Common Eyesight Problems That Are Solved with Laser Eye Surgery

Lasik surgery is not the cure all for every eye sight issue. Not every issue that you have with your vision will be solved with the same surgery; just like every ailment with your body can’t be solved by undergoing the same surgical procedure. In the article below we will educate patients on the most common eye issues that laser eye surgery, LASIK, can possibly remedy.

The three most common problems that patients are bothered by that can be treated with LASIK include: nearsightedness, farsightedness, and blurred vision. When you meet with your ophthalmologist they will measure your vision. Vision is measured using units known as diopter. If you are nearsighted this final number is expressed as a negative number whereas farsightedness is represented with a positive number.

Myopia – Nearsightedness

Many patients that are plagued by nearsightedness can find their vision corrected with LASIK surgery. LASIK eye surgery provides successful results to most patients suffering from Myopia however, severe cases may be told that laser surgery is not right for them. A consultation will be done to see where your vision lays on the spectrum to determine if LASIK is an option for you.

Hyperopia – Farsightedness

Although LASIK surgery is available to patients with farsightedness the consultation is a bit more in depth than it is for nearsightedness. The evaluation of patients goes into greater depths as it is important to determine the degree at which the cornea is flattened. With a flat cornea the eye is shorter than normal and causes object that are in the distance to focus behind the retina.

Astigmatism – Blurred Vision

Patients with blurred vision in one or both of their eyes most likely have a condition known as astigmatism. This occurs because of an uneven steepening of the cornea. Often this ailment can be corrected through LASIK surgery.

As previously stated, the first step in determining if the problem you are experiencing with your eyesight makes you a candidate for LASIK is to schedule a consultation to meet with the surgeon. Even if laser surgery is not an optimal treatment of your condition it is important for you to understand that you have other options, both surgical and non-surgical.

The professionals at Rohr Eye & Laser Center focus your treatment plan around achieving the best possible results for the candidate. If LASIK isn’t going to give you the result you are looking to achieve we will explore both surgical and non-surgical solutions that provide you with the vision of your dreams.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs. As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses. More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

Vision Correction Surgery: What You Should Know About Cataract Surgery

One of the benefits of aging is the amazing side effects it has on our bodies! Of course, we are being sarcastic however, it is true that as your age increases so do the ailments that affect us. One of the most common side effects of aging is the development of cataracts.

Cataracts are described as a cloudiness on the lens inside your eye. Often the loss of vision due to cataracts cannot be corrected with the use of contacts, glasses or corneal refractive surgery, LASIK. We know this sounds scary at first. However, vision can be restored when it is lost because of cataracts with modern cataract surgery. Surgery for cataracts often reduce the dependence on vision correction methods as well.

As previously mentioned cataracts are most often associated with the process of aging. Cataracts are more common to seniors and in fact up to 70% of Americans over 80 have been affected by cataracts. This number is expected to continue to increase in the years ahead. This is just one of the reasons eye surgeons have taken modernizing cataract surgery so seriously. It is expected that the population of the United States affected by cataracts is to nearly double by the middle of the century.

One of the safest, most effective, widely performed surgical procedures now-a-days is cataract surgery. Three million cataract surgeries are performed each and every year, the majority resulting in unparalleled visual outcomes.

During cataract surgery the cloudy lens inside the patient’s eye is removed and replace with an intraocular lens, IOL. This artificial lens helps to restore clear vision. The surgical procedure is most often performed on an outpatient basis and doesn’t require the patient to stay overnight. Modern cataract surgery involves the use of a high-frequency ultrasound that is used to break the cloudy lens into small pieces that can be removed.

Modern cataract removal is known as phacoemulsification, phaco for short, and is performed using smaller incisions than used in previous cataract techniques which allow for faster healing times and a reduction in the risks such as retinal detachment that can occur as a complication of cataract surgery.

Once all of the remnants of the cloud have been removed from the lens the surgeon then inserts the clear intraocular lens. It is positioned in the same location as your natural lens, behind the iris and pupil. Special circumstances may require the lens be placed in front of the iris and pupil, but this is not common.

Once the cataract surgeon has removed the cataract and finished the IOL implant procedure with the closing of the incision that was made to your eye a protective shield is put into place over the eye. This shield is in place to protect the eye as you recover from surgery.

These Bad Habits Can Harm Your Eyes

Our eyes are arguably the most important of our five senses. Even though we know this there are a few bad habits that all of us are guilty of that can severely damage our eye sight. There are some bad habits that don’t really seem to pose a major threat like biting your fingernails but there are others like not flossing or smoking that can literally cause our teeth to fall out. When it comes to these 4 bad habits that affect our eye sight it is crucial that we take the steps necessary to stop the impact they have on our vision.

Screen Time

It is hard in the world that we live in now to not spend a ton of time in front of a screen. Whether its for work or pleasure, a cell phone, computer, or television the amount of time we spend focused on the screen can harm our eyesight. Screens emit a blue light that has been known to be a contributor of eye strain. To avoid the strain that screens put on your eyes it is advised to take frequent breaks throughout the day. This will help your eyes rest and prevent the strain from causing permanent damage to your eyesight.

Eye Rubbing

There are several reasons that rubbing your eyes can be harmful to your vision. First off, our hands are constantly touching surfaces that are covered with germs. These germs are easily transferred from our hands into our eyes exposing them to god knows what we have picked up along the way.

Cornea damage is also possible from the constant motion of rubbing your eyes. Damage done to your eyes cornea often results in the loss of vision. If you are rubbing your eyes to rid them of debris, it is important to remember that your eyes will automatically produce tears if your eye needs to wash away foreign elements your eye is exposed. To properly care for your vision, try to keep your hands away from your eyes as much as possible. If you find this impossible keep your hands clean using soap and water or anti-bacteria hand wash.

Sleeping with Makeup On

It is inevitable that after a late night we accidentally fall asleep with a full face of makeup on. Not only is this terrible for your complexion it can be incredibly harmful to your eyes. It is important to make a habit out of removing all makeup from your face at the end of the day. Makeup collects a wide range of bacteria throughout the day that transfers to your pillow case if not washed off properly. This greatly reduces your risk of developing an eye infection.

Forgetting Sunglasses

We have all heard about how UV rays affect our skin but what about our eyes? Sunglasses are a popular accessory that really are a necessity in protecting your eyes not only from the damaging UV rays but also to exposure of direct sunlight as well as wind. Damage from exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration.

Play it safe and head these warnings from local ophthalmologists on the harmful effects of improperly caring for your eyes.

Understanding the Basics of Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery, LASIK, is one of the most common eye surgeries performed in the United States, with millions of procedures being done every year. The procedure is performed by a trained, board-certified ophthalmologist who knows how to do the surgery. Like with any elective surgery you might have done, it is very important that you know all the risks, rewards and understands that there are no guarantees of success.

LASIK – Laser Eye Surgery

Weigh the Risks and Rewards – Be sure that before you go out and have LASIK refractive eye surgery that you have thought through everything completely. You never want to have any type of surgery without weighing everything first and be confident in your decision.

Choosing the Right Eye Surgeon – There are several thousand board-certified ophthalmologists who can perform LASIK and most have already performed thousands of them, depending on how long they have been in practice. However, you need to be sure that you are comfortable with your surgeon before you should allow them to perform a procedure on your eyes. Check around, ask for recommendations from friends and family members.

Determine Myopic Level – Get to know how bad your refractive error is beforehand, so you know upfront about the likelihood that you will need refinements later down the line. As a rule, the more Myopic, nearsighted you are the higher the likelihood you will require additional refinement procedures.

Know What to Expect – LASIK is performed with you 100% awake and therefore you will want to know what to expect during the procedures. You do not want to be surprised by something when you are halfway through your LASIK.

Understand the Risks – Be sure that you understand that with all surgeries that there are several risks involved with LASIK Eye Surgery. Make sure to ask plenty of questions of the surgeon during all consultation visits before you schedule the procedures to be performed.

Know the Limitation of Surgery – There are known limitations to LASIK Refractive Surgery, it is only designed to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. You could still end up needing to wear glasses depending on your other vision issues. Also, LASIK will not prevent you from ever needing reading glasses or “readers” later in life.

Take Care Post Surgery – After you have decided to have the surgery done and the procedures are completed, you will be given a list of post-surgery care instructions. Be sure to follow them exactly, they will help you to heal properly and lets you know what some of the possibilities to expect.

Alternative Options – Last but, certainly not least, LASIK is just one of many eye procedures that can be performed to correct several eyesight issues. Be sure to discuss all your options before going with LASIK.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment.

Is LASIK an Option When You Are Over 40?

Can I get LASIK eye surgery even though I am over 40? This is a question the professionals at Rohr Eye and Laser center often get when meeting with a prospective new patient and the answer is simple, YES! Although there is nothing simple about your eyes or how you care for them, laser surgery to correct your vision is not something to spend time being worried about.

LASIK, known to be short for laser assisted vision correction, is referred to about many different types of refractive eye surgery and laser vision correction techniques. Dr. Jeffery S. Rohr is a highly skilled and trained eye doctor who focuses on vision correction surgery in Michigan on patients of all ages.

As a person’s vision starts to deteriorate after 40, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is that they need to start wearing reading glasses, bifocals, or reader contacts. Often with the thought that LASIK is not to be considered because of their age or they believe their vision problem is not “bad enough” to consider laser vision correction surgery. Thankfully however, LASIK is the solution for several issues patients over 40 are conflicted with including:

Seeing in the distance – Although this often means patients may need to use readers even after the sight for distance issue is resolved.
Monovision LASIK – This procedure decreases or eliminates the need for glasses or contacts for seeing close or far away.
Corneal Inlay – This is an implant that is placed on the stroma to correct vision when objects are near.

However, if a patient’s vision has begun to fade because of cataracts then LASIK is not a good choice for you. For patients with cataracts a better option to improve your vision may be actual lens replacement. If cataracts are your only eye ailment, then most often eye surgeons will recommend lens replacement over correction.

No matter what age you are it is important to do thorough research on the ailment that is afflicting your vision and causing you issues with seeing be it near or farsightedness and the treatment options available. Both online and in person research will ensure you understand what treatment is available, how it will help you, the recovery, and the prognosis for your future eyesight once it has been corrected.

Understanding Cataracts and How They Affect Your Vision

There are several illnesses that creep up on us as we age, cataracts being one of them. There are misconceptions surrounding cataracts and their treatment. In this installment on laser vision correction surgery we will investigate cataracts and what can be done to treat them.

When the lens inside of your eye begins to cloud that is known as a cataract. This can cause a loss in vision that is unable to be corrected with contact lens, glasses, or normal corneal refractive surgeries like LASIK. This may sound frightening however, modern surgery for cataracts can often restore vision and ease dependency on eyeglasses.

Most often cataracts are associated with the aging process. Recent studies have shown that upwards of 68% of Americans over 80 years old have been affected by cataracts. This statistic is expected to continue to grow especially as the population continues to age. Thankfully, surgery for cataracts is one of the safest, most effective laser vision correction surgeries available.

When surgery for cataracts is performed, the cloudy lens is removed and then replaced with a lens that is artificial, known as intraocular, to restore clear vision. The surgery is an outpatient surgery that is often performed at an eye care center and does not require an overnight stay. Cataract procedures involve a high-frequency ultrasound device that is used to break up a cloudy lens into small pieces, which are removed with suction.

This procedure is known as phaco and can be performed with tinier incisions than previous techniques. This helps to promote healing and reduce complications. When the fragments are completely removed the eye surgeon inserts a clear lens putting it securely behind the iris and pupil in the same location that your natural lens had sat. Once the cataract is removed and the IOL is inserted and the procedure is completed with your incision being closed. A protective shield is placed over your eye to keep it safe while recovery occurs.

If you suspect your vision is starting to turn gray and cloudy, get into have an eye exam sooner than later. Cataracts that are caught early are more receptive to treatment which can lead to better outcomes. Each patient will recover at their own pace however in most cases you will see an improvement in your vision. Some patients report a glare or halo around bright lights which often disappear within a month. This is a very rare complication.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state-of-the-art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment.

Eye Corrective Surgery This Summer Season

This summer has been a hot one! With hot summer days glasses can be a pain. They fog up when its humid and you head outside after being in the air, cause your face to sweat, make you have to carry expensive sunglasses, and are just an all-around hassle make many people start to consider LASIK vision correction. Laser eye correction surgery technology is better than ever and is used to treat myopia hyperopia, and astigmatisms by reshaping the cornea to allow the light entering your eye to properly be focused onto your eyes retina. In most cases surgery can be performed in under fifteen minutes and is pain-free.

The LASIK Process

After an initial consultation with your eye surgeon you will be scheduled for LASIK surgery. During your surgery an eye surgeon will use a tool to cut a thin flap in the cornea that is circular in shape. This flap will be folded back allowing the surgeon to access the cornea area known as the stroma to remove the corneal tissue that is creating your vision problem.

A cool ultraviolet laser beam removes tiny bits of tissue to reshape the cornea to allow light to properly enter the retina and improve overall vision. For nearsightedness the goal is to flatten the cornea while with farsightedness a steeper cornea is created. Astigmatisms are treated by smoothing out irregular cornea shapes into a more natural shape.

Once the laser has been used to reshape the cornea, the eye doctor will lay the flap back in place so that the area of the cornea where the tissue was removed is covered allowing naturally healing to take place. During surgery patients are not under anesthesia and instead only require topical anesthetic drops to numb the area. Laser eye surgery does not require stitches or band aides.

Once surgery has been completed it is important to rest. Your eyes may temporarily feel an itch or a burn that will go away in time. It is important to have someone with you to drive you home after the surgery. In fact, you are not to drive until an eye doctor has confirmed your vision meets legal driving standards which is usually done during a follow up visit the day after surgery.

You can expect hazy eye sight the say of your surgery that should clear up by the following day. Over time your vision will continue to improve eventually stabilizing. Many LASIK surgeons will allow you to return to work the following day but recommend a couple of days of rest if at all possible. Patients are told to avoid strenuous activity for at least a week to allow for healing.

Patients that follow their surgeons directions and remain steadfast to their recovery should experience very little discomfort or complications.

Can Surgery Repair Your Cataracts?

Unfortunately, far too many people take their eyesight for granted and just assume that they will always have it. That is until something happens to change it and then everything changes in an instant. Whether it is a gradual, instant, partial or complete loss, having to deal with the loss of sight is truly a life-changing event. Unless you have experienced some degree of temporary blindness or loss of sight, you have no idea what it is like to live with cataracts.

What are Cataracts? What causes them?

The lens of the eye plays an extremely important function and as long as it is working correctly your vision will be unaffected. Unfortunately, at some point, the natural lens starts to get cloudy and no longer allows for optimum focusing capability. According to vision specialist, the cloudiness of the natural lens is caused by the buildup of proteins that gather together on the surface of the lens which gives it the cloudy appearance.

This cloudiness causes the light that is able to pass through the eye to be unfocused and images appear blurry. Once your vision becomes hazy and blurry it normally means that your vision is at risk and that you will need to talk to an ophthalmologist to determine what is the next the step that you will need to in order to be able to restore your vision.

What treatments are options available to correct the condition?

There is only one real treatment to correct cataracts in one or both eyes and that is surgery. The surgical procedure involves removing the clouded lens and replace it with an Intraocular (IOL) implant lens. Once the surgery is complete and the cataract removed your vision will once again return to normal. There are two different types of IOL lens; monofocal and multifocal

Cataract surgery

If you are like millions of people who have cataracts, you will eventually have to opt to go through the surgery to have the affected lens in your eye or eyes. Unfortunately, as of now, this is absolutely the only way to treat Cataracts and have any chance of being able to see normally again. The skilled surgeon will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an implant lens and you will be able to see normal again.

Cataract laser surgery

As with many eye procedures, the laser has made performing the delicate task of cutting in and around the eye much safer. This is definitely true in the case of the Cataract surgery. Now there is a second type of surgery that can be performed on your Cataract and it involves using a laser instead of the blade of a knife.

Common risks associated with cataract surgery

As with any surgery, you should always take into consideration the risks that are involved before you go under the knife. While you are obviously at a point in your life that you are in danger of totally losing your vision due to the severity of your cataracts in your eyes, however, you still need to be sure that you understand all of the risks from having the cataract removal surgery. We put together a list of some of the more common risks associated with the cataract surgery procedure:

Risks associated with Cataract Surgery using multifocal IOL

Loss of sharpness in vision
Halo effect in low light or fog
Excessive glare

7 Reasons Why You Should Consider Corrective Eye Surgery

If you wear eyeglasses, chances are you’ve probably thought about having corrective eye surgery at least once. The frustration of having to wear glasses all the time can be really annoying. Even wearing contacts instead of glasses can be a dreadful chore each morning as you have to put your lenses in and then take them out each night. Here are a few reasons why you should just bite the bullet and consider corrective eye surgery to help you see without glasses or contacts:

Convenience

One of the biggest benefits of corrective eye surgery is the convenience of not having to deal with glasses or contact lenses each day. You’ll be able to wake up in the morning with amazing sight!

Long Term Cost Savings

The procedure might be a lot up front, but corrective eye surgery will save you money in the long term since you won’t have to pay for glasses, contacts or a new lens prescription each year if your vision changes.

No Prescription Sunglasses Needed

If you wear glasses, you know you need your regular glasses and then additional prescription sunglasses if you don’t wear contacts. This just doubles the amount of money you have to spend on glasses! Laser eye surgery eliminates the need for both types of glasses!

Active Lifestyle

If you live an active lifestyle, you already know how frustrating it is to have to wear glasses all the time. They fall off when you’re working out, playing sports and can’t be worn when you’re swimming. You won’t need to worry about any of this when you choose corrective eye surgery!

Increased Confidence

Some people with glasses don’t feel as confident as they would without them. Corrective eye surgery will make you feel and see better since you’ll be able to walk around with your head tall instead of being self-conscious because of your glasses.

Simple Surgery

Even though it’s still surgery, you’ll be out for maybe a day before going back to your regular schedule. But only this time, you won’t need any glasses. Corrective eye surgery isn’t a hard surgery at all and thousands of people get it down each day. It’s not super invasive like other surgeries and you simply go in, have it done and then are released a few hours later.

Increasing Freedom After LASIK Eye Surgery

After LASIK eye surgery patients should expect an increasing freedom in their lifestyles. There is a new-found convenience that is found after laser vision correction. Upwards of ninety percent of LASIK patients state that they are more than satisfied with the results seen after surgery. In fact, there are a number of lifestyle changes that are mentioned over and over when talking about the independence vision correction surgery gives patients.

TV in Bed

Imagine how annoying it is to have to get up and take out your contact lenses after watching television in bed and gotten comfortable or worse yet falling asleep with your glasses on, rolling over, and breaking them. LASIK allows people to enjoy clear vision twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week without the weight and irritation of glasses rubbing against your nose or cheeks or the uncomfortable feeling of dry eyes in the morning. Clear vision makes a huge transformation in patient’s everyday routines including catching some late-night television.

Decrease Expenses for Clear Vision

Costs associated with vision exams, yearly contacts, and eyeglasses can really add up to a lot of money over the course of a year. The updates in your prescription and the constant need for replacement glasses can cost upwards of a thousand dollars. Not only do they cost more financially, contacts cost you in time as well. There is a significant amount of time involved in caring for your contact lenses. With LASIK eye surgery the time and financial costs of taking care of your eyes decreases significantly.

Convenience in Sport Activities

Have you ever tried running with glasses on? LASIK makes it possible to participate in sports without the inconvenience of contacts or glasses. Patients that are into swimming can swim without needing expensive prescription goggles or risking the loss of a contact lens in the water. Not only can this increase your performance in sporting activities it can add comfort in participation.

Physical Changes

Without the need for eyeglasses, LASIK patients will experience a change in their physical appearance. Women may find a new-found love for makeup as they no longer need to hide their eyes behind glasses. In fact, men and women both enjoy the cosmetic changes of laser eye correction whether they are at home, work, or play.

Options in Sunglasses

Without the need for prescription eyeglasses you have a world of sun glass options to choose from. Sunglasses are an especially important fact of life for LASIK patients as they help protect your newly fixed eyes from the damaging rays of the sun.

Of course, the greatest advantage of laser correction surgery is the reward of clear vision. Reward yourself today with a free LASIK consultation with the professionals at Michigan Lasik – Rohr Eye & Laser Center.