What is LASIK eye surgery?

In the past 25 years more than 10,000,000 people around the world have chosen LASIK or a related laser correction procedure to eliminate their need for contacts and glasses. LASIK is one of many available options for reducing or eliminating your dependence on glasses or contacts. In addition to LASIK surgery, The Fifth Avenue Eye Center offers the latest laser correction options including flap-less LASEK and PRK. The terms IntraLASIK, Bladeless lasik, non-cutting laser procedures, and flap-less LASIK are all different names or variations of these three primary Laser Vision Correction procedures. With so many terms and misconceptions about laser vision procedure, you might wonder what procedure is best for you. Dr. Ilan Cohen and the staff at The Fifth Avenue are experts in vision correction will help you navigate the options. As our expert surgeon, Dr. Cohen personally determines which procedure is best suited to your individual needs and unique prescription.

Of the three procedures recommended by The Fifth Avenue Eye Center, LASIK is most popular with patients. LASIK involves the formation of a flap, whether with a fine automated instrument or with a Laser (Bladeless LASIK). Some surgeons believe that Bladeless LASIK is safer as the flap is being cut using a laser. Others believe that it is much safer to do away with the flap altogether (Non-cutting or Flap-less procedure). At The Fifth Avenue Eye Center, we believe that there is no one procedure that is the best for everyone. While limiting patients to one procedure may be most profitable, it is not a medically sound practice. The type of the procedure you receive needs to be chosen individually, based on your individual eyes after detailed examination.

The success of each of these procedures depends largely on the suitability of the specific procedure to your eyes, based on factors such as corneal thickness and prescription. For patients who are not candidates for laser vision correction, there is a safe surgical alternative that does away with the laser altogether. VisianICL, also known as the Implantable Contact Lens or Implantable Collimer Lens. Since there is no use of a laser to reshape the cornea, this procedure offers advanced lens technology, safety, reversibility, and perfect vision after just 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, many “commercial” LASIK and LASEK centers have lost sight of the patient in the pursuit of financial gains. By promoting only one procedure, they have lost the surgical skills necessary to do the right procedure for the right patient. So before you commit to one procedure, get a second opinion and stay away from the commercially savvy, heavily advertised “assembly line LASIK” centers.

Make sure that your surgeon is fellowship trained in both Cornea and Refractive surgery, which means they have the expertise to do more than just LASIK, LASEK and PRK.

The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye. By correcting the steepness of the cornea with a laser we can change the way light is focused in the eye and hence, eliminate the need for contacts and glasses.

Visual Acuity vs. Visual Function

The purpose of any vision correction procedure is to maximize your visual function without the need for contacts and glasses. Many patients and eye professionals fail to distinguish between visual function and visual acuity. This lack of distinction has led in the past to some unhappy patients that complain about the “quality” of their vision despite the fact that they are 20/20. Such Complaints included glare and halos and some nonspecific complaints.

However, as further understanding regarding the eye developed and the laser Technology evolved, those problems became a thing of the past and their incidence markedly decreased or was eliminated; when used on the right candidates by an Expert and experienced surgeon. The focus shifted from visual acuity towards visual function. Visual acuity is often quoted as a fraction of 20 i.e. 20/20, 20/30 etc. However, visual function is a much broader term. It includes Visual acuity but also many other measures that describe how well your eyes can receive and process visual information. The following measures are part of visual function.

Your Visual Functions

Most people associate quality of vision with the term 20/20. This is a quantitative way to measure how small an object you can see in the distance. However, there is much more to your vision than visual acuity. At the Fifth Avenue Eye Center, we have comprehensive approach to visual improvement. All the aspects of your visual function must be measured and carefully considered in the design of your surgery in order to maximize your satisfaction from the outcome. Below you will find a list of issues related to your visual function. You can also choose to take an online test to learn more about your visual function.

Visual acuity
Visual acuity measures how small an object you can see from the distance. This is usually plotted as a fraction i.e. 20/20, 20/30 etc. The lower the denominator (bottom number) the sharper the vision. Perfect vision has been traditionally considered as 20/20, however, recent advances in Laser and Wave-front Technology allowed us to reach levels as sharp as 20/10 and 20/8; which are generally considered superhuman.

Central Vision test
The Center of your vision is its most important part, both anatomically and functionally. At the Fifth Avenue Eye Center you will receive a comprehensive set of tests that check your central vision. This is necessary for optimal outcomes before any LASER eye procedure.

Color Vision Test
The ability to distinguish colors is very important for performing many of our daily tasks. Some disturbances in color vision can herald serious eye conditions and must be checked. At the Fifth Avenue Eye Center you will receive an accurate color test at the time of your screening exam. This is necessary prior to reaching any decision about a procedure.

Depth perception test
Depth perception is your ability to judge the distance of objects from you. It is very crucial for driving and for a variety of ball games and outdoor activities.

Contrast sensitivity test
Contrast sensitivity measures how small a difference in brightness between an object and its surroundings your eyes can appreciate. It is crucial to night vision, driving in the rain or in a cloudy day, or to the perception of glare and haloes.

Astigmatism
Astigmatism happens when the eye is shaped like a football rather than a basketball. At the Fifth Avenue Eye Center we use the latest Wavefront Technology that can treat astigmatism with the outmost accuracy. At the time of your screening exam our cutting edge Wavefront analyzer will obtain an extremely fine map of the astigmatism of your eyes.