Can You Be Too Old for LASIK?

The short answer to the question, “Can you be too old for LASIK?” is: No.

A person cannot be too old to have a LASIK procedure – there is no maximum age at which LASIK is no longer effective. However, the condition of your eyes may prohibit you from being a good LASIK candidate, regardless of your age.

The hard truth is that your eyes are continually changing as you grow older. There are a couple of eyesight conditions that begin to occur for most people that cannot be corrected by LASIK surgery: 

• Presbyopia, when you lose the ability to see up-close without reading glasses. This typically starts in your 40s 
• Cataracts, when the eye lenses become more opaque. This starts slowly and can gradually become quite difficult to live with in our 60s and beyond. Cataract surgery replaces the impaired lenses with artificial ones, and refractive errors can also be corrected at the same time.

There is a small segment of society that does not experience significant changes in their vision over time. In those cases, it is possible for a person of advanced age, who has good overall health and generally healthy eyes with stable vision, to have a LASIK procedure to correct a refractive error such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

Why not find out if you can enjoy the rest of your life with 20/20 vision? You’ve got nothing to lose and clear sight to gain. 

The only way to truly determine if you are a candidate for LASIK is to schedule a LASIK Evaluation with a respected practice like Wright Vision Center.  Visit their website at wrightvisioncenter.com or call 877-576-0202 to schedule your Free Evaluation today.

Be a Positive Role Model for Kids by Enjoying Life to its Fullest

      April 25, 2013 marks the 20^th Anniversary of the “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work® Day” program. Over the years this educational program has had several objectives, including:

• Exposing children to what parents/mentors do at work
• Showing children the value of education
• Helping children discover the power of a balanced work and home life
• Helping children envision their future and take steps toward their own goals

We applaud this program and congratulate the organization and everyone who has participated in the event on one level or another.

Children see adults as role models, whether we are cognizant of this or not. Being a productive member of society is one way to be a positive influence; emitting strong self-confidence, even happiness, is another. When you feel good about yourself – both inside and out – you project positive vibes to everyone around you. Children have an uncanny ability to pick up on these vibes and internalize them to themselves.

If you are constantly hassling with glasses or contacts – or even avoiding certain activities because it’s too difficult to see without your corrective lenses, those negative feelings can be unconsciously transferred to the children around you. LASIK eye surgery can give you freedom from these aggravations, helping you enjoy life more fully. Just picture yourself with 20/20 vision swimming, skiing or playing at the park with your kids. What a great gift to give yourself and the younger people around you.

With the advances in LASIK technologies and LASIK financing options, more people than ever can eliminate their nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Take the first step in discovering if LASIK can give you 20/20 vision. Contact Dr. Wright at Wright Vision Center to schedule your LASIK Consultation. Call 877-576-0202 or visit wrightvisioncenter.com.

How Much Does LASIK Cost?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a long list of lasers that are used for LASIK. While the FDA has the power to regulate the sale of medical devices in the United States, approving only those that are deemed reasonably safe and effective, the power stops there. The FDA does not have the power to regulate how doctors manage or market their LASIK practices, including how much doctors charge for LASIK eye surgery.

The average cost of LASIK surgery ranges from approximately $1,600 per eye for non-customized LASIK to $2,500 per eye for customized wavefront-guided procedures. These are just average costs; variables that can affect the bottom line may include:

• Pre-operative testing
• Equipment for eye tracking, corneal measurement and topography, pupil size and tear film analysis
• Surgery equipment, such as traditional blade LASIK or laser
• Whether the office owns or leases the laser technology

You may have heard some LASIK centers offering incredibly low prices on LASIK, such as $499 per eye. 

While this sounds great, these low prices are usually a ploy to get you into the center where, upon further examination, you discover the fine print:

• You may not be a candidate for the super low pricing because your eye prescription is too strong (meaning you need a correction greater than 1.25 diopters)
• The center may also be using much older, and not as precise or effective, technology
• You may be “nickel and dimed” for small costs that are typically included in the overall LASIK fee

When you are researching LASIK centers, make sure you are comparing apples-to-apples. You want to ensure that the surgeon you choose has the proper training, plenty of experience, offers the latest state-of-the-art technologies and is up-front with all of the costs for your procedure. Quality surgeons will also openly discuss the advantages and potential risks of LASIK and will only approve patients for LASIK after a full evaluation.

Your eyesight is not something you want to gamble on; saving money is good, but don’t let price be the only determining factor in your LASIK surgeon choice.

Wright Vision Center offers FREE LASIK Evaluations. Contact us today at 877-576-0202 or visit our website wrightvisioncenter.com to take our online LASIK Self Evaluation to see if you might be a candidate for LASIK.

Understanding LASIK Incisions

LASIK eye surgery has brought lens-free vision to literally millions of people over the years. Technology continues to improve this medical procedure, making the outcomes more precise than ever before.

So why hasn’t everyone jumped on the LASIK bandwagon? Fear is one factor that keeps some people away. Specifically, fear of the LASIK incision. Let’s face it: our eyes are sensitive, and the thought of having a procedure that involves cutting the cornea can be scary. When you have detailed information about the procedure, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue LASIK.

Type of LASIK Incisions

In LASIK surgery, the surgeon makes a thin flap in the cornea via one of two methods:

·         Mechanical tool called a Microkeratome. This is an oscillating, hand-held blade that is controlled by the surgeon.

·          

      Femtosecond laser also referred to as “bladeless” LASIK. Pre-calculated computer software guides the laser beam to cut the flap at a precise diameter and depth.

The corneal flap is folded back to allow the surgeon to reshape the cornea and correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism issues. When the refractive error work is completed, the surgeon folds the corneal flap back down, where it heals itself. The whole process only takes minutes per eye! And most patients are already experiencing improved vision when they leave the office.

The truth of the matter is that LASIK surgery is quite safe when it is performed by an experienced LASIK surgeon. The Food and Drug Administration has approved nearly 30 lasers; lasers they have deemed to be safe and effective for LASIK surgery. There have also been advances in the microkeratome technology that have increased the effectiveness of the hand-held blade method.

If you would like to learn more about the entire LASIK procedure, contact Wright Vision Center today to schedule a Free LASIK Evaluation or visit their website at wrightvisioncenter.com. Don’t let fear stop you from achieving great vision!