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Caster
Eye Center Excellence in Laser Vision Correction of Nearsightedness · Farsightedness · Astigmatism |
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Caster
Eye Center Excellence in Laser Vision Correction of Nearsightedness · Farsightedness · Astigmatism |
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Email:
January 23, 2006
Q: I've been hearing about ACC. Can you explain what this is and if it's better than the other forms of LASIK? I got a little freaked out about the flap at my LASIK consultation. About how much should LASIK cost? I saw 2 doctors and the quotes were $2,500 and $5,995. I'm not sure if one is too low or if the other is too high. A: ACC is not Lasik; it is the same as PRK, which is Lasik without a flap. Although both Lasik and PRK use the same laser and achieve the same long term results, the negative aspect to PRK (ACC) is that there is a much slower healing pattern. If you are uncomfortable with the concept of making a flap, then you should have PRK, which will achieve the same results. You will, however, have blurry vision for one or more weeks, and will also have a greater degree of post-op discomfort. Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 23, 2006 Q:I am a 50 year old woman in good general health. My left eye uncorrected is 20/100 with astigmatism and it is also amblyopic. I was wearing glasses at a young age, I believe A: With vision correctable to 20/30 in your amblyopic eye, most doctors would feel comfortable recommending lasik to you. Although lasik is extremely safe in terms of major vision-treatening complications, it is best to evaluate what a person's life would be like if they had a horrible complication in their good eye. For this reason, I will not perform lasik on a person with only one functioning eye. With vision correctable to 20/30, life would still be tolerable if, theoretically, that were to be your only eye. Severely compromised vision is exceedingly rare after lasik, but this is the thought process that I bring to this issue. Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 24, 2006 Q: I am interested in custom lasik surgery and it appears I am a good candidate. My only concern is whether I should get IntraLasik surgery or Lasik with the microkeratome. Which would you recommend, keeping in mind that I would be more than willing to spend extra to get the IntraLasik. A: I use both, but personally prefer the microkeratome for most cases. Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 25, 2006 Q:
Can a person with lazy eye get lasik and if so, will it actually work? A:
A person with lazy eye can get Lasik, if the eye isn't too lazy. This will not cure the "laziness", so the vision will not be corrected to 20/20. It will be corrected as well as the eye can be corrected with glasses or contacts. Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 29, 2006 Q: How do we know if we have a good doctor? My husband is going to see Dr. Flowers and we don't know how to check that he is a good doctor. A: It is difficult to determine who is a great doctor and who is not. I would recommend looking at their background and credentials, and doing as much research on the internet as you feel appropriate. What kind of honors have they received? Do they have a lot of lawsuits or other problems that you can discover on the internet? Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 30, 2006 Q: With PRK surgery the eye is reshaped to see correctly at 20/20. Does this mean the eye is as it was when I saw 20/20 normally before I needed glasses? Does it shape it to be the correct shape. The same way it was before I ever needed glasses? Thank you. A: After PRK or Lasik, the cornea is reshaped to match the rest of the eye, in order to obtain the best vision possible. Because your eye has changed in many subtle ways since you saw 20/20 as a child, the corneal shape will not be identical. Andrew Caster, MD Email: January 31, 2006 Q: I have herpes in my eyes. Is it possible to get the surgery if I don't get breakouts often? A: Lasik or PRK may exacerbate herpes outbreaks. So you should not have the surgery unless the outbreaks have been rare and have not occurred for some time. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 02, 2006 Q: My left eye corrects pretty well with glasses. My right is pretty well a lazy eye, but I try to use both when my glasses are off. (i'm far sighted about +5.75 in left, 'good' eye). But one of the problems with my right eye I don't understand is that even if I can read the letters or words, sometimes it's hard to follow the sentence, like it's hard to see all the letters or words one after the other or it gets a bit mixed up. Part of it seems to be when I cover my left eye, the image of my left, seeing the inside of my eyelid is still so strong in my mind, it outweighs the image of what I'm reading with my right. Why is this and can it be fixed with LASIK? A: With lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, the patient will often have trouble putting multiple letters together, just as you describe. Lasik will not correct this. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 08, 2006 Q: I am looking into two surgeons in Boise. The equipment available is the Visx system or the new Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix (Dr. Hollingshead). I did not see anything on the web about the Zyoptix. They claim that the laser provides the widest possible treatment area of 9 mm. Also it is not a broad beam but a pulsating light that is suppose to provide smoother precision. Have you heard about this equipment and does it stand up to the claims noted above? I have very large dialated pupils 6.5 mm and 7. mm. I appreciate your help. A: It is very difficult to evaluate the merits of the different equipment types. Each has advantages and disadvantages. My personal favorite at this time is the Alcon, followed by the Visx. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 08, 2006 Q: Wondering the best way to go about finding a good doctor for lasik, is there any kind of independant rating system one can look at. What things should I look for. Thanks A: The only independent rating system that I am aware of is the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAeyes.org). Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 09, 2006 Q: Hi. My department has very old computer monitors, 8 years old at least. I am convinced my monitor is contributing to blurred vision. Do you have any studies or references I could use to convince my boss to buy us new and improved monitors? Any assistance would be appreciated. A: Looking at an old monitor can certainly cause eye strain. It does not cause permanently blurry vision, however. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 09, 2006 Q: I just had cataract surgery. I also have a lazy eye that will need it eventually. I have blurry vision right now, but doc says glasses should clear that up. Is there a possibility that I could eventually have lasik on both eyes? I am a 61 year old female and previously could see OK distance, but have had to wear glasses to read and do close up things. I think I may have to have glasses for both now - as the distance is not good right now or the near vision either. (its only been since Jan 17). Cant stand the thought of always having to switch glasses for distance and close! A: You can have the eyes adjusted for distance, or have one eye for distance and one for near. Lasik is possible after cataract surgery. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 11, 2006 Q: Hello Dr, Caster, I am a 50 yr old female, white, non smoker, active with large pupils. My distance prescription is OD -1.00 OS -1.25 (reading +2.00add). I can get by without glasses but things are much sharper with them. I am thinking about the Custom View Wavefront procedure to correct distance. I am concerned about the halos and stars at night that I hear about. I would hate to be left with double vision, gritty feeling eyes etc. Do you think I am a good prospect for this surgery? Are there any additional questions I should ask? I am in Charlotte NC and am considering Dr. Tate at The Laser Center or Dr. Christenbury at Christ. Eye Center. Have you heard of either of them? Thanking you in advance for your response. A: Most people have glare/halos even without the surgery, so our concern is in not increasing the glare/halos. With a lower correction such as you have, and with the custom wavefront treatment, the odds of significantly increasing your glare/halos is very low. In fact, the odds of decreasing your existing glare/halos are higher than the odds of increasing your existing glare/halos. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 11, 2006 Q: I am turning 50 this year. I am nearsighted and have been wearing glasses for thirty years. I no longer wear contact lenses because they irritate my eyes and because I needed reading glasses to read when I wore them. I generally just read now with my glasses off. Am I a candidate for custom view lasik? Assuming good results, how long can I expect the results to last? A: Since you are 50, you have presbyopia, the condition of "middle aged eyes" in which you have trouble seeing up close when your eyes are adjusted for distance. So if you have Lasik, you will need to use "cheater" glasses for up-close work, such as reading, or you will need to get monovision. Andrew Caster, MD Email: February 13, 2006 Q: I have a high degree of astigmatism and must wear rigid contacts. I was unable to get a clear answer on this website, my question is, is there a surgical procedure to correct severe astigmatism now or in the near future? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for you time. A: Laser vision correction -- Lasik or PRK -- works for most high degrees of astigmatism. Andrew Caster, MD More Lasik Email Questions PagesHome - About Us - Dr. Caster in the News - About Lasik and Other Options About Wavefront - FAQ - Testimonials - Pre-Lasik Examination - Site Map - Financing - Out of Town Patients - Question of the Week - Multimedia Contact Us |
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