How Long Does Laser Eye Surgery Last?
If you have been thinking about getting laser eye surgery at Excel Laser Vision Institute’s Orange County clinic, one of the main questions you could have is how long does laser eye surgery last? Honestly, Doctor Moosa, a LASIK surgeon in Orange County, tells us that there isn’t one surefire answer to how long laser eye surgery will last a person. This is because we are all different, and similar to any procedure or surgery, the results will vary.
Also, there’s so much more that goes into it, and the experienced LASIK Orange County staff understands that choosing laser eye surgery to improve your eyesight is most likely a serious decision you’ll make. That’s why this matter is broken down in more detail down below.
How Long Does Laser Eye Surgeries Such As LASIK Last?
If you’re getting sick and tired of squinting when you have to read small print or you find yourself reaching for your glasses to read anything from an intriguing article in your favorite rag to instructions on food packaging, you may be considering laser treatment to correct your eyesight as a long-term solution. With a laser eye treatment, you will definitely improve your vision and correct most of your refractive errors because the procedure reshapes the cornea.
When Should I Consider Laser Eye Surgery?
If you are affected by the following symptoms below, you should consider a laser eye surgery procedure and ask about LASIK eye surgery cost.
If you are affected by the following symptoms, you should consider LASIK:
You get headaches when you read for a few minutes.
You lose focus when looking at the small print.
You find you always have to put your reading glasses on.
You are getting embarrassed by the fact you have to squint at labels, and you still can’t make out what they say.
When text is too close, you see it blurred.
If the above speaks to you, bear in mind you’re not alone. As we age, our eyes lose their muscular power and flexibility. When this happens, it becomes more challenging to focus on words or objects that are nearby, LASIK Orange County eye doctors refer to this condition as presbyopia. It affects a majority of people who are age 40 and over, and it usually means you have to wear glasses for reading.
Nevertheless, there’s an option to become reliant on glasses or contact lenses and Excel Laser Vision Institute has many vision correction treatments which can easily correct this common eye condition.
What Are The Top Long-Lasting Laser Eye Surgery Solutions?
Excel Laser Vision Institute has three different laser eye surgery solutions for achieving exceptional long-term vision: LASIK, LASEK, and SMILE.
LASIK: This is the most common laser eye surgery procedure. The eye surgeon uses a laser to make a flap in the eye which is lifted to help reshape the cornea.
LASEK: When a patient is not suitable for LASIK because they have dry eyes, thin corneas or serious problems with focusing. Even though LASIK makes a flap, LASEK consists of loosening the surface of the cornea and folding it back to then reshape it.
SMILE (ReLEx SMILE): It is a less invasive treatment that helps to reshape the cornea through a keyhole procedure rather than creating a flap.
How Long Should Expect LASIK, LASEK, Or SMILE To Last?
If you’re thinking about LASIK, LASEK, or SMILE and would like more information about how long laser eye surgery lasts. You’ll be happy to learn that all three eye laser procedures are permanent.
Besides the fact that these procedures are permanent, most patients who get LASIK surgery achieve 20/20 vision, which means they can see an object that’s twenty feet away. For your information, 20/20 vision is when a person has ‘normal’ eyesight, without requiring eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Nevertheless, regardless of whether you opt for LASIK, LASEK, or SMILE laser eye treatment, it is crucial to be aware of specific factors which may result in vision changing after the procedure. To be fair, there is no clear-cut answer to how long a laser eye surgery lasts. Everyone is an individual, and just like any surgery or procedure, the results will vary.
For instance, when the eye begins to age naturally it leads us to presbyopia territory, even after having laser eye surgery, some people may find we still require eyeglasses for tasks such as driving or reading small print. Although in some instances a person’s need for glasses will be significantly reduced.
Is Laser Eye Surgery A Permanent Solution For Everyone?
Bear in mind that there are other factors which can result in vision changing after the procedure such as vision slowly going back towards your original prescription, even though this is rare.
Plus, specific health conditions can affect the result of how long laser eye surgery lasts. For instance, in the unlikely probability that the surgery does not heal properly, or if hormonal imbalances happen, such as during pregnancy or menopause, or if a person has diabetes.
Another eye issue such as a cataract could also have a negative influence on a person’s eyesight after laser eye surgery.
Who’s A Good Candidate For Laser Eye Surgery?
When you have your first consultation at Excel Laser Vision Institute, your LASIK Orange County eye surgeon will assess your eyes to make sure you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. They will be looking out for the following criteria:
A healthy eye and cornea
A constant eyeglass prescription for about two years
Can Laser Eye Surgery Correct Astigmatism?
Yes. If you have astigmatism, laser eye surgery can help you correct it. Also, it can correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness, and the symptoms of presbyopia.
If you are starting to get frustrated with your bad vision and you can’t tolerate eyeglasses or contact lenses any longer, laser eye surgery may be just the solution you’re looking for. It can help you achieve permanent vision correction, so you no longer have to live with limitations. Make sure to contact Excel Laser Vision Institute to book your free LASIK Orange County eye consultation with us today!
How To Take Care of Your Eyes After Cataract Surgery
The cataract surgeon in Los Angeles and Orange County tell us that cataract surgery is a very common surgery, and it usually takes about ten to thirty minutes to perform. Although the surgery is easy compared to other medical procedures, it’s still just as critical to take care of yourself post-surgery and give your eyes time to heal properly. Make sure you do your research and ask your surgeon some questions, especially what the recovery after surgery looks like and what it involves.
Before you meet up with your cataract surgeon at Excel Laser Vision Institute, read below what cataract surgery involves and how to best take care of your eyes after surgery.
What are Cataracts?
When an eye is infected with cataracts, there’s a cloudy film that forms over the eye’s lens and impairs a person’s vision. Cataracts can develop in one or both eyes. Some research has connected cataracts to diabetes, smoking, and alcohol abuse, but many are just a consequence of years of wear and tear to the eye.
What’s The Best Cataract Treatment?
In the beginning, patients with cataracts usually report mild symptoms that can easily be treated by glasses or contacts. However, cataracts are progressive, and as cataracts develop further, symptoms become more obvious and more challenging to treat with corrective eyewear. In the long run, the only method to effectively restore vision is to surgically replace the clouded lens with an artificial lens.
Once you know the eye surgery cost but you still feel that the concept of cataract surgery is nerve-racking, it may be encouraging to be reminded that based on information from the National Eye Institute that cataract removal is one of the safest, most effective, and most common operations performed in the United States. Around ninety percent of cataract cases report having better vision afterward.
What Does Cataract Surgery Involve?
The cataract surgeon in Los Angeles and Orange County replace the clouded lenses with intraocular lenses (IOLs). These lenses let patients receive clear vision again, usually with very limited requirements for contact lenses and eyeglasses. The procedure is carried out in thirty minutes and doesn’t require sutures.
What Happens After Cataract Surgery?
After your cataract surgery in Los Angeles or Orange County, you’ll most probably wait in a recovery room until the anesthesia starts to wear off. Even though you feel good enough to drive yourself home, the eye doctors will be strongly against this idea and recommend to all their patients to have a friend or family member drive them home after cataract surgery.
Besides the side effects of anesthesia, many people have clouded vision right after cataract surgery, which is the reason why doctors suggest you have someone else drive you home as a safety precaution.
Additionally, having a friend or family member by your side before the procedure is a good way to help you calm any nerves you may have. Also, this friend or family member can stay with you for the rest of the day as you recover.
You shouldn’t eat or drink before the surgery. Your cataract surgeon will inform you on how many hours before surgery you should stop eating and drinking. Furthermore, don’t forget to remove any contact lenses before surgery, and also removing make-up is highly recommended.
How To Take Care Of Your Eyes After Cataract Surgery?
Once you arrive home after cataract surgery, you should just take it easy. Get as much rest as you can. Eye doctors even tell their patients to take a nap when they get home if they can. If you see any bruising around the eye from the anesthesia, or popped blood vessels from the pressure your eyes went through, don’t be concerned. These side effects should go away on their own within a few days.
After you’ve had a good rest of at least a couple of hours at home, you can go ahead and watch some television, bathe or shower, and work on the computer. However, you should avoid swimming pools and hot tubs for up to one week. Over the next few weeks, you shouldn’t do activities that may result in getting dirt or dust in your eyes, such as dusting or gardening.
Furthermore, doctors usually advise patients to avoid cooking for at least a week after cataract surgery. The reason being is that cooking could irritate your eyes as they recover from cataract surgery. As you cook, steam and water could get to your eyes. Although this is not something you would normally be concerned about, it’s important that your eyes don’t become wet for a week after cataract surgery. Plus, patients are also told to avoid extreme heat, something that exists when cooking. Because of the above explanations, you shouldn’t cook for at least a week after cataract surgery.
Make Sure To Take Your Medications
If your eye doctor prescribed antibiotic eye drops, take them for the entire course as prescribed, even if your eyes feel normal. The eye drops help the healing process and help hinder infection. You’ll have to attend several visits with your ophthalmologist in the next few days and weeks after cataract surgery. Your doctor will examine your eyes to confirm that everything is healing as expected. Also, you will be fitted with a new pair of glasses, if you need them.
You should do your best to follow the instructions above to make sure your cataract surgery goes ahead smoothly without or with very few complications to worry about. This will help you recover much faster and help you get back to your normal routine quicker. If you have any particular questions about getting over cataract surgery, the teams at Excel Laser Vision Institute’s Los Angeles and Orange County clinics are ready and happy to answer them.
How To Reduce The Possible Pain and Discomfort After A LASIK Procedure?
Doctor Moosa, a Lasik Los Angeles surgeon, wants to make it perfectly clear that LASIK is the safest and most successful surgical procedure anyone can undergo. Overall, the recovery time after LASIK is very quick and comfortable, particularly when there are no complications during the surgery itself.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, LASIK pain and discomfort is nevertheless a possible risk; however, we reduce that risk by utilizing only the most state-of-the-art laser vision correction technologies and techniques. Also, our LASIK eye surgeons use a thorough screening process that makes sure that only the most suitable candidates will be submitted to undergo the procedure.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, you’ll find a cutting-edge LASIK Los Angeles eye care facility that always puts patient safety, comfort, and overall satisfaction above everything else.
Although when you get your corrective eye surgery done, our team will do everything possible to make sure you have a fast, comfortable recovery, you will have obligations as a patient, too. You will be handed a set of instructions on the dos and don’ts, and you have to follow it to a ‘T’ to ensure you make your healing process as free from stress and discomfort as possible.
What Does LASIK Surgery Involve?
As mentioned above, LASIK is the safest and most effective surgical procedure in the world. People who experience blurry vision because of farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism are suitable candidates for traditional LASIK, custom LASIK (which includes the use of wavefront mapping to correct higher-order aberrations), or bladeless LASIK (which is the use of a femtosecond laser rather than a blade microkeratome to make the corneal flap to get clear vision. Nonetheless, regardless of the LASIK treatment patients opt for, there are still those who report some level of discomfort after surgery.
What’s Basic Discomfort After LASIK Surgery?
Once you have found out the Lasik eye surgery cost and decide to go through the LASIK Los Angeles procedure, you should keep in mind what to expect. Fortunately, severe pain after LASIK surgery is very rare and should not be anticipated on the whole. Nonetheless, some minor discomfort and soreness can be expected. This discomfort could be burning or itchiness, and more commonly, patients experience a sensation of something foreign in their eyes.
Additionally, patients may feel sensitive to light and experience extreme tearing throughout the first few hours after surgery.
Your Harvard-trained LASIK surgeon, Dr. Ferzaad Moosa, may prescribe you a pain reliever to help alleviate this discomfort. Also, you may find using liquid tears handy in managing any burning, itching, or redness that you’re feeling. Overall, though, these unwanted side effects will lessen within three days, if not within a couple of hours after your surgery.
What’s Severe Pain After LASIK Surgery?
Even though it’s very rare, severe pain has been reported by some patients after LASIK surgery. If you ever experience severe pain, particularly if it’s followed by tearing, you should get in touch with your eye care clinic as soon as possible. You should be seen immediately so that an eye doctor can diagnose the reason for your pain. The most common reason for severe pain is flap distortion and other flap-related issues, which can be fixed.
One of the most prevalent causes of flap issues is a failure to follow post-operative instructions. For example, patients should not rub their eyes within a week of surgery, no matter how itchy or irritated their can might get. When you rub your eyes right after LASIK surgery, you could cause the corneal flap to become dislodged. Similarly, patients should stay away from streaming water coming into contact with the eyes, for instance, which can happen during a shower. When these instructions are not followed, it can lead to painful flap-related conditions.
Other Ways To Reduce Pain And Discomfort
Here are other methods you can alleviate discomfort immediately after your LASIK surgery.
Take A Nap Right After Surgery
When surgery is being performed, the eye surgeon applies numbing eye drops to the patient’s eyes. These drops stop any discomfort during the actual procedure. So, patients only feel pressure on the eye while the surgeon creates the corneal flap and the cornea tissue is reshaped. Nevertheless, when the numbing eye drops wear off, which usually happens within an hour after surgery, patients start to feel discomfort. The pain is normally its worst for a few hours after the numbing medication loses its effects.
While this is happening, eye doctors will recommend taking a nap. When you keep your eyes closed, the eyelid is halted from rubbing against the healing corneal flap. Plus, the eyes will probably not dry out when they are closed.
Despite the fact that patients may feel they can’t take a nap, particularly if the surgery is carried out in the morning, the calming medication that is distributed before surgery can lead to patients feeling drowsy after surgery. When patients take advantage of this fatigue, they can sleep through this time that’s linked to the highest level of discomfort.
Apply Lubricating Eye Drops
Even though most of the discomfort is gone by the next morning after surgery, some patients say they experience a dry, gritty feeling in their eyes. Applying lubricating eye drops can ease this kind of discomfort. Make sure to check the eye drop’s label to prevent overuse.
Take Pain Medication
Patients should be ready to take pain medications before any discomfort appears. Most patients take their first dose of medication instantly before or after surgery is completed. When this is done, the pain medication takes effect before the numbing eye drops wear off.
Patients should make it a point to take the second dose of pain medication on time instead of waiting for any pain to become apparent because discomfort is normally at its worst the day the surgery is performed, pain medication should be taken based on the label’s instructions for the first day after surgery.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, LASIK eye surgery enhances your vision. Nevertheless, proper care has to be taken before and after the LASIK surgery. If you want to know more about LASIK Los Angeles surgery, please do not hesitate to call us at (866) 923-9235.
Can I Drive After Having LASIK?
There are a good number of LASIK Los Angeles patients who want to get rid of their dependence on eyeglasses with LASIK surgery. Vision issues, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism, can be corrected with laser eye surgery in Los Angeles. No matter the LASIK eye surgery cost, LASIK is an effective procedure. However, your eye surgeon will warn you prior to the surgery that it can make your vision blurry immediately afterward, which makes it unsafe to drive straight away.
Typical Patient Questions Before A LASIK Procedure
Prior to a patient’s decision to undergo LASIK surgery, many candidates have questions about what they can or cannot do after the LASIK Los Angeles procedure. They have questions such as:
When can I take a shower?
How soon can I wear makeup?
Will I need glasses?
When can I drive?
When can I go back to work?
Keep on reading down below to get the answers to these questions and more.
How To Prepare For LASIK Surgery?
Once you have booked a date at LASIK Los Angeles procedure, you’ll have to arrange a lift to drop you off at the clinic or travel on public transport. After the surgery has been performed, LASIK eye center Los Angeles surgeons like Doctor Moosa do not recommend going back home alone. If you want to use public transport for your return home, do so with someone accompanying you. The best-case scenario is that someone picks you up after your treatment.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Wear Make-Up?
Eye surgeons recommend you not wear eye makeup after LASIK because it can get into your eye and cause an infection if the makeup is not put on and taken off carefully. Therefore, most LASIK eye doctors will recommend you wait a week after LASIK before putting on eye makeup. Again, it depends on the patient, and some may be ready to put on makeup after a few days, but plan for a week. So, keep that in mind when making your appointment. If for any reason, you have to wear makeup less than a week after a LASIK procedure, it’s probably best to put the surgery on the back burner for a while.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Take A Shower?
You don’t have to skip out on your showers after LASIK. However, you will have to make it a point to make sure you keep your eyes completely closed to stop any shampoo, soap, and water from getting into your eyes. Also, you’ll have to avoid rubbing your eyes when you’re washing your face.
Will I Require Glasses After LASIK?
The short, sweet, and honest answer is, maybe. The main reason why some LASIK patients will have to wear glasses after LASIK is for reading.
As we age, the ciliary muscles in the eye start to lose elasticity. This elasticity is what lets people focus on objects, such as the things they are reading up close. This is known as presbyopia and is usually a part of aging, which is a reason why some people who have never had to hassle with wearing glasses in their life require reading glasses when they get older.
Most of the time, LASIK is carried out to correct distance vision problems and other issues such as refractive errors instead of presbyopia. Nevertheless, the requirement for glasses can lessen if the patient decides to undergo monovision. This procedure corrects one eye for seeing distances, and the other is corrected for seeing near. This is not as adequate for repairing vision, but it helps to relieve the requirement for reading glasses after a LASIK procedure.
When Can I Go Back To Work?
For many patients, about two days off work after a LASIK procedure is the only time they need. Nonetheless, you should remember that you may need up to a week off. Considering that everyone is different, it completely depends on the type of laser eye treatment you have undergone and how quickly you can heal. Your laser eye surgeon will talk to you about this during your free consultation and your first post-op examination.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Drive?
Not everyone’s the same, so everyone’s recovery is going to be different. However, most patients can notice an improvement in their vision within the first 24 hours of their surgery. Throughout that time, any medications would have also subsided. A day after surgery, you’ll be expected to return for a post-operative exam, have your vision tested, and have the eye doctor confirm that your eyes are healing. If your eyes aren’t sufficiently recovered to drive, you’ll only require another day or so to completely heal.
Once Your Eye Doctor Gives You The Okay To Drive
When your LASIK Los Angeles doctor tells you it’s fine to start driving again, there are still a few things you have to keep in mind after surgery.
Some people experience glare, particularly from bright lights, in the weeks after LASIK surgery. As a result of this, you could face some challenges when driving at night when encountering oncoming headlights. That’s why it’s a good idea to be a passenger at night first, to check whether you feel comfortable driving yourself.
Issues with glare usually improve greatly within the first couple of weeks after treatment and carry on improving over the first three months.
Also, you should consider that even though laser eye surgery Los Angeles can significantly enhance your vision, it isn’t a 100% cure, and you may find that you still need your eyeglasses for specific tasks such as driving.
If you’ve still got questions about laser eye surgery, Excel Laser Vision Institute would love to assist you. Book a free, no-obligation consultation with Dr. Ferzaad Moosa to find out if you’re a suitable candidate here.
More About Contoura Vision Eye Surgery
The LASIK Orange County eye surgeon tells us that with the progression in technology in eye surgery, an eye surgical procedure has become more sophisticated, and the patient encounters fewer complications.
Doctor Moosa, one of the best laser eye surgery doctors in Orange County, tells us of one such example of an advanced eye surgery known as Contoura Vision. This surgical procedure is technically more advanced and provides more accurate results than your standard laser surgery. When the LASIK eye surgeon performs Contoura vision surgery, corneal mapping divides the cornea into different elevation points. This helps to eliminate the irregularities of the cornea to the smallest level resulting in more clear vision. The surgery does not involve any blades and has fewer post-operative complications.
Contoura surgery immediately improves vision with a greater reduction in dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses. Since highly sophisticated and modern instruments and ophthalmic expertise are involved, Contoura Vision eye surgery’s cost is slightly higher than traditional LASIK. When considering a Contoura Vision surgery, the patient should always choose a reputable LASIK eye surgeon like the one found in Orange County.
What Is Contoura?
The most advanced and upgraded LASIK eye surgery technique is Contoura Vision. Presently, the LASIK technique is around fifteen years old and only corrects the eye’s refractive power. At the same time, Contoura is one step higher since it restores both the refractive power of the eye and the corneal irregularities. Because of this, a much better outcome than conventional LASIK treatment.
Can You Detect Contoura Vision?
Of course! Your eye doctor can detect Contoura Vision with corneal topography and slit-lamp examination. Nevertheless, it is tough to detect it with simple examination methods in medical evaluation.
What Are The Permanent Effects Of Contoura Vision?
During a Contoura Vision procedure, the corneal surface tissues are permanently removed from the cornea’s surface, located in the front of the eye and maintains long life and permanent effects.
Nevertheless, in some instances, because of changes that happen inside the eye lens, effects may worsen over time, leading to distorted and blurred vision. If an issue similar to this happens and becomes a nuisance, the follow-up enhancement procedure is performed to restore the vision to a normal and clear one.
What Is A Contoura Vision Procedure?
Contoura Vision works on the basis of topography and is performed by an expertly trained LASIK surgeon. It focuses on the natural axis of the eye, for example, the visual axis. The eye surgeon uses a special topolyser to pinpoint and eliminate abnormalities in order to improve the quality of vision.
What Are The Differences Between Contoura Vision And LASIK?
LASIK surgery has been around for about 15 years, whereas Contoura applies the most recent Lasik technology, the key differences being:
The eye surgeon supervises the Contoura technique at all times; meanwhile, LASIK is a surgery that uses a mechanized keratome technique.
Contoura Vision removes irregularities that exist on the corneal surface irregularities are removed. LASIK does not.
The Contoura vision works on the visual axis and the superior axis. In LASIK surgery, the focus is on the pupil axis.
Contoura Vision saves more contoura vision.
LASIK is sometimes blade-free, while Countoura is always blade-free.
Contoura vision can achieve results better than 6/6 vision, whereas LASIK may not.
Does Countoura Vision Use Any Blades?
No. Contoura Vision is bladeless and consists of the use of two lasers. The first is the Femtosecond laser used to make a corneal flap, and the second is the Excimer laser that reshapes the cornea. The procedure is bladeless, painless, and stitchless.
What Are The Advantages Of Contoura Vision?
Contoura vision was created to upgrade and do away with the side effects of LASIK surgery. The advantages of the Contoura vision are:
You can do it at any age.
Lessening the dependence on eyeglasses or contact lens reduces.
Difficulty in driving at night reduces
Sensitivity towards light scales down
Painless
No hospitalization is needed.
Blade-less
Stich-less
No injection is used.
Minor side effects
What Makes Countoura Vision Different Than Smile (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction)?
The two have similarities, but it is crucial to understand the key differences, such as:
SMILE can only correct nearsightedness.
Every section of the eye is inspected in Countoura Vision, while SMILE focuses on the cornea.
Results of Countoura Vision have been better than 6/6. This is not always guaranteed with SMILE.
There are fewer reported side effects in Contoura Vision.
If you are considering Contoura Vision LASIK in Orange County and want to speak to someone about any questions you may have, do not hesitate to contact Excel Laser Vision Institute today!
What Is Cataracts And How to Treat It Properly
The Cataract surgeon in Los Angeles and Orange County tells us that there is a natural lens inside our eyes. This lens bends (refracts) light rays that enter the eye to help us see. As any eye doctor can tell you, the lens should be clear.
What Are The Vision Problems You Can Experience With Cataracts
When there is a cataract in the eye, the lens becomes cloudy. The person affected by the cataract may describe how they see as if they are looking through a foggy or dusty car windshield. Objects appear blurry, hazy, or less colorful with a cataract.
What Are The Symptoms Of Cataracts?
Below are some vision changes you may observe if you have a cataract:
Blurry vision
You see a double or a ghosted image out of the eye with cataract
Feeling extra sensitive to light (particularly with oncoming headlights at night)
Having problems seeing well at night or requiring more light when you read
You see bright colors as faded or yellow instead
If you notice these cataract symptoms, talk to your cataract surgeon in Los Angeles or Orange County.
What Causes Cataracts?
The cataract surgeons in Los Angeles inform us that aging is the most common cause of cataracts. This is because of normal eye changes that start to occur after 40. Around this time, normal proteins in the lens begin to break down. This is what the best laser eye surgeon say causes the lens to get cloudy. People who are over the age of sixty usually begin to have some clouding of their lenses. Nevertheless, vision issues may not occur until years later.
Here are a few other reasons why you may get cataracts:
You have parents, brothers, sisters, or other family members who have cataracts.
You have particular medical problems, such as diabetes.
You smoke.
You have had an eye injury, eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body.
You have spent a lot of time in the sun, especially without sunglasses that protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays
You use certain medications, such as corticosteroids, which may cause the early formation of cataracts.
Most age-related cataracts develop slowly. Other types of cataracts can progress more quickly. For instance, those in younger people or those in people with diabetes. Doctors cannot foresee how quickly a person’s cataract will develop.
You Can Slow Down The Advancement Of Cataracts
You can probably decelerate the development of cataracts. Doctors recommend that you should protect your eyes from sunlight. The best method to do this is with sunglasses. Wear sunglasses that block out the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light rays. Also, you can wear eyeglasses that have a clear, anti-UV coating. Discuss with your ophthalmologist to find out more.
Cataract Diagnosis
Typically, an eye doctor will examine and test your eyes to make a cataract diagnosis. This thorough eye exam includes dilation, which means the doctor will use eye drops to open up the pupils.
Slit-lamp exam
The ophthalmologist will examine the cornea, iris, lens, and the other areas located at the front of the eye. The special slit-lamp microscope makes it simpler to find abnormalities.
Retinal exam
When your eye is dilated, the pupil is widened, the doctor can see the back of the eye more clearly. The doctor uses a slit lamp, an ophthalmoscope or both to look for signs of cataract. Also, an ophthalmologist will check for glaucoma and take a look at the optic nerve and retina.
Refraction and visual acuity test
This test checks the sharpness and clarity of a person’s vision. Each eye is tested on its own for the ability to see letters of varying sizes.
What Do Cataracts Look Like?
Cataracts appear in many different forms and develop for many various reasons. Here are a few types of cataracts.
Mature Cataract (Nuclear)
A mature cataract is when the cataract has become large and dense. When there is a mature cataract, the eye’s lens is opaque, which means you can’t see through it, and there is severely limited vision. This type of cataract is a nuclear cataract, which means it begins deep in the center of the lens (nucleus).
Congenital Cataract
A congenital cataract is when it is found in a baby’s eye at birth. Children’s eyes and vision keep developing until they are about ten years old. If a congenital cataract is not treated early, a child’s vision can be affected for life.
Diabetic Snowflake Cataract
Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at a higher risk of developing cataracts. Uncontrolled levels of blood sugar cause changes in the eye’s lens. Normally, people with uncontrolled diabetes have a diabetic or “snowflake” cataract. The eye has a grayish-white starburst or snowflake appearance.
Traumatic Cataract
Also, a cataract can develop due to trauma to the eye, either by blunt force such as a blow to the eye or something that penetrates the eye. A cataract can be seen as the cloudy, white area in the middle of the eye, and part of the iris is separated (see the brownish-orange area on the right side). Thousands of eye injuries happen every day, yet nine out of ten of them are preventable by wearing proper safety eyewear.
After A Cataract Diagnosis, What Should I Do?
Have an eye exam every year if you’re older than 65, or every two years if younger.
Protect your eyes from UV light by wearing sunglasses that block at least 99 percent UV and a hat.
Quit smoking. Smoking is a main risk factor for cataracts.
When reading or doing other activities use brighter lights. If you want, you can also use a magnifying glass.
Do not drive at night when night vision, halos or glare become issues.
Take care of any other health issues, particularly diabetes.
Get suitable eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct your vision.
When it becomes difficult to complete your regular activities, think about cataract surgery.
Make an informed decision about cataract surgery. Have a discussion with your ophthalmologist about:
the surgery
preparation for and recovery after surgery
advantages and possible complications of cataract surgery
cataract surgery costs
other questions you have
How Can You Treat Cataracts?
You can only get rid of cataracts through surgery. If you can live with your cataract symptoms, you may need a new eyeglass prescription to help you see better. It would be best to think about surgery when cataracts hinder you from doing your daily routine or things you want to do.
Will the Covid-19 Vaccine Affect Your Vision?
Some LASIK Los Angeles patients are apprehensive about the COVID vaccines and how it affects their vision. There are fears of side effects as well as vision issues. Doctor Moosa, one of the best LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles says it is the main reason some people are hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine. At the moment, there’s no evidence that any of the vaccines cause overall vision-related side effects. Presently, three vaccines are being used in the United States:
Pfizer-BioNTech, now completely approved by the FDA under the brand name Comirnaty.
Moderna.
Johnson & Johnson / Janssen.
The CDC says, many vaccine side effects are moderate, and are “normal signs that the body is building protection.” LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles inform us that they do not include eye- or vision-related symptoms.
These common side effects include:
Redness, pain, and/or swelling in the arm where you got the injection.
Fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and/or nausea.
These prevalent reactions usually go away within a few days.
What Are The Rare Reactions To The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine?
In some instances, a blood-clotting condition called TTS (Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome) can happen in the weeks following a Johnson & Johnson vaccination. TTS is extremely rare and happens in around 3 in every 1 million adults.
The best laser eye surgery doctors in Los Angeles say that blurry vision can be a symptom of TTS, plus several other symptoms.
Also, the rare nerve condition Guillain-Barre syndrome has been noticed in around eight in every one million adults vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Guillain-Barre syndrome can cause eye-related symptoms such as double vision and issues moving the eyes, along with other neurological symptoms.
If you detect any symptoms of TTS or Guillain-Barre in the days or weeks after a J&J vaccine, get medical help immediately.
Although these are uncommon reactions, the CDC has emphasized that — compared to a COVID-19 infection — the advantages of the J&J vaccine cancel out any risks.
Eye Issues Linked To Other Vaccines
Although the COVID-19 vaccines have still not caused notable side effects yet related to vision, vaccines for many other conditions have been connected to eye and vision issues.
Seasonal flu vaccine
In exceptional cases, some patients who’ve got the flu vaccine experienced mild symptoms such as eye redness, eye pain, and blurred vision.
Common side effects of the flu vaccine include:
Headache
Redness, soreness, or swelling at the injection spot
Fever
Nausea
Muscle aches
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
Some studies reveal that optic neuritis is an unusual complication from the vaccine for the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine. Optic neuritis is inflammation altering the optic nerve that transmits cues from the back of the eye to the brain.
Typically, side effects of the MMR vaccine include:
Mild rash
Swollen cheek or neck gland
Fever
Temporary joint pain (significantly in adolescent and adult females)
Rare side effects consist of short-term seizures and low platelet count. The MMR vaccine can lead to deafness, long-term seizures, coma, or brain damage in sporadic instances.
Chickenpox and shingles vaccines
Research has found rare corneal inflammation in children (chickenpox) and adults (shingles) after receiving the zoster virus vaccine for both conditions.
Common side effects from the chickenpox vaccine consist of the following:
Temporary joint pain and stiffness
Mild rash and soreness at the injection spot
Fever
For the shingles vaccine, typical side effects are:
Swelling, redness, soreness, and at the injection site
Muscle pain
Tiredness
Headache
Fever
Shivering
Stomach pain and nausea
What Are Your Options When You Have Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is an eye condition that many LASIK Orange County doctors find in older adults. In this condition, the lens can no longer focus on nearby objects.
For laser eye surgery Orange County doctors, this eye condition is a natural and usually frustrating part of aging. Typically, Presbyopia becomes noticeable in a person’s mid-40s and worsens until the age of 65. As a matter of fact, the term “presbyopia” comes from a Greek word that means “old eye.”
Doctor Moosa, a premier LASIK surgeon in Orange County tells us that you will become aware of Presbyopia when you begin to hold books and newspapers at arm’s length so you can read them. A simple eye exam can affirm Presbyopia. Fortunately, LASIK surgeons in Orange County have different treatment options such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, and surgery.
What Causes Presbyopia?
The LASIK Orange County experts tell us that the clear lens sits inside the eye behind the colored iris. It alters shape to focus light onto the retina, so your eye allows you to see. The lens is soft and flexible in younger eyes and easily changes shape, allowing you to focus on objects close-up and far away. After age 40, the lens becomes stiffer, and it doesn’t alter its shape as effortlessly. This makes it more challenging to read, thread a needle, or do other close-up tasks.
Unfortunately, you can’t stop or reverse the normal aging process that causes Presbyopia. Nevertheless, Presbyopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Individuals who have issues seeing both near and far can take advantage of progressive lenses. Modern medicine recognizes that one day presbyopia will be treated with eye drops. If you do not do something about your Presbyopia, you will suffer from headaches and eye strain.
Also, there is a risk of premature Presbyopia in some people. Patients with cardiovascular disease, anemia, diabetes, farsightedness, eye disease, and multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for premature Presbyopia.
The symptoms of Presbyopia include difficulty reading small letters, having a headache or eye strain. Such people have to hold the material farther away from the eye.
What Are The Treatment Options?
When you ask about laser eye surgery costs, you will find that various treatment options may help you correct this condition. Different options available are non-prescription glasses, prescription glasses, contact lenses, surgery, and orthokeratology lenses. Every option has its pros and cons, and your ophthalmologist may recommend an option that best suits you depending upon your condition and lifestyle.
Reading Glasses
If the only vision problem you have is Presbyopia (you don’t suffer from farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism), eyeglasses may be all you require. Reading glasses help correct close-up vision issues by bending (or refracting) light before it goes into the eye. You can purchase reading glasses without a prescription, but an eye exam should determine the distinguishing power of reading glasses that you require.
Bifocals, Trifocals, or Progressive Lenses
If you already wear eyeglasses for other vision issues now, you might need bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses.
Bifocals correct close-up and far vision. You may or may not notice a line that divides the lens. The bottom of the lens refracts light for close-up vision, while the top portion refracts light to let you view distant objects.
Trifocals have three lens areas to correct for close-up, mid-range, and far vision.
Progressive lenses correct vision such as bifocals and trifocals. But rather than a line that separates each refractive area, refraction changes slowly in the lens from top to bottom.
Contact Lenses
Some people would rather wear contact lenses over eyeglasses. There are two kinds of contact lenses that correct Presbyopia:
Monovision contacts. These correct one eye for distance vision and the other for close-up vision. You have to adapt to monovision lenses and train your brain to see this way. The issue that some people have with monovision is that you can misjudge something’s distance or speed.
Multifocal contacts. These lenses have many rings or zones set at different powers. With this design, you are only using both near and far vision at the same time. However, you can train your brain to automatically opt for the proper focus for what you want to see. You may notice that using a multifocal lens makes your vision less sharp compared to using a monofocal lens.
Surgery
When some patients want to achieve monovision, they do refractive surgery. This can reduce their dependence on glasses for near and far objects. With the use of a laser, an eye doctor alters the cornea for clear far vision in one eye and close-up vision in the other. In a lot of ways, this is like wearing monovision contact lenses. An eye doctor may advise you to try monovision lenses before having LASIK surgery. This will help you decide whether or not monovision is a comfortable option for you.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, we have a team of skilled and committed staff who will quickly answer all of your questions and put you at ease about your surgery. We only use advanced laser vision correction technology to carry out vision correction procedures. Our Harvard-trained surgeon, Dr. Moosa, serves at our Orange County and the Los Angeles offices. After we have assessed your prescription and eye health, we can discuss which eye correction treatment is more suitable for you, the necessary financing you may require, and the next steps. Start your journey towards a clear vision that eliminates your dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses today.
How Safe is LASIK During the Pandemic?
Sadly, many hospitals and medical practices have been adversely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because of the many changes in protocol. Therefore, several LASIK Los Angeles procedures have also been influenced during the pandemic.
LASIK eye surgery is not a medical emergency but rather a selective laser vision correction Los Angeles procedure. Globally, LASIK is the most popular surgery that corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
How Does Covid-19 Affect The Eyes?
Several organs in the body, including the respiratory tract, have a mucous membrane lining. The membrane is vulnerable to coronavirus. Also, it lines the surface of the eye and inside of the eyelids and is referred to as the conjunctiva. The virus transmission via the conjunctiva is a rare condition but can result in conjunctivitis. Your eye looks pink when you have this condition, and the inner membrane (conjunctiva) gets inflamed.
Typically, general body symptoms correlated with the coronavirus are fatigue, fever, and a dry cough, and the primary method of transmission is infected droplets. Although the evidence of infection transmission through the eyes is not well studied nor documented, it is possible that the coronavirus may spread through the eyes.
Are There Any Risks?
Many people who are looking into LASIK surgery wonder if the procedure is safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the increased risk of spreading infection through a contact lens, many individuals go for LASIK for corrective eye surgery.
LASIK surgery helps the patient eliminate the need for contact lenses or dealing with foggy glasses, particularly in health care professionals who have a high risk of acquiring the virus. The LASIK Los Angeles procedure is done safely and is carried out by professionals who take the necessary precautions.
How To Get Ready For LASIK Surgery During Covid-19?
Once you have found out the LASIK eye surgery cost, you have to take the right steps to get ready to treat your eyes with LASIK surgery. Think about the following actions to prepare for the surgery.
- Look for a skilled and experienced surgeon who carries out the surgery with the highest level of safety and care.
- The doctor performs a COVID-19 test before the surgery.
- If you qualify, you should get vaccinated for COVID-19.
- Before getting inside the center, you should be checked for body temperature and other symptoms such as cough. The surgery should not occur if a patient is diagnosed with any of the symptoms.
- The patient should practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. They should wear their mask.
- The patient should arrive relaxed and have eaten something to avoid having the surgery on an empty stomach.
How Has The COVID-19 Pandemic Increased LASIK Enthusiasm?
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, many people in the medical field thought it would significantly lower LASIK procedure volume, as in past economic crises. This was probably due to our knowledge that LASIK and refractive surgery are usually motivated by consumer sentiment and need a lot of unrestricted income. What came as a surprise to many industry experts, including medical equipment manufacturers, commercial LASIK operators, and independent physician LASIK center owners—procedure volume has been strong, with a renewed level of enthusiasm. Many LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles haven’t witnessed such enthusiastic growth since before the 2007-2008 crisis. Again, many say the cause is a perfect storm of many factors.
What Are The Three Main Factors?
The three primary factors that are responsible for this perfect storm of revival in LASIK enthusiasm are the following:
Financial motivators (which always play a huge part)
Lifestyle changes
Safety Concerns
Financial motivators: For the past several years, there has been an evident change to the millennial generation which makes up about 80 million of the world’s population who are seeking LASIK. Even though this is a challenging population to market to persistently, many meet the economic and clinical criteria for a good LASIK candidate.
Alas, the millennial demographic was evidently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-MArch of 2020, many nonessential workers began to work from home. A majority of this group of potential refractive surgery patients did not lose their jobs. They did not leave their homes, their meetings with coworkers were carried out through Zoom, they had more screen time, and their workday became likely undetermined.
Since this group of individuals had nowhere to spend their disposable income due to lockdowns almost overnight, millennials had money to spend on medical procedures instead of clothes, salons, entertainment, travel, and gym memberships.
Lifestyle changes: Another factor that creates the perfect storm for refractive surgery volume to boost is the extra time at home, with people staring at the computer, phone, and tablet screens more. People soon started to figure out that looking at a screen all day causes an increase in eye fatigue, and this was even more apparent for individuals who wore contact lenses.
Safety concerns: The last but not the least motivator is safety. This means the possible viral transmission through hand-to-eye contact. At the beginning of the pandemic, many articles in the media indicated that the novel coronavirus could be passed through tears. Because of the media teaching us all about this, patients became very knowledgeable of the potential transmission route.
LASIK is an elective surgery since it does not treat any life-threatening disease. Moreover, similar to other surgeries, the risk of COVID-19 spread is not high because patients are not so close to surgeons. Many studies reveal that a LASIK procedure is safe if the surgeons follow all the necessary COVID-19 protocols and access personal protective equipment.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, LASIK surgery enhances your vision and provides you with extra benefits. Nevertheless, proper care has to be taken before opting for LASIK surgery. If you want to know more about our COVID-19 protocols during the LASIK Los Angeles procedure, please do not hesitate to call us at (310) 905-8622.
Should I Get Contoura or LASIK Surgery?
Over the years, the LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles have seen technologies advanced in the healthcare field, which has made patients feel more comfortable and healthier. The laser eye surgery professionals stress that it is essential that there are technological advances in the medical field since many patients can’t take advantage of the technologies available in the industry. For instance, some patients are suffering from a new disease or have gone into an advanced stage and are not being treated with the present system of medications and surgery.
And when we talk about the LASIK eye surgery cost, eyeglass removal surgery is not set apart from these advancements. Researchers are attempting to do their best to make surgical treatment with very few complications and the most desired results. An example of such an advanced eye surgery at the LASIK eye center in Los Angeles is Contoura Vision surgery, which is also referred to as Topography-guided LASIK surgery.
When any patient asks for LASIK eye surgery cost, they find out that a Contoura Vision surgery is a version of LASIK surgery and offers enhanced benefits to patients thinking about undergoing spectacle removal surgery. Besides the fact that this surgery is very effective, it gives excellent results to patients who were initially not eligible for LASIK surgery because of irregularities in the cornea. The LASIK eye specialist in Los Angeles informs us that USFDA has approved Contoura technology for specs removal surgery.
History Of Contoura Eye Surgery
Wearing eyeglasses to correct vision dates back to the 13th century. In the 1800s, contact lenses were ready for use in Switzerland and were manufactured from hand-blown glass. Back then, these were non-invasive ways for correcting a person’s vision and improving clarity. Nevertheless, these devices lead to discomfort for those who wear them and need a lot of careful handling.
As a result of this, invasive methods were introduced to correct vision. A Russian eye specialist created radial keratotomy, which consisted of the use of a diamond knife to make an incision on the cornea and change its curvature. The process is still used today to manage astigmatism. Afterward, in the 1990s, USFDA approved a more robust procedure for correcting the vision. The process is referred to as photorefractive keratotomy, which has a prolonged vision correction effect. LASIK needs the benefits of both the above techniques and eliminates their disadvantages, leading to more comfort to the patient. These techniques are highly successful and still believed to be the Gold standard in vision correction surgery.
In 1999, a customized procedure came out and was carried out through LASIK with wavefront analysis. The technique was called the Contoura technique and gave 22000 points on the cornea. Compared to Contoura, the conventional LASIK maps just 200 points on the cornea.
Who Is NOT Eligible For Contoura Vision Surgery?
Unfortunately, not everyone who has vision problems can have Topography-Guided LASIK treatment. Typically, the LASIK ophthalmologists in Los Angeles conduct a thorough evaluation of the patient’s eye health to determine whether Contoura vision surgery would benefit in improving visual clarity or correcting refractive error. Below is the criteria for patients who are NOT eligible for undergoing Contoura vision surgery:
Individuals who are less than 18 years of age due to instability in vision.
Those suffering from immunodeficiency diseases
Individuals with vascular disease
Persons with myopia higher than 9.00 D
Those with prominent nose and brow that obstructs reflection.
What Is The Difference Between Contoura Surgery And Lasik Surgery?
Here are a few differences between Contoura vision surgery and LASIK:
Better outcome: The outcome achieved with Contoura surgery is better than LASIK when it comes to visual clarity and correction in refractive error. On average, patients experience corrections better than 6/6.
Broader scope: The whole point of Contoura is not restricted to vision correction. Instead, it can treat the abnormality found within the corneal curvature.
Advanced technology: The technology used in Contoura surgery is more state-of-the-art compared to traditional LASIK surgery. Although traditional LASIK surgery maps only 200 points on the cornea, the Contoura vision surgery maps 22000 points on the cornea.
Fewer complications: Contoura vision surgery has more minor complications than traditional LASIK surgery, and the damage to the tissue is nearly more minor and has a faster healing time.
What Are The Advantages Provided By Contoura Vision Apart From Vision Clarity?
Here are some of the advantages provided by Contoura vision surgery:
High safety standards: The Contoura LASIK has high safety standards. The complications are lower, and the healing is quicker.
USFDA approved: Contoura LASIK has been approved by USFDA for vision correction. This proves the safety, efficacy, and authenticity of this technology.
Patient’s comfort: Contoura surgery has no stitches, no bandages, no injections, no pain, and the patient can go home the same day of surgery.
What Is The Procedure For Contoura Vision Eye Surgery?
Contoura vision surgery’s process is similar to LASIK surgery. However, the technology involved is different from traditional LASIK surgery. Detailed eye check-up of the patient is done to exclude any disease or infection. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia. In this advanced technology, the machine used produces about 22000 points on the cornea through topography.
Every point is analyzed for abnormality and is corrected through LASER. The machine used in the Contoura vision includes WaveLight EX500 Excimer Laser Systems and WaveLight TopolyzerVario Diagnostic Device. Post-surgery eye care is a crucial part of the treatment to get the targeted result. Different eye drops, including anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, are prescribed to the patient to counteract inflammation and infection.
