
DISEASES OF THE EYE?
The Excimer Laser has been carefully
studied in this regard, and there is no risk of cancer from this
procedure. Nor is there any risk of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal
detachments, macular degeneration or any other known eye disease.
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2. WILL I BE ABLE TO SEE
ANYTHING DURING THE LASIK PROCEDURE?
Yes. During the procedure, you will be
asked to look at a blinking light. This will help to maintain proper
alignment of the eye during the procedure. You will not see the
actual cutting of the LASIK flap.
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3. WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF
ELIMINATING MY NEED FOR GLASSES OR CONTACTS AFTER EXCIMER LASER
TREATMENT?
In the thousands of cases of Laser Vision
Correction I have performed, 80% of patients have 20/25 or better
vision without correction, and 95% of patients will see well enough
to pass a driver's test (20/40) without correction. Less than 3%
of my patients are wearing any correction for distance after Laser
Vision Correction.
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4. WHAT IF I MOVE
OR BLINK DURING THE PROCEDURE?
Patients worry about this a great
deal, and their fear is unnecessary because I only use the VISX
Star S4 ActiveTrack Excimer and the Autonomous LADAR Excimer. Both
of these Lasers have active tracking devices that keep the Laser
automatically and accurately centered on your eye, no matter how
much you move your eye. No matter how hard a patient tries to hold
still, their is still some minimal eye movement. Normal breathing
and the heart beating will cause small movements. On the VISX and
Autonomous, the computer-controlled robotics keep the Excimer precisely
centered. The Nidek Excimer Laser (the Laser used by "low cost"
Laser centers) does not have an auto-tracking system, the doctor
has a manual "joystick" control on the Laser to keep the Laser centered
on your eye. If your eye moves during the LASIK procedure, which
it inevitably will, the doctor must manually focus the Nidek Laser.
This is not as responsive or as precise as the active tracking Excimer
Lasers. Incidentally, you will not be able to blink during the LASIK
procedure as your eye will be held open by an eyelid speculum. The
speculum rarely causes even minimal discomfort. I have been performing
Laser Vision Correction since 1996 and have yet to have a patient
that could not cooperate and hold still for the procedure!
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5. IS LASER
VISION CORRECTION PAINFUL?
There is virtually no discomfort
during the procedure. No needles are used. The eyes are anesthetized
with eye drops that are instilled prior to the procedure. PRK patients
experience mild to moderate discomfort during the initial healing
period after the procedure is performed. A prescriptive pain medication
may be needed. LASIK patients rarely experience much discomfort
and if discomfort does occur, it is usually mild and lasts for only
a few hours. No prescriptive pain medication is needed for LASIK
patients.
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6. ARE
THERE ANY RISKS INVOLVED?
The Excimer Laser procedure, like all
medical procedures, has limitations and risks, although the risk
of having a serious vision-threatening complication is less than
1%. We all fear losing our vision. However, NO cases of blindness
have been reported as a result of an FDA-approved Excimer Laser
for either PRK or LASIK. Common complications include glare at night
(which usually resolves within weeks to months), corneal flap wrinkles
(which can usually be treated by "refloating the flap"),and under/overcorrection
(which can be successfully retreated 3 months after the initial
procedure). If you would like more information, we will be happy
to review the potential risks with you in detail.
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7. CAN I GO BLIND FROM
EXCIMER LASER SURGERY?
Anything is "possible" but very,
very unlikely. There has not been one case of blindness reported
in any of the FDA studies.
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8.I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT HAPPY WITH LASIK. HOW COME?
When talking to a person that
is not happy with their LASIK result, I would ask the following
questions. First, when was the procedure performed and which Excimer
Laser was used. Excimer Lasers prior to May, 2001 did not have auto-tracking
devices, did not have large treatment zones and did not have SmoothScan
technology. Patients Lasered after May, 2001 on the VISX Star S3
or S4 or the Autonomous Excimer Laser have a significantly lower
incidence of glare and halos, the most common LASIK problems. Second,
I would ask who performed their LASIK procedure. In my experience,
patients who choose a LASIK Surgeon that they have met prior to
surgery and who performs their surgery and all post-op visits, have
been happier with their LASIK results than those patients who have
not met their Lasik Surgeon and who only had their pre and post-op
care performed by optometrists or technicians. It is difficult to
have confidence in the LASIK Surgeon when you have never met the
Surgeon! Third, ask if the unhappy Lasik patient is over 45 years
old and having difficulty adapting to either monovision or the need
for reading glasses. People over 45 have difficulty focusing their
eyes for near vision; this is due to their age, not LASIK.
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9. WILL I SMELL ANYTHING
DURING LASIK?
Each pulse of the Excimer Laser
removes approximately .25 microns (about 3000 molecules) of corneal
tissue by breaking carbon-carbon bonds. A byproduct of the tissue
ablation is the release is ozone, which smells somewhat like "burning
hair".
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10.I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT
I AM NOT A CANDIDATE FOR LASIK.
I have seen, and successfully
treated patients that were told they were not LASIK candidates.
Some eye doctors simply do not understand LASIK, are not aware of
technologic advances, or are not comfortable recommending LASIK
to their patients and tell potential LASIK patients that they are
not a candidates for LASIK. I have seen potential LASIK candidates
that were told, incorrectly, by their eye doctor that they would
not get a good result or would experience intolerable "side
effects" and were subsequently Lasered by me and got excellent
results.
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(303)393-0347
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