LASIK
LASIK (short for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) has made clear vision a reality for millions of people who used to rely on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is a safe and effective surgical treatment that reshapes your cornea—the transparent membrane that arcs over your pupil and iris — to refract, or bend, light rays to focus more precisely on your retina. Following LASIK surgery, patients may play sports, swim, spend a day at the beach, or participate in a variety of other activities without the restrictions that glasses and contacts bring.All laser vision correction procedures are performed by Jay Rudd, M.D.
Bladeless iLASIK (Intralase)
In the revolutionary new iLASIKTM procedure, the Intralase FS (femtosecond) laser creates air bubbles to separate corneal tissue and make a thin, precise flap. Next, the flap is gently lifted to expose the underlying cornea layer, to be shaped according to each patient’s unique profile using the VISX CustomVue Wavefront treatment protocol. The result for most patients is outstanding vision and freedom from glasses and contact lenses.The computer enhanced precision of the Intralase FS laser results in a safer procedure that can be offered to a larger selection of patients. In fact many patients who previously may not have been candidates for conventional, bladed LASIK can now benefit from this revolutionary technology.
The iLASIK procedure only takes minutes. It reshapes your cornea to correct the refractive imperfections in your eye (these imperfections are essentially the reason you are nearsighted, farsighted, etc.). Here's what happens:
- Prior to scheduling your surgery, Dr. Rudd will conduct a thorough evaluation of your eyes to determine their overall health and suitability for iLASIK surgery.
- As part of your evaluation, the advanced CustomVue wavescan system is used to make a blueprint of your eyes. This blueprint serves as the individual road map for your iLASIk procedure, giving you a truly customized result that is far superior to the typical “sale” LASIK procedures you hear advertised.
- During the surgery, the precise, virtually painless IntralseTM FS laser is used to make a thin flap in your cornea.
- Dr. Rudd then uses the VISX CustomVue laser to reshape your cornea, based on your unique vision and eye characteristics.Once your cornea is reshaped the flap is repositioned and your iLASIK procedure is complete. The entire procedure takes only about 20 minutes, and the result for most people is great vision without glasses or contacts.*
Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA)
ASA was the first procedure to utilize the precision of the excimer laser to reshape the cornea. It is designed to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. ASA is recommended if your cornea is too thin for the iLASIK procedure or you have significant dry eye. Both ASA and iLASIK use the VISX® CustomVue Waverfront Treatment protocol, but no flap is created with ASA. Instead the laser is applied to the outer corneal tissue resulting in a longer visual recovery, more mild discomfort, and several months of post-operative drops.Visian® Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)
Patients who are extremely nearsighted or those that have thin corneas may not be good candidates for laser vision correction. For those patients, the Visian ICL can provide clearer, sharper vision in just a simple, 15-minute outpatient procedure. The foldable nature of the lens allows for surgery through a micro-incision that requires no stitches and can be performed by simply numbing the eye with drops.Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
RLE maybe the best alternative for patients with extreme farsightedness or presbyopia (the natural diminished focusing ability of the eye that occurs after age 40). Through a small incision, the lens is removed with ultrasound and replaced with a bifocal-style intraocular lens. RLE can achieve clearer distance and reading vision without glasses and eliminates the need for cataract surgery in the future.