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1.)How to pay for your refractive surgery
procedure There's no charge for your screening, but we
do charge for your complete medical eye evaluation. We will deduct the fee from
the price of your surgery, if you have the surgery within six months.
The price for your procedure includes any necessary follow-up care for a full
three years. We want you to be happy about choosing our practice for your refractive
surgery. Back to top 2.)Will
my insurance company pay for my surgery?
Probably
not. Most insurance companies view refractive procedures as elective. This means
they will not pay for these procedures. Back
to top 3.)Do I need to take time
off work?
Most patients return to work two days
after the procedure. Normal activities including sports may be resumed at this
time. However, swimming and gardening should be avoided until at least a week
following the procedure. Back to top 4.)What
do I do with my glasses or contact. after my first eye is treated?
If your eyes are treated one at a time, you'll wear a contact
on the untreated eye, or glasses with plain glass over the treated eye. Back
to top 5.)Can both eyes be treated
on the same day?
In most cases, a bilateral procedure
(both eyes treated on the same day) is an option for patients. The majority of
our patients are opting to have both eyes treated on the same day. During your
vision assessment examination with Dr. Shofner you may discuss having one eye
or both eyes treated at the same time. Back
to top 6.)What about Presbyopia (The
need for reading glasses)?
Treatment of Presbyopia:
Some
time after the age of 40, we find it harder to read and focus on near objects.
We hold the newspaper farther away with each passing year. It's because the muscles
that control the lens inside the eye are no longer tight, so they can't bring
the lens into focus.
Traditionally, reading glasses restore good reading
vision. Some of us wear bifocals, trifocals or progressive lenses to correct both
near and far vision. Bifocal contact lenses are also available.
Surgical
Reversal of Presbyopia (SRP) is a new procedure that places four arched plastic
implants, each the size of a small grain of rice, just under the surface of the
whites of the eye. These implants slightly stretch the eye outward, so the muscles
inside are tight once again. Most patients are able to read without glasses or
contacts, immediately after surgery, and their youthful vision gradually comes
back as the muscles are exercised and strenghthened.
SRP is currently in
surgical trials around the world. You can make an appointment to come to our office
for more information about this revolutionary surgery.
Read more about
this at www.presbycorp.com Back
to top 7.) What are the risks?
As with any surgical procedure there are risks and potential
complications. However, Dr. Shofner participated in the first trials of LASIK
surgery on fully-sighted patients in 1989. PRK has been in general use since the
early 1990's, and there is now five years of history on thousands of LASIK patients.
LASIK surgery does no structural damage to the eye, and the technique is based
on a century of research on cornea healing. Back
to top 8.)What are other risks
associated with the procedures?
Laser vision
correction can result in haze, over correction, and under correction. They are
all treatable by an enhancement procedure, what we call a "touchup". A superficial
corneal haze, is considered as part of the healing process, and generally clears
up with time. Dr. Shofner would rather under correct, than over correct, meaning
a shift from myopia to hyperopia (nearsightedness to farsightedness). However,
if this should occur, it can generally be treated with a touchup. Some of our
patients come back for touchups to get their vision exactly the way they want
it, and Dr. Shofner will perform touchups as long as he feels he can improve his
patient's vision. Back to top 9.)Will
I become nearsighted again?
The procedure is
a permanent correction. Once the cornea is reshaped, tissue will not regenerate.
Studies have shown there is little if any regression once healing is completed.
Healing may take as long as three to six months after the procedure, although
vision is stable in a few days. The vision is not expected to change, except for
normal aging.. Back to top 10.)How
long does the procedure take?
On the day of surgery
you will be at the surgery center for about an hour. The procedure itself will
take only 12 to 15 minutes in the laser room, with between 10 to 60 seconds of
actual laser time. Back to top 11.)Will
the procedure help me?
The vast majority of people
who are myopic (nearsighted), hyperoptic (farsighted) and/or astigmatic are eligible
for the procedure. Back to top 12.)Will
It hurt?
The procedure itself is painless. Most
LASIK patients have no irritation, but PRK patients are likely to expereience
irritation in the 12 to 24 hours immediately following the procedure. Dry
eyes will add discomfort with any refractive procedure. We offer treatment to
help this condition. Back to top 13.)Why
will it hurt?
During PRK (not LASIK) he outer
layer of skin protecting the cornea, the epithelium, must be removed during the
procedure. The result is a scratchy, burning sensation. Back
to top
14.)How is the discomfort
controlled?
You will use a combination of drops
to reduce the irritation and speed healing. PRK patients also wear a contact lens
during the day and a bandage at night to protect the cornea.
Back
to top 15.)What about Infection?
The risk of infection is present from the time of the procedure
until the epithelium regenerates. In normal healing process this will take between
24 and 72 hours. During that time you'll be using powerful drops to fight infection. Back
to top 16.)What are the benefits?
Every individual who undergoes the procedure is motivated
by what they perceive as their own benefits. Participation in sports and leisure
activities without the hassles of corrective lenses or glasses is motivation for
some. Others would like to see the alarm clock in the morning without putting
on their glasses. Whatever the reason, the vast majority of patients who have
undergone the procedure are satisfied with their results. Back
to top 17.)What is monovision? The
natural lens inside your eye changes shape as you focus on objects near and far.
When you look up close, your lens becomes fatter, and when you gaze into the distance,
the lens becomes thinner. This system works well
until about age 40. At this time, your lens gradually loses its ability to focus
(accomodation), and the result is blurred vision for near objects. You begin to
need reading glasses for close work, and may switch to bifocals so you can see
both distance and near objects with one set of glasses. You may also notice a
slight delay in changing focus from near to far. This loss of accomodation, called
presbyopia, is the most predictable change in the human body. Monovision
has been used for years among contact lens wearers and is readily adaptable for
people choosing Laser Vision Correction. With this system, your dominant eye is
corrected for distance vision, and the non-dominant eye is slightly undercorrected,
which means its primary focus is for close vision. Both eyes are still working
all the time but your brain soon learns which image to select. This sytem can
reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses for those over age 40. It
may take several weeks to adjust monovision. during this time your vision may
seem less sharp as your brain learns to select and emphasize the clearer image.
Some people experience this most noticeably while driving at night. The length
of the adjustment period depends on the individual. As some adapt more quickly
than others do. You adapt much faster if you do not constantly think about the
monovision or compare the vision in each of your eyes. Monovision
does not necessarily mean you will throw away your glasses forever. You may still
need glases on occasion for certain activities, such as driving at night or reading
extremely fine print. People whose work requires heavy use of distance vision
(for example, those who work outdoors) may opt to have both eyes corrected for
distance and simply wear reading glasses for occasional close work. Dr.
Shofner offers monovision to people over 40 years of age or more as a flexible
practical answer to reduce you dependence on corrective lenses. Most people who
choose monovision are happy with the results. However, monovision is a personal
choice to be made by each person based on his or her lifestyle. It will help you
remain largely free from the bother of corrective lenses for many years. Back
to top 18.)Is monovision right
for me? Monovision is a personal choice to be made
based on your lifestyle. Asking yourself the following questions may help you
decide if monovision is right for you: - What
percentage of my time am I spending using close-up vision vs. distance? Take into
consideration your occupation as well as activities such as working outdoors,
flying a plane, driving, etc.
- Is my
distance vision more important to me than my close-up vision? With monovision
you may give up a small amount of distance vision to gain close-up vision.
- Am I a perfectionist? Or am I willing to
compromise? Monovision is not perfect, yet it is an excellent choice.
Back to top
We hope you have found
these questions and answers to be helpful in understanding laser vision correction
surgery. If you have any questions, please contact us
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