Is LASIK Right for Me?

Basic Guidelines for Candidacy

Patients may be ineligible for LASIK if they suffer from any of the following conditions:

• Thin corneas
• Corneal scarring
• A history of dry eye
• A high degree of refractive errors
• Large pupils

For patients who are not ideal candidates for LASIK, offers for Los Angeles area patients seeking better vision.

Monovision

Monovision is a strategy for eliminating the need for bifocals or reading glasses. The goal of the treatment is to achieve spectacle freedom while performing everyday visual tasks. Monovision can be achieved through the use of contact lenses or LASIK. As a result of treatment, one eye, usually the dominant one, is focused at distance. The fellow non-dominant eye is focused at near. With both eyes open, the brain automatically picks the image that is best in focus.

For example, when looking at objects that are at near, such as a watch, cell phone or a price tag, the 'near' eye is doing most of the work. While performing tasks that require distance vision, such as driving or watching TV, the 'distance' eye does most of the work.

This strategy is well tolerated by most people but is not for everyone. For this to be successful, careful pre-operative planning must be done which includes:

• Determination of eye dominance, working distance
• Simulation of monovision with loose lens test and/or soft contact lens
• Planning for treatment of any corneal astigmatism that may be present

Advantages:

• Less costly than multifocal lenses
• Improved contrast sensitivity
• Reduced haloes and glare
• Availability of high contrast (Tecnis)
• Availability of an astigmatism correcting lens (Acrysof TORIC IOL)

Disadvantages:

• May still need glasses for some visual tasks
• Loss of some depth perception
• See for yourself how we can bring the world of 'close up' back in focus
• During your next visit, ask us to demonstrate these concepts to you