Laser vision correction, also known as laser eye surgery, is a popular and effective way to correct vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. However, it is not uncommon for people to have concerns about undergoing surgery, especially surgery on their eyes. This post will discuss some of the most common concerns people have about laser vision correction and provide information to help alleviate those fears.

What are The Risks Of Laser Vision Correction?

One of the concerns people often have about laser vision correction is the risk of complications. While any surgical procedure carries some risk, the risk of complications with laser eye surgery is extremely low. For example, to this day, out of the tens of millions of people who have undergone this procedure, there has not been a single person who has gone blind from laser vision correction. The most common negative side-effect is dry eyes, which can be easily treated with eye drops. It is important to note that the risk of negative side-effects can be reduced by choosing an experienced surgeon and carefully following pre-operative and post-operative instructions. Find out more about one of our LASIK surgeons, Dr. Joseph King HERE.

How Successful Is LASIK?

Another concern people have is the potential for the surgery to fail. It is true that laser eye surgery is not 100% successful. There is a small chance that the patient will not achieve the desired outcome. However, the success rate for laser vision correction is extremely high and, if you do not experience the expected results, the BCLasik team will continue to work with you to help you achieve 20/20 vision.

How Much Does LASIK Cost?

A common objection we receive from patients interested in laser vision correction is the high cost. While the price can vary depending on the type of procedure, the location, and the surgeon, it is often considered a safe and effective long-term investment. When looking at the price, it is important to weigh the long-term savings of not purchasing glasses or contacts. After accounting for the savings gained by not depending on a prescription, a procedure with BCLasik will often pay for itself.

Is LASIK Painful?

Absolutely not. Patients often express concern about the pain they may experience during or after the procedure. “Will it hurt?” is a question BCLasik’s vision counselors encounter all too often. While some patients may experience minor discomfort or a pressure on their eye during the procedure, it is certainly not painful. Patients occasionally report mild dry eye symptoms after the procedure, but these lessen with time and are easily treated with eye drops.

How Long Is Recovery Time For LASIK?

Lastly, some people are concerned about the recovery time after their laser vision correction. While the recovery time can vary depending on the type of procedure and the individual patient, most patients are able to return to their normal activities within a few days. Certain activities should be avoided for a couple weeks beyond this recovery window (i.e. swimming), which is why it is important to follow the post-operative instructions provided by your vision counselor.

In conclusion, laser vision correction, especially with an experienced clinic like BCLasik, is a safe and effective way to correct vision problems. While a patient may feel anxious going into the procedure, they should remember that the risk of complications is extremely low, and the benefits cannot be overstated. By choosing an experienced surgeon and following post-operative instructions, you can be sure the procedure will be painless, the recovery will be quick, and the cost will be more than worth it. If you are considering laser eye surgery, reach out to our team at BCLasik, so we help you experience life with clear, natural vision.

Is LASIK Right For You?

Use our free self-test to see if you’re a candidate for LASIK by clicking HERE. 

During refractive lens exchange, your natural lens is replaced with an artificial intraocular lens to correct your vision. This is done to reduce your need for progressives, bifocals or reading glasses. 

If you haven’t heard of this procedure, don’t worry! We’ll explain the top five things you should know about Refractive lens exchange, also called RLE.

RLE, A Surgery For People Over 50 Experiencing Issues With Near Sight

As we age, so do the natural lenses in our eyes. Over time, they harden and discolor. The hardening of your natural lens (presbyopia) inhibits your ability to focus on nearby objects, and the discoloration (cataracts) makes all vision less clear. These conditions usually become noticeable in your 40’s and get worse into your 60’s.

RLE is often suitable for patients with presbyopia, severe hyperopia (a related condition in which your eyes do not focus sharply on nearby objects), and cataracts.

RLE Is Nearly Identical To Cataract Surgery

The process for lens exchange is nearly the same as the process for cataract surgery. The difference is that your natural lens is still clear, while the cataract surgery removes a cloudy lens.

Like with cataract surgery, your physician at FVCL/BCLASIK can recommend different types of intraocular lenses (IOL), depending on your lifestyle and desired outcomes. 

Some lenses provide clear vision for distance only. This means you will still need glasses for near and intermediate ranges. Other lenses provide extended depths of focus; clear vision at multiple distances similar to natural, vision.

The artificial lens is meant to be a permanent replacement for your natural lens, and should last the rest of your life without deteriorating.

RLE Provides Lasting, LASIK-Like Results

LASIK eye surgery continues to be an excellent solution for people with refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, however, it doesn’t address visual issues stemming from the lens inside the eye, like presbyopia.

For visual conditions that involve the lens inside your eye, Refractive Lens Exchange is the recommended option for an exceptional visual outcome: clear vision with a reduced need for glasses, contact lenses, reading glasses, progressives or bifocals.

RLE also eliminates the need for future cataract surgery by replacing the lens that would otherwise continue to deteriorate over time.

RLE Is An Outpatient Surgery

Like LASIK, you can expect to go home immediately after RLE – with someone to drive you, of course.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes, but each eye is operated on separately, with some time in between for recovery.

Before the surgery, your doctor will apply anesthetic drops to your eye to prevent pain during the procedure. Afterward, you can expect to spend about 2 weeks recovering before you continue participating in your normal daily activities.

Although the recovery time is short as far as surgeries go, it can take several weeks to see the final results of your vision correction surgery.

RLE Is An Extremely Safe Procedure

Refractive Lens Exchange is one of the safest and most common medical procedures. Like all surgical procedures, there are some complications to be aware of. However, by choosing a reputable surgeon like Dr. Chu or Dr. King and following aftercare procedures, you can reduce your risk for them.

Find Out If Refractive Lens Exchange Is Right For You

BCLASIK in Surrey, BC is one of Canada’s providers of vision correction surgery. Pre-screen yourself to determine whether you may be a candidate for this type of surgery by completing our online test.

Then, if you’re ready for a consultation with one of our Ophthalmic Technicians here at BCLASIK, call our office at 604-372-3937 or book online.

Our BCLASIK team is excited to meet you and help you to see with clear, natural vision.

Like with nearly every part of our body, as we age our eyelids become susceptible to certain conditions – some are purely cosmetic but others can have a serious effect on vision and, as a result, daily life. In this article, we will be reviewing several conditions that often arise in patients as they age, and how these conditions can be treated.

Drooping Eyelid (Dermatochalasis & Ptosis)

Two of the most common eyelid complications our patients face are dermatochalasis and ptosis. Both involve drooping of the eyelid but the reason for the droop is dependent on which condition is the root cause. Dermatochalasis, the more common of the two, is commonly caused by age related loosening of the eyelid skin. Ptosis, a slightly different condition, is a result of the elevator tendon responsible for lifting the eyelid becoming loose. While our cosmetic clinic can temporarily improve symptoms using Botox injections, more serious cases require eyelid surgery to remove excess fat and skin, or tighten the tendon responsible for lifting the eyelid.

Asian Double-Eyelid Blepharoplasty

The typical Asian eyelid is anatomically different from a Caucasion one. Many Asian eyelids are monolid meaning they lack the fold or crease that naturally occurs in Caucasian eyelids. This makes the eyes appear smaller and changes the application of makeup on the eyelids.The procedure used to treat this is very similar to the treatment for dermatochalasis. In addition to the typical dermatochalasis procedure, the surgeon will create a crease in the patient’s eyelid to give a more awake, alert, bright-eyed appearance.

Ectropion & Entropion

Ectropions and entropions are the result of the eyelid (usually lower eyelid)  turning outward or inward respectively. When an ectropion occurs and the eyelid turns outwards, it can expose the area it usually shields underneath your eye allowing for air, dust, and debris to irritate it. Although this condition is usually not serious it can be extremely uncomfortable. In contrast, entropions (turning in of the eyelids) cause your lower eyelashes to continuously rub against the eye causing dry eye, pain, and potentially cornea damage, eye infections, and even vision loss. When dealing with either of these conditions, artificial tears and lubricating ointments can help to relieve symptoms but surgery is required to fully correct the condition.

Styes & Chalazions

Styes and chalazions are caused by clogged oil glands and can result in red, painful lumps around the edges of the eye. Styes are more painful and acute and can be treated initially by warm compresses. Chalazions are chronic and less painful. In most cases, styes can resolve on their own, but chalazions are more chronic. A doctor can inject corticosteroid and/or drain the lump surgically.

What We Offer

 

To learn more about other procedures we offer to treat age-related cosmetic issues, be sure to check out our Cosmetics Page!

Every year, thousands of Canadians are putting away glasses and contacts for good with the help of Laser Eye Surgery. These procedures, performed by BCLasik, are the most commonly practiced methods of correcting refractive errors such as astigmatism (blurry vision at any distance), myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or presbyopia (inability to focus on nearby objects). One of the leading forms of Laser Eye Surgery is Lasik, and the purpose of this post is to help people understand what they should expect during their LASIK experience.

Lasik Consultation

The first step is to book a consultation with a vision counselor to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for LASIK. As discussed in our last post, even though Lasik has opened the opportunity of laser eye surgery to more people than ever before, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure. At this consultation, you will undergo several simple tests to help the vision counselor assess the best treatment option for your eyes.

To properly prepare for this consultation, there are some things you should keep in mind. First, if you wear contacts, it is important that you remove them and switch strictly to glasses before your evaluation with the counselor. Contact lenses can change the shape of your cornea even after you stop using them, leading to inaccurate measurements and reducing your chances of perfect vision post-procedure. For testing purposes, we ask that you stay away from contacts for 3-5 days prior to your appointment.

After this consultation, your vision counselor will let you know which procedure, either Lasik or a Lasik alternative we offer, is best for your specific vision needs. They will also go over the pre and post-surgical steps you should take to help you get the best results medically possible. At this time, you will be able to book in for a surgery date or go home and get back to us with your final decision later on.

Preparing For Laser Eye Surgery

Once you’ve booked your surgery date, be sure to follow the pre-operative instructions provided during your consultation. Do not use creams, lotions, make-up, or perfumes the day before surgery. These products can produce debris along your eyelashes, increasing the risk of infection before and after surgery.

Please ensure you have a driver who can take you home after surgery is complete. Even though most patients experience the clear sight Lasik provides immediately after their procedure, there is a chance your vision will be blurred for a short time, making it unsafe to drive. Also, if a patient is nervous, the doctor may administer medicine to help the patient relax. The medicine’s effects may be felt for a short time after surgery so you must have someone to help you get home safely. 

Date Of Your Procedure

Even though the procedure takes only 5-10 minutes, expect to be at the clinic for at least 2 hours. You will lie down on a chair in the room with the laser system while a numbing drop is placed in your eye. Your eyelid will be cleaned and a tool called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eye open as an opening is created in your cornea. Some patients have reported feeling discomfort in the form of pressure during this step. 

Finally, the doctor will ask you to stare at a light. This light is not the laser that will be correcting your vision; it is a focus point to ensure your eye remains still during the procedure. When you are focussed on the light, the doctor will start the laser. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound and you may become aware of a burning smell as the laser adjusts your corneal tissue. Before the surgery begins, the doctor will have programmed the laser to adjust your cornea based on the measurements taken at your initial consultation.

When the laser finishes, the opening in your cornea will be closed back up, and an eye shield is provided to ensure your cornea heals properly. Because there are no stitches involved with this procedure, it is important that you keep the eye shield in place. The shield will protect you from rubbing your eye or getting poked throughout the day and from putting pressure on it while you sleep.

Post-Lasik Care

In the days following your procedure, your eye may feel itchy, irritated, or have minor to mild discomfort. Both your eyes may water, and your vision may be blurry. You will instinctively want to rub your eyes but be sure not to! Contact with your eyes could result in the surgical site shifting and cause further treatment to be necessary. These symptoms should decrease drastically over the next couple of days, but it is recommended that you take a few days off work while you recover. Please note that you should contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe pain or your symptoms start to worsen instead of getting better.

We recommend that you wait 1-3 days after your procedure to resume any non-contact physical activities. To help prevent infection, you should wait 2 weeks (or the time recommended by the doctor) before beginning to apply creams, lotions, make-up, or perfumes. For at least 4 weeks, do not participate in contact sports, swimming, or the use of hot tubs. 

Additional precautions will be covered by your vision counselor. If you have any questions, please be sure to write them down so we can address them during your consultation. Join the millions of people who now live life without the hassle of glasses or contact lenses. Let us help change how you see life with this safe, pain-free 5-minute procedure. 

What Are The Benefits?

New laser assisted procedures increase the precision and predictability of cataract surgery more than ever before. Instead of manually performing much of the operation with the traditional blade, this innovation allows our surgeons to undergo the most delicate, and challenging steps of cataract surgery using a computer programmed blade-free laser.

Fraser Valley Cataract and Laser is one of the first eye centers in the Fraser Valley to adopt this new technology. It’s important to us that we offer our patients the best eyecare medically possible and the laser lets us do just that. By using the LenSx® Laser, our surgeons have more control over a procedure’s outcome allowing us to precisely tailor the surgery to our patient’s specific needs

How Does This New Technology Work?

During your laser assisted surgery, an ultrasound device is placed over your eye to map out its surface. This device registers the exact location, size, and depth the incisions should be then sends that information to the computer operating the laser. In addition to making the incisions, this laser can also soften the cataract before a probe breaks it up and clears the pieces out.

Conclusion

Although there is an additional cost, many consider laser assisted cataract surgery to be well worth it. The comfort of having a laser rather than a blade to create incisions for the operation is one most vision counselors would recommend. Although there is nothing wrong with traditional cataract surgery, by automating the most difficult and delicate steps, you can maximize results and minimize risk.