Gain Clarity Without Glasses or Contacts
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you’ve likely considered laser eye surgery at some point. After all, a life without fumbling for glasses or tearing a contact lens is so appealing!
But we know eye surgery is a big decision and not one to make lightly. So we offer comprehensive laser eye surgery consultations and pre and postoperative care at Vancouver Block Optometrists.
If you’re curious about learning more about the various laser eye surgery procedures and which one is right for you, please call us today to book a consultation. We’ll perform a comprehensive eye exam and provide you with all the information you’ll need to make the best decision for you.
What Is a Laser Eye Surgery Consultation?
A consultation is a meeting you have with one of our optometrists to determine if laser eye surgery is right for you and which procedure would work best for your needs.
Just like any surgery, laser eye surgery comes with some risks and side effects. Our primary goal during a consultation is to ensure the benefits of this procedure are worth the potential side effects of surgery.
Laser eye surgery procedures have been performed in Canada since the 1980s and are relatively safe and effective.
What Is Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser eye surgery is a general term that refers to the several types of procedures developed to correct vision problems, most often refractive errors. If you need glasses because you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, you have a refractive error.
Refractive errors aren’t conditions or diseases but rather the shape of your eye making it hard to see clearly at different distances:
- Myopia (nearsightedness): Your eye is longer than normal, so light focuses in front of the retina, making distant objects appear blurry.
- Hyperopia (farsightedness): Your eye is shorter than normal, so light focuses behind the retina, making nearby objects appear blurry.
- Astigmatism: Your cornea or lens is shaped differently than normal, making your overall vision blurry or distorted.
Laser eye surgeries correct these errors by using specialized lasers to reshape the cornea, changing how light bends in your eyes so it can reach the retina.
The 2 most common procedures, PRK and LASIK, use an excimer laser to vaporize corneal tissue to correct refractive errors.
PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, involves removing the top layer of the cornea with a surgical blade, laser, alcohol solution, or brush. Your surgeon then uses a computer-programmed laser to remove precise amounts of corneal tissue to reshape your eye to correct your vision.
You’ll wear bandage contact lenses to protect your eyes while they heal. The initial healing process occurs in the first week, but it can take longer for your eyes to heal completely.
LASIK
Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or LASIK, is similar to PRK, but rather than removing the top layer of corneal tissue, your surgeon cuts a hinged flap and lifts it out of the way. Exact amounts of underlying corneal tissue are removed using a computer-programmed laser to correct your vision. After the surgery is complete, the flap is replaced and left to heal.
The eyes heal more quickly after LASIK than with PRK, but you may need eye drops to keep your eyes comfortable.
After Care & Follow-Up Visits
You’ll be given specific instructions for caring for your healing eyes from your ophthalmologist. We’ll also schedule you for several follow-up visits at our clinic so we can monitor your healing process and check your eyesight. Our goal for these visits is to ensure your eyes remain healthy, reduce your risks for infection, and check that your vision goals are achieved.
If you’re interested in learning more about laser eye surgery, please give us a call. We’re happy to answer any of your questions.
Our Location
- #800-736 Granville Street
- Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3
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Vancouver Block Optometrists
- #800-736 Granville Street
- Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3
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P: 604-681-8653
[email protected]