Are you tired of the hassles of glasses and contact lenses? Are you currently considering LASIK eye surgery and seeking a LASIK surgeon. If so you have come to the right place! The surgeons at Clay Eye are board certified ophthalmologists and ophthalmic surgeons that can help you achieve your personal best vision. Prior to undergoing LASIK eye surgery, it is important for you to be qualified as a potential LASIK candidate. Please feel free to take our LASIK self-evaluation test or read our section regarding LASIK candidacy.

Vision Conditions Correctable by LASIK

If you are familiar with your current vision, you might know some of this terminology. Listed below are the vision conditions that LASIK can treat.

• “Myopia” or nearsightedness occurs when the cornea is too curved or the eye is too long. This causes the light rays to focus in front of the retina causing blurred distant vision.
• “Hyperopia” or farsightedness occurs when the cornea is too flat in relation to the length of the eye. This causes the light to focus at a point beyond the retina, resulting in blurry vision both far and near.
• “Astigmatism” occurs when the cornea is shaped like a football, more curved in one direction than the other. This causes light to focus at different points in the eye, resulting in blurred vision.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK eye surgery is a popular method of correcting vision for people that routinely depend on glasses and contact lenses. If you have had enough of those everyday hassles of contact lenses and glasses, LASIK could be right for you. If you like to play sports and workout but glasses make it difficult, LASIK might be right for you. The Florida LASIK specialists at Clay Eye Physicians can help decrease or possibly eliminate your need for glasses and set you on a path of visual freedom. In order to start the process of finding your new vision, there are 3 simple steps that you can follow listed below:

1. Take our LASIK self-evaluation test and request a LASIK consultation
2. Schedule a Pre-Operative eye exam to determine your candidacy
3. Learn about the cost of LASIK, affordability of LASIK FINANCING OPTIONS

What does LASIK eye surgery correct?

If you have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, LASIK could a great eye surgery for you. Please contact us to arrange a LASIK consultation and PRE-operative eye exam.

Researching your Jacksonville LASIK specialist

After you have determined that you are serious about LASIK eye surgery and correcting your vision, you will need to select an ophthalmologist that is skilled with LASIK eye surgery. Most LASIK surgery practices will have a LASIK website where you can learn about Florida LASIK doctors and other important things about refractive eye surgery. Make sure to examine the doctor’s history, certifications and overall experience with LASIK surgery.

John P. Donovan, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in LASIK surgery. Dr. Donovan’s experience, as well as that of his colleagues,  is the key to helping you achieve your personal best vision.

The LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure

LASIK actually stands for Laser in-situ keratomileusis, which is the most commonly performed type of laser eye surgery or refractive surgery. Many patients have LASIK every year and have excellent results. Keep in mind that great candidates typically have good outcomes.

Before getting LASIK surgery, please be sure to discuss your candidacy and success possibilities with your ophthalmologist.

Overall the LASIK eye surgery itself is not time-consuming and is generally considered a safe surgery. There are very few side effects, and the typical LASIK patient returns to regular activities within days of the surgery.

STEP 1 – After the patient has been prepped for surgery and positioned under the laser microscope, the first step is to create the LASIK Flap. This flap is created with a microkeratome containing a blade. The flap is then gently lifted so that an excimer laser can be positioned over this area for treatment. This corneal flap will stay attached to the rest of the cornea on one side only.

STEP 2 – The excimer laser uses a beam of cool light to reshape the top layer (less than 10%) of the cornea so that images focus correctly on the retina. A computer, controlled by your LASIK eye surgeon, is used to precisely calculate the exact amount of cornea that needs to be removed for each person’s eyes. Special tests will be done on the eyes to achieve the measurements that will be treated with the laser.

STEP 3 – After LASIK surgery is complete, the corneal flap is put back in place. This flap will naturally adhere to the treated cornea eliminating the need for sutures. Pressure from the eyelid and other factors will hold the flap in place as it heals minimizing discomfort. The center of the cornea is now flattened allowing light rays to be focused more precisely on the retina, and images will be seen more sharply.

STEP 4 – The postoperative healing process is relatively quick after LASIK surgery, but everyone heals differently and at different paces. Most LASIK patients notice a dramatic improvement in their vision immediately after the procedure. However, maximum improvement will occur over the next three to four weeks. Both antibiotic drops and steroid drops will be used for a period of two weeks following LASIK eye surgery to ensure proper healing. Artificial tears will also be used to help keep the cornea smooth and moist during the healing period.

Selecting a LASIK surgeon in Jacksonville

Asking the right questions is very important when choosing a quality LASIK surgeon. We have included this list of questions on our website to better educate LASIK candidates as to what they should look for when selecting a LASIK surgeon.

1. How many LASIK eye surgery procedures have you performed?
2. Do you prefer performing PRK or LASIK and why?
3. How long have you been doing LASIK Eye Surgery?
4. What type of excimer laser do you use?
5. How much experience do you have with the LASIK eye surgery procedure?
6. How many of your patients have achieved 20/20 or 20/40 vision?
7. How many patients return for LASIK eye surgery enhancements?
8. What’s involved with the Post Operative care?
9. How do you define success with LASIK?

AAO LASIK Study – American Academy of Ophthalmology 2005

Researchers conducted a 10-year study to determine the long-term safety and effectiveness of laser eye surgery. The results were presented in November 2006 at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. The study included 200 eyes with myopia or myopic astigmatism.

One-hundred of these were corrected with LASIK surgery, the other 100 with PRK. Ten years after the surgery, researchers measured changes in visual distortion, as well as the patients’ ability to focus, and found that both procedures had excellent long-term results with patients, on average, maintaining 20/25 vision.

LASIK may not promise perfect vision, however; it is a highly successful procedure that can, at the very least, reduce a person’s dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Lifestyle benefits can be tremendous for active and social people. These benefits can enable people to more freely pursue their hobbies, sports activities or career options.

Other LASIK Topics to Review

• Florida LASIK Cost Comparisons
• Custom LASIK Lasers, FDA approved wavefront technology equipment
• Jacksonville LASIK self-evaluation TEST
• How to choose a LASIK surgeon?
• Who is the best Florida LASIK surgeon?
• What Florida LASIK surgeon has the most experience?
• Who are the best Jacksonville Eye Surgeons?
• What are the LASIK eye surgery risks?
• What can go wrong in LASIK eye surgery?
• What is a LASIK enhancement and when is one needed?

FREE LASIK Evaluation in Orange Park and Fleming Island

Your decision to have laser vision correction surgery is an important one, and we want you to make an educated choice. Clay Eye Physicians & Surgeons offers a free, no obligation LASIK eye evaluation. During this 60-minute evaluation you will:

• Find out if you’re like 90% of people who are qualified candidates.
• Understand how you can benefit from the procedure.
• Decide which vision correction procedure is best for you.
• Get answers to all of your questions and learn why you want LASIK.
• Meet with our LASIK surgeon, Dr. Donovan, with whom you will be entrusting your eyes.

Contact us through this ophthalmology website or call Clay Eye Physicians & Surgeons today at 904-272-2020 to sign up for a FREE, no obligation laser vision evaluation and find out if you are a candidate for this amazing procedure.

LASIK FAQS

Does LASIK hurt?

PRK and LASIK are generally considered to be “painless procedures.” Your eye is numbed with eye drops, and you are awake during the entire procedure. During the initial healing period of 2-3 days after the procedure is performed, some patients may experience what they describe as a slight discomfort; similar to feeling as if there is something in your eye.

Does LASIK require stitches or shots?

No. At the time of the procedure, drops are used to numb the eye, and then you will be asked to stare at a light during the laser procedure. With PRK, a protective contact lens or medicated ointment is then placed on your eye until it completes its healing process. With LASIK, the flap is resealed using air, so a bandage contact lens is not required.

Can I wear contacts again after having LASIK surgery?

Usually yes. One of the advantages of LASIK and PRK is that they do not alter the integrity of the eye and, therefore, do not generally result in scarring which would eliminate your ability to wear contacts again.

How well will I see after LASIK surgery?

After the surgery, it is realistic to expect to achieve correction comparable to what you are able to achieve with glasses and contacts. After laser vision correction, ninety-eight percent of all people can see well enough to pass a driver’s license test without any correction. We cannot, however, promise you that you will never have to wear glasses again. While almost everyone has significant improvement in their best-uncorrected vision (what you can see without any glasses or contacts), some people may still need to wear a much milder prescription for reading or driving after the surgery.

Can I do both eyes at once?

The decision to have one eye done or both eyes done consecutively should be made by Dr. Donovan and the patient. Initially, it was felt that time should be allowed between eyes. However, the standard of care in the United States, particularly with LASIK, has improved so that now either both eyes done on the same day or one eye at a time may be done safely – Whatever Dr. Donovan and the patient decide.

How does LASIK affect my eyes long term? Does it lead to future unrelated procedures?

Since both PRK and LASIK are relatively new procedures, there may be some long-term risks that have not yet been discovered. To date, however, excimer procedures have not been found to affect or cause any unrelated eye problems.

Why do some companies charge significantly less for LASIK than others?

There are many different companies that provide laser vision correction in the United States and Canada. As levels of service and quality vary greatly, it is important for you to be informed of all of your options and to seek out the safest and most reputable healthcare providers. Our doctors and surgical teams are among the most experienced in the country, utilizing only FDA-approved, state-of-the-art equipment.

Is laser vision correction covered by insurance?

Refractive surgery is generally considered to be an elective procedure and therefore is not usually covered under most insurance programs. There are a few progressive companies that may provide coverage. Dr. Donovan will be happy to provide you with a letter for your insurance company, and the laser center will provide you with a receipt so you may submit the expense for reimbursement. Many patients may choose to use our patient finance program which helps make laser vision correction even more affordable.