Now a recognized subspecialty of ophthalmology, refractive surgery uses surgical techniques to reduce one’s dependence on glasses or contact lenses. The refractive surgeons at Shepard Eye Center are highly trained in the use of laser and incisional refractive procedures. Such surgeries include LASIK laser vision correction, the implantable collamer lens, astigmatism correction, and lens replacement surgery.
LASIK is the most popular laser surgery in America. LASIK laser vision correction uses a laser to reshape the cornea tissue at the front of the eye to reduce the need for glasses. It helps correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
LASIK is a painless surgery that takes only a few minutes. The surgeons at Shepard Eye Center perform LASIK in our in-office laser suite using the latest laser technology. The effects are immediate and permanent. Although LASIK surgery isn’t for everybody, a thorough examination by your eye doctor can determine whether you are a good candidate.
The implantable collamer lens or ICL has been recently approved by the FDA for correction of myopia or nearsightedness. It also may be used in farsighted patients enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial. The surgeons at Shepard Eye Center were some of the first in the nation to implant the ICL.
The ICL artificial lens is implanted in the eye behind the pupil and in front of the natural lens. It is similar to a contact lens but placed inside the eye by your surgeon in the operating room. The painless surgery takes about 10 minutes. After surgery, the eye never feels the lens and it doesn’t need to be replaced or removed. The lens corrects the vision, reducing or eliminating the patient’s need for glasses.
The ICL may especially be a great option for patients who are not good candidates for LASIK laser surgery but who want to be less dependent on glasses. Shepard Eye Center was at the forefront in developing this lens and participated in the original FDA trials that led to its approval.
Astigmatism is one of the causes of blurry vision that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. For patients desiring to reduce their astigmatism permanently, the surgeons at Shepard Eye Center can use several options tailored to the patient’s needs to improve vision.
Correcting astigmatism for some patients may be best performed using LASIK laser vision correction. Other patients may benefit from limbal relaxing incisions performed in the office or at the time of cataract surgery. Patients undergoing cataract surgery may also benefit from a toric intraocular lens. Toric artificial lenses are implanted in the eye at the time of cataract surgery and are designed to reduce pre-existing astigmatism.
Refractive surgery for some patients may best be accomplished by a lens replacement surgery. If a patient has a cataract then cataract surgery is performed to replace the cloudy lens with an artificial lens. For patients who have lost their near focus but do not yet have a cataract, then a refractive lens exchange may be their best option.
The refractive lens exchange procedure is similar to cataract surgery in that the natural lens inside the eye is replaced with an artificial lens. One such lens is the ReSTOR lens, which restores far and near focus for most patients. |
