Vision Care Specialists

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FALSE. While any surgical procedure carries some risk, such risk can be minimized by choosing an experienced surgeon, and, in the case of LASIK, a cornea-subspecialist (LASIK is a form of cornea surgery). As it turns out, wearing contact lenses actually poses MORE risk than LASIK, because corneal ulcers and infections can arise from dirty contacts or contaminated lens solutions. While glasses remain the safest form of vision correction, they often carry their own risks in emergency situations (fire, earthquake), in the course of an individual's employment (firefighters, police, etc.) or during leisuretime activities (shattered lenses caused by a baseball).

FALSE. First, your surgeon must determine the optimal treatment plan for you - choice of laser, type of procedure (LASIK; flapless LASIK). Next, your surgeon must determine the appropriate treatment zone and level of correction required. Then he must manually preprogram the laser for each and every patient. To determine the correct laser setting for a patient's unique vision needs, the surgeon must rely on HIS own previous patient results. This is why the greater the surgeon's patient volume and experience with a particular laser, the better his results will be.

FALSE. A skilled cornea subspecialist can treat cataracts later in life after LASIK or other refractive procedures have been performed.

FALSE. A thorough pre-operative exam is crucial in order to (i) assess the health of your eyes; (ii) identify any confounding factors that may be affecting your eyesight; (iii) precisely measure your eyes in terms of your refractive error, degree of astigmatism, corneal thickness, pupil size, and other factors that influence your treatment plan. Insist that your surgeon be involved in this exam, since he will ultimately perform your procedure, and your vision outcome will depend crucially on the quality of the pre-operative exam and how this clinical information is integrated into your treatment plan.

TRUE. People with "perfect" 20/20 vision must wear "readers" later in life due to presbyopia (the aging of the eye). LASIK patients are simply being returned to this "perfect" state of nature, in which their distance vision is clear and astigmatism distortion eliminated. When you have your pre-operative exam at PVI, ask to have "monovision" simulated for you. Monovision is a form of LASIK that reduces your dependence on galasses and contacts for BOTH near and far vision!

FALSE. Patient anxiety or inability to focus is NEVER the cause of a bad LASIK outcome, as long as you have a skilled, experienced surgeon who uses a 3-D laser tracker. At Pepose Vision Institute, we lightly sedate our patients to make their ALASIK experience relaxed and stress-free. We never use any laser that requires a patient's eye to be dilated during surgery, because this can create discomfort both during and after treatment.

FALSE. The ideal provider is one that is very experienced in performing LASIK and treats other sight-threatening conditions of the eye. PVI was the first, and remains the most experienced, provider of LASIK in the bi-state region. In addition, it is recognized as a pre-eminent provider of glaucoma, cataract and corneal surgery services. When you come to PVI for your vision correction pre-operative exam, the health of your eyes will be evaluated, in order to assure that there are no confounding conditions that will lessen the benefits of LASIK. You will receive continuity of care in having any such condition treated prior to vision correction surgery, and followed in conjunction with your LASIK procedure. It is extremely rare to have this "win-win" combination of LASIK experience and comprehensive eyecare in one practice!

FALSE. The primary improvements in laser technology are to increase patient "parameters" such that individuals with high degrees of myopia or thin corneas become eligible candidates for LASIK. As these lasers become more sophisticated, they also become MORE, not less, expensive (currently in the $500,000-600,000 range). Nationwide, the best surgeons - who offer the best outcomes, access and pre- and post-operative care - have not reduced their surgical fees. In fact, they CANNOT, if they are to continue to offer the service and state-of-the-art technology that they currently provide. Waiting is not a cost-free alternative. Waiting costs money (outlays on glasses, contacts, solutions, etc.); waiting can create vision problems (infections resulting from dirty contacts or contaminated eye solutions); and waiting defers the significant improvement in lifestyle and personal safety resulting from vision correction surgery.

FALSE. Most often it is precisely the "average" person just like you - with glasses constantly sliding down your nose during the summer months; with young children who knock your glasses off; with jobs that are unsafe when glasses or contacts are lost - who opts for LASIK. Just as you budget monthly for your automobile payment, you can budget monthly for your LASIK procedure by choosing one of the several payment plans available at PVI. We even offer 0% down and 0% interest plans for qualified patients!