Are you a good candidate for laser eye surgery? The answer to that question largely depends on your overall health status, the therapeutic goals you are looking for, and a few other important factors. To determine if eye surgery is right for you, your ophthalmologist will examine your eyes with laser correction in mind. Here we have provided a guide to what laser eye surgery is and what qualifies you to have one of these state-of-the-art procedures in our Coral Gables office.
What Is Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser eye surgery is a well-established and effective procedure that involves a miniaturized laser instrument. This small laser tool reshapes the cornea, the clear layer on the front surface of the eye.
Laser correction improves visual clarity and reduces or eliminates the need for glasses or contact lenses. The most common types of laser eye surgery are LASIK, PRK, and RLE.
LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis)
LASIK is the most popular type of eye surgery. During the procedure, your eye surgeon will create a thin flap in the cornea using either a microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser. Then, an excimer laser removes tissue from the inner layers of the cornea.
Removing tissue from the cornea normalizes its shape. It also corrects any refractive vision errors such as nearsightedness, astigmatism, and farsightedness—all common vision issues that require the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Why LASIK is Your Best Choice for Vision Correction
Your doctor will need to complete an eye evaluation to qualify you for a LASIK procedure at our Coral Gables, FL, surgery center. They will recommend the procedure only if you:
- Are in good overall health
- Are age 18 or older
- Are not pregnant or lactating
- Have only mild to moderate need for vision correction
- Do not need glasses for presbyopia (age-related inability to clearly see small print close up)
- Have no previous eye injury
- Are free of cataracts and glaucoma
- Do not have a history of dry eye disease or herpes infection in the eye
- Do not have keratoconus (thin corneal tissue)
The LASIK procedure is a quick and comfortable eye surgery option that offers positive results and limited downtime.
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)
PRK is a form of LASIK surgery that uses different techniques to reshape the cornea. During the procedure, the eye doctor will resurface the outer layer of the cornea and use a laser to modify the underlying tissue.
The entire process takes just about 15 minutes per eye. Most PRK surgery patients experience improved vision immediately after their procedures at our surgery center.
After a consultation and examination with your eye doctor, they may recommend PRK laser surgery. PRK candidates must have a stable prescription for corrective lenses and mild correction needs for nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Ideal patients should not have dry eye disease, recent eye injury, or have had an eye infection in the past year.
RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange)
RLE is laser eye surgery which may be done together with a LASIK surgery. Reserved for healthy patients with high degrees of near- or farsightedness, refractive lens exchange also can help people who have age-related inability to see objects or print close up (presbyopia).
As with other laser eye surgeries, people considering one of these procedures undergo a complete eye examination with your eye doctor before determining if RLE is right for their health and vision needs.
Laser Eye Surgery in Coral Gables, FL
At The Laser Center (TLC) of Coral Gables, we help many people eliminate or minimize the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Our top-notch eye surgeons are Dr. Alberto Aran, Dr. Adam Stelzer, and Dr. Mario Rojas.
They develop individualized eye care plans and perform these state-of-the art procedures onsite.
Please contact The Laser Center of Coral Gables to learn if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. For your information, you may also take our brief LASIK candidacy test online.
To make an appointment with one of our eye doctors, call our office team today at (305) 461-0003, or request your visit here. We are happy to serve the Miami and Coral Gables, FL, area. Your vision will be in the best of hands!
