Laser Vision

Laser Vision Correction Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Dr. Stein and his team of laser vision specialists are committed to offering you the latest technology available to insure the best outcome possible for your LASIK procedure. Many members of the Total Eye Care & Cosmetic Laser Center's family, including Dr. Stein himself, have had laser vision correction. Dr. Stein has personally performed over 10,000 procedures during the past 15 years.

CustomCornea, the most advanced laser vision correction available is performed using Alcon's LADARVision® System. This technology measures the visual aberrations specific to your eyes, creating a customized laser vision correction procedure. This assures a more “High Definition” result, improving the quality of both day and nighttime vision.

Am I a Candidate?

Being a candidate for a refractive procedure is best determined during a comprehensive eye exam with one of our eye care professionals. During a consultation with one of our doctors, measurements will be taken which include stability of your prescription, thickness of the front surface (cornea) of your eye, and the overall health of your eyes. While there is no “ideal” age to have LASIK, we recommend a patient be over the age of 18 and have a stable prescription. There are many ocular and systemic conditions that may have an affect on the final outcome of your procedure, and should be discussed with our doctors during your examination.

These conditions may include:

• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Cataracts or diabetic retinopathy with loss of vision
• Uncontrolled glaucoma
• Keratoconous (thinning and asymmetric steepening of the cornea)
• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
• Severely dry eyes
• Current use of Accutane (Isotretinoin), Cordarone (Amiodarone) or Imitrex (Sumatriptan Succinate)

Because of the effect some of these conditions can have on the shape and health of the cornea or on your prescription, it is important to discuss all options and outcomes before the procedure. Contrary to popular belief, astigmatism is correctable with a laser vision procedure.

With all of our refractive procedures, your vision and the health of your eyes is our foremost objective and a positive outcome is our number one goal.

Together we can achieve your goals by offering the highest quality procedures for our patients.

To find out more about LASIK or to schedule your complimentary consultation with one of our doctors, please call our LASIK Coordinator, Pam Matt, at 267.587.2058 or click here.

LASIK vs. PRK (Surface Procedure)

LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratomileusis), an outpatient procedure that effectively changes the curvature of the cornea, is the most commonly performed refractive surgery done today. This fifteen-minute procedure is used to reduce or even eliminate the need for contacts and glasses. At Total Eye Care & Cosmetic Laser Centers, patients with nearsighted, farsighted, and even astigmatic prescriptions have been successfully treated over the past 15 years and no longer rely on glasses.

On the day of your procedure, you will be given the option of taking oral Valium (Diazepam) upon arrival at the Laser Center. For this reason we ask that you have a driver to take you home that day. You are escorted into a semi-darkened room and asked to lie down on a comfortable bed.

As you are looking up at an illuminated target, one of the staff members will put anesthetic eye drops in both eyes. The eyelids are gently wiped with a providone-iodine solution in order to maintain sterility. Sterile drapes and a lid speculum are placed to gently keep the eyelids open while the other eye is patched. This prevents involuntary blinking during the 2-3 minute procedure. No injections or sutures are used.

A suction ring is applied to the eye for stabilization in preparation for creation of a flap. It is normal for the lights to "go out" during this brief period of time. A microkeratome is used to create the corneal flap. You may hear a "hum" during the flap creation and then the lights "go on" as the newly-formed, hinged flap is lifted. The excimer laser is then applied. You will hear the pulses of the laser but feel absolutely no pain as the treatment progresses. The laser will track even the most minimal movements of the eye to insure the proper placement of the beam. The flap is repositioned by the surgeon and irrigated to remove any residual debris that might impair the healing process. After approximately 2 minutes the flap "self seals" and antibiotic/steroid drops are placed on the eye. The lid speculum is removed and the surgeon proceeds with the second eye.

You'll often be able immediately to see things you may not have seen minutes before (like the clock on the wall!), although your vision will remain hazy or "steamy" until the next morning.

After the procedure, you will be instructed on the proper use of eye drops, including the frequent use of artificial tears. You will be advised not to rub the eye and to wear sunglasses outdoors for the first week, as well as a plastic eye shield at bedtime. Although there may be slight irritation, most people find they are able to return to work and drive the next day. Dr. Stein, himself, had his procedure at 6 o'clock in the evening, was driven home, and awoke at 8 o'clock the next morning, only to drive himself to the office and see patients!

CustomCornea

For more than 20 years, patients around the world have been enjoying the freedom of life without the dependence on glasses or contacts, thanks to Laser Vision Correction. Over the past few years, great strides have been made in making LASIK even more precise than once imagined. With the use of custom-guided wave-front technology, Dr. Stein and the laser team at Total Eye Care & Cosmetic Laser Centers have been able to improve patient's vision often beyond the traditional 'perfect 20/20.'

To simply say vision correction is nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatism, is like saying music is simply bass, treble, and volume. There are nuances within the visual system that the best measured glasses or contacts cannot correct. Specific to each individual, these 'higher order aberrations' are corneal irregularities that affect the sharpness of vision, especially during nighttime driving.

Using state-of-the-art technology called the LADARWave CustomCornea Wavefront platform, Dr. Stein is able to create a completely-customized treatment of the surface of your individual cornea. This customized treatment can decrease aberrations such as glare and halos especially noted during nighttime driving.

'Sometimes patients can complain about vision quality problems such as not being able to see in dim or low light. This is referred to as poor contrast sensitivity,' according to Roger Steinert M.D. Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School. In further agreement, according to a U.S. Navy study in 2004, patients with custom LASIK achieved better nighttime vision than those who were treated with traditional LASIK. We can now measure and correct many higher order aberrations that can affect contrast sensitivity. Many of our custom LASIK patients express improved nighttime vision after the procedure.

Although the opportunity for high definition vision may seem like the best option for every refractive surgery patient, traditional LASIK will always remain a treatment option. Not every patient is a candidate for Custom Laser Vision Correction. The health, shape, and thickness of your cornea are all factors that our doctors may discuss with you that could influence whether Custom LASIK is your best treatment option. We encourage you to schedule a Free LASIK consult today with a member of our LASIK team to discuss your best plan to maximize your personal visual outcome.

 IntraLase® ('All-Laser LASIK') Philadelphia

At Total Eye Care Centers, we pride ourselves in offering our patients the widest scope of innovative techniques and treatments tailored to your specific ocular needs. If it is determined to be your best option, we offer IntraLase technology, the 100% blade-free LASIK procedure, for our refractive surgery patients.

During all LASIK procedures, a thin flap of the cornea is created with either a microkeratome or femtosecond laser (IntraLase). Using the latter technique, ultra-fast laser pulses of light are used to create a specific flap for your unique corneal shape. For years patients have been told they were not a candidate for LASIK due to the shape or thickness of their corneas. Excessively steep, flat, or thin corneas have long been factors that have prohibited candidates from enjoying the freedom of life without glasses. With IntraLase, many of these patients can now safely enjoy the benefits of LASIK.

Only after careful examination including ultrasound measurements and corneal topography, can one of our doctors decide if IntraLase is best for you. If IntraLase is the best option for your eyes, Dr. Stein is certified in this technology and technique and is able to use the laser to quickly and painlessly create your customized corneal flap. Your flap is specific to your eye's shape and thickness.

Over one million patients nationwide have safely and successfully undergone treatment with IntraLase technology. To learn more about IntraLase and your personally-planned refractive procedure, please schedule an appointment with one of the members of our Laser Vision Team.

FAQ's

Does It Hurt?

LASIK is generally considered to be "painless procedure". Your eye is numbed with eye drops and you are awake during the entire procedure. You may experience what has been described as a slight discomfort, similar to feeling as if there is something in your eye, during the initial healing period of 2-3 days after LASIK is performed.

How Well Will I See After the Surgery?

It is realistic to expect vision comparable to what you were able to see with glasses or contact lenses after the procedure. At least 98% of all people can see well enough to pass a driver's license test without any correction. We cannot, however, promise 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, particularly if you are over 40 years of age. If Dr. Stein needs to perform an enhancement, this can be done once the vision has stabilized. Less than 4% of his patients need any additional procedures.

What Are the Risks?

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and potential complications. You may temporarily experience glare, light sensitivity, irritation, or a mild fluctuation of vision within the first few days of the procedure. The most common adverse affect after the LASIK procedure is dry eye. There are various ways of treating this condition (artificial tears) and the discomfort is usually short lived. The risk of serious vision threatening complications such as flap tears, striae, and infection or scarring is exceedingly rare and less than 1%. Under and over-corrections are certainly possible and treated through enhancements, which fine-tune the refractive outcome of the LASIK procedure.

How Much Time Off Work Will I Require?

Although Dr. Stein went back to work the next morning, most people can return to work within 24 hours. Please ask your surgeon what is best for you.

Is Laser Vision Correction Covered by Insurance?

Refractive surgery is generally considered to be an elective procedure and is not usually covered under most insurance programs. Many patients choose to use financing programs, which keeps laser vision correction affordable. Many individuals receive discounts based on occupation such as police officers, fire fighters, nurses, as well as many trade unions.

Payment and LASIK Financing Bucks County, PA

Our LASIK procedure fee includes all pre-operative testing including surgeon fees, laser facility fees, and all post procedure care and any enhancements that may be necessary, within one year. We know that the primary reason you would choose Total Eye Care & Cosmetic Laser Centers will be your confidence in our judgment, skill, and experience. However, we know that affordability will also play a role in your final decision.

We accept personal checks, American Express, Discover, Visa and Mastercard. You may also have the opportunity to use a flexible spending account through your employer.

Please inquire about our financing options through Care Credit, which may make laser vision correction affordable to you with easy monthly payments. (www.carecredit.com)

Our friendly Laser Vision Coordinator, Pam Matt, is always available to guide you through this very important decision. A happy LASIK patient since 1999, Pam will be able to answer questions about every aspect of the LASIK process from first-hand experience.