More than 90% of patients who receive LASIK laser eye surgery remain very satisfied with the results 5 years after the procedure. The doctors at the Eye Care Center of Kauai, in Lihue, Hawaii, have extensive experience successfully performing laser eye surgery, and not just LASIK to correct vision. Laser eye surgery can be used for diverse eye conditions like cataracts and glaucoma. If you’re tired of wearing eyeglasses or have other eye problems, schedule an appointment for an examination and to learn if laser surgery is a good option for you.
Laser eye surgery can be used to correct many eye problems, but when many people talk about laser surgery, they’re often thinking about correcting refractive vision problems. When used for that purpose, laser surgery successfully corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
The term “laser eye surgery” is often used interchangeably with LASIK surgery. LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis, which is the medical way of saying that lasers are used to permanently reshape the cornea to correct your vision problem. The cornea is reshaped by using the laser to very precisely remove a small amount tissue.
LASIK is the most common procedure used to correct refractive errors, but there are other types of laser surgery that work the same way as LASIK, such as PRK, LASEK, and EpiLASIK. While they all reshape the cornea, each one follows a slightly different procedure and may require different recovery time.
Prior to and during laser surgery, the doctors at Eye Care Center of Kauai use wavefront-guided technology to create a detailed image of your eye so that they know where to remove corneal tissue. Wavefront technology can also measure how light travels through your eye, which detects precisely where vision errors occur and where the cornea must be adjusted.
LASIK surgery usually takes 30 minutes or less. You’ll stay awake during the procedure, but the doctors can give you medication to help you relax and your eye will be numbed so you won’t feel any pain.
Right after surgery your vision will be blurry and your eye may hurt, itch or burn, but recovery doesn’t take long. While you’ll be able to see after the procedure, you may not get the full impact of corrected vision until the eye completely heals, which can take 3-4 months.
Laser eye surgery is used to treat diverse eye conditions. A few of the most common uses include:
Cataracts
Lasers are commonly used to make incisions and remove the damaged lens. Laser systems can also scan the eye to produce a 3D image of the eye.
Glaucoma
Laser surgery is used to improve eye pressure by increasing the outflow of fluids in the eye or reducing the amount of fluid being produced.
Diabetic macular edema
Diabetic macular edema is the primary cause of vision loss associated with diabetic retinopathy. Laser surgery can be used to seal or eliminate the leaking blood vessels that cause edema.
At Eye Care Center of Kauai, we accept most major insurance plans. Here is a list of some of the plans we accept. Please contact our office if you do not see your insurance provider listed.
