by Dr. M | Mar 10, 2020 | Cornea, Exam, Experience, Laser, LASIK, Mark Moran, Uncategorized, Vision
Patients are curious about what happens during LASIK surgery. 
Dr. Moran knows that a well-informed patient makes the best medical decisions. Understanding what happens during LASIK can lead to a more calm and comfortable experience. We’ve highlighted the most commonly asked questions about all-laser LASIK with Intralase. The best way to find out if you are a candidate for this vision correction procedure, is to come in for a free one-hour consult appointment.
LASIK vision correction is a 2-step process.
- First, we create the flap in the surface of the cornea.
- Second, we lift the flap and apply laser treatment to reshape the corneal tissue.
What is Intralase?
A: The IntraLase Method uses laser light to create a flap in the outer layer of your cornea. The laser creates an even layer of microscopic bubbles under the corneal surface. The flap is hinged, like the page of a book. Dr. Moran then lifts the flap by gently separating the tissue where these bubbles have formed. After the flap is lifted, Dr. Moran moves to the second step of the procedure, applying the laser treatment to reshape the corneasisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.cc.
What makes using Intralase technology unique?
A: The IntraLase Method uses a laser to create the flap. This laser-guided application creates a smooth even surface after your flap is lifted.
Are there benefits to using the Intralase Method?
A: Although the risk of flap-related complications with LASIK is very low, with Intralase, the rate of flap complications are further reduced. The flap created by the laser is determined and created by your surgeon, so it is tailored to the contours of your eye.
How long does LASIK surgery take?
A: The total time in the surgery suite takes about 20 minutes. During step 1 of the procedure, creating the flap, the laser application takes about 15-20 seconds per eye. Step 2 of the procedure, applying the laser treatment, depends on your prescription. It can take from just a few seconds, to about one minute per eye. Dr. Moran will let you know the length of your specific treatment. During the laser application, he will count down the seconds, so you know how much time remains. He keeps you informed about what you can expect, every step of the way.
What is the difference between LASIK and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy)?
A: PRK vision correction is done without creating a flap. Instead, PRK starts by removing a small area of tissue on the surface of the cornea. A clear contact lens is placed on the eye after PRK surgery, to aid in comfort while healing. Dr. Moran will remove the contact lens when the cornea is healed, usually about 3 days after surgery. The recovery time for PRK is longer than LASIK. With LASIK you should be able to drive the day after surgery, while after PRK surgery, you may not see clearly enough to drive for a few days. Why do patients choose PRK? PRK is an option for patients who may not be able to have LASIK due to thinner corneas. PRK is also preferred for patients who are at risk for eye injuries, including patients who do boxing, mixed martial arts, or who are joining certain levels of the military.
by Dr. M | Feb 4, 2020 | Cornea, Dry Eye, Exam, Medical Eye Care, Sun Damage, Surgery, Vision
There is an eye condition called “Surfer’s Eye”. Can you guess how it got its name?
It’s not about the water…but If you thought it had to do with too much sun exposure, you would be right!
Long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun, as well as wind and dust, may result in growths on the surface of the eye. Surfers are particularly vulnerable, since they spend their time in the sun without sunglasses or other eye protection.
The technical term for growths on the eye caused by sun exposure are called Pinguecula and Pterygium. The condition appears on the eye’s conjuctiva (the clear covering over the white part of the eye.
Pinguecula is a yellowish, raised growth on the conjunctiva. It’s usually on the side of the eye near your nose, but can happen on the other side too. A pinguecula is an abnormality formed by protein deposits, calcium or fat. It’s like a callus on your finger or toesisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.cc.
Pterygium (Surfer’s Eye) is a growth of fleshy tissue (has blood vessels). It usually has a triangular shape. It can remain small or grow large enough to cover part of the cornea. When it grows into the cornea, it can interfere with your vision.
Symptoms
The symptoms of pinguecula and pterygium can range from mild to severe. They include:
- redness and swelling of the conjunctiva
- a yellow spot or bump that builds on the white of your eye
- dryness, itching and burning in the eye.
- sensation of something in the eye
Treatment
- The best treatment is prevention…keep your eyes lubricated with artificial tears and wear sunglasses with UV protection.
- If you have the condition, lubricating eye drops will help to reduce discomfort.
- Your doctor can prescribe steroid eye drops which may reduce inflammation, redness and swelling in the eye.
- Surgical Removal: If eye drops alone don’t alleviate the symptoms, or if the growth is large enough to interfere with your vision, the growth can be removed surgically.
Protect your eyes, protect your vision. If you have any questions about caring for your sight, email, call or text our office. We are here to help!
by Dr. M | Dec 30, 2019 | Cornea, Eye Safety, LASIK, Patient Care, Surgery, Vision
How the laser works to improve your vision during LASIK surgery.
LASIK vision correction uses a laser to reshape your cornea to help you see better. To apply the laser treatment, Dr. Moran uses an excimer laser which emits a cool beam of ultraviolet light to precisely remove corneal tissue. The reshaped cornea allows for light rays to focus properly on the retina to give you clearer vision.
Think of the cornea as a closed book with 500 pages. We create the flap about 100 pages into the book. Once the flap is opened, we apply the laser treatment to correct your vision in the last 400 pages of the book.
After your flap is lifted, the excimer laser applies pulses of ultraviolet across the cornea in a custom pattern designed for your eyes. These precise light rays are able to remove as little as 0.25 microns of tissue at a time. How small is a micron? One micron is a thousandth of a millimeter.
How the cornea changeS DUring LASIK
The laser treats your cornea to give you better vision. Your cornea may be too long, too flat, or irregularly shapedsisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.ccsisipisi.cc.
- If you are nearsighted, the laser will make the cornea more flat;
- if you are farsighted, the laser will make the center of the cornea steeper.
- If you have an astigmatism, the laser will smooth your corneal tissue into a more symmetrical shape.
- If you have a combination of issues, the laser can treat nearsightedness with astigmatism, as well as farsightedness with astigmatism.
How the treatment is determined
In order to create your treatment plan, Dr. Moran does careful calculations using the data from your pre-operative testing. He takes into account your age and your visual needs. Then, the laser is programmed with your unique measurements. Once programmed, the laser is controlled by computer settings programmed to correct your specific refractive error. We use Custom-Vue Wavescan technology. It is called “Custom-Vue” since the pattern of treatment is customized for each patient to give you the best possible vision.
Dr. Moran will ask you to focus on a light while the laser is being applied. While it is important to keep your eye focused during the treatment, the laser has an added safety feature. The laser uses an eye-tracking system that monitors any eye movements and keeps the laser beam on target during surgery. Studies have shown that eye trackers produce better outcomes and decrease complications. If your eye moves during the surgery, the laser will stay centered. It will track and follow your eye movements.
What to expect After LASIK
When the laser treatment is done, you will notice clearer vision than when you entered the room. However, your vision will still be a little blurry – similar to seeing under water. The blurriness is because you have a lot of drops in your eyes! Dr. Moran will have you sit up and look across the room at a clock about 10 feet away. You will be able to tell him what time it is, even if you weren’t able to see the clock when you walked into the room. Your surgery day instructions are to go home and keep your eyes closed for the rest of the day. Your vision will fluctuate as your eyes are healing, however, the next day you can drive to the office for your 1-day PO LASIK appointment.
To see if LASIK is right for you, schedule your FREE Consult today. Call, email or text our office for your appointment. Learn more about, just click LASIK
by Dr. M | Aug 20, 2019 | Contact Lenses, Cornea, Eye Safety
It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t wear contact lenses, has worn contact lenses in the past, or knows someone who wears contact lenses. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has declared August 19th to the 23rd contact lens health week. https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses
Soft contact lenses
That’s right…the CDC is concerned about contact lenses! Contact lenses are medical devices, just like a heart pacemaker or an insulin pump. Contact lenses have been in use for over 100 years and during that time the technology behind them has progressed and been perfected. For that reason, complications and problems with them are less common. However, that only applies if they are used as prescribed.
Human nature is when you are comfortable with a situation, you may take some shortcuts regarding safety. Because contacts are considered so safe, most contact lenses users are prone to intentionally and unintentionally cut corners. Take the advice of Dr. Tang, Dr. Moran, and the CDC: DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS!
Here are a few key reminders on handing and wearing your contact lenses.
- Don’t sleep in your lenses.
- Tap water, hot tub or swimming pool water are not good for your contact lenses.
- Wash your hands before handing your lenses.
- Follow your eye doctors instructions for use of your case and disinfecting solutions.
- Replace your contact lenses case every 3 months.
- Replace your contact lenses as prescribed.
- See your eye doctor as recommended.
Contact lenses are safe when used appropriately, but things can go very bad if they are used improperly. You INCREASE your risk of permanent vision loss when you don’t follow the instructions above! Be safe and enjoy your contact lenses: follow the rules.
by Dr. M | May 23, 2019 | Allergies, Cornea, Dry Eye, Education, Exam, Patient Care
Dr. Tang recently saw a 47-year-old woman who suffered from severe, chronic dry eyes. She had a great deal of discomfort, gritty sensation, and blurred vision for 6 months. She had a long history of dry eye due to an autoimmune disease and chronic allergies.
Therapy O
ptions
The patient continued to have dry eyes despite multiple treatments: artificial tears every hour during the day and several times during the night; thermal therapy; punctal plugs; and several different prescription drops. The dryness caused irregularities on the surface of her cornea that were contributing to her blurry vision.
When all of the traditional treatments failed, we discussed Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED) and Prokera. The patient decided to try the serum tears first.
The Initial Results…relief from dry eye!
“I felt an immediate change in my eyes after the first day of serum tears use. This is the first time in as long as I can remember that my eyelids actually glide over my eye without discomfort!
Dr. Tang has gone above and beyond to help me find the right treatment for my dry eyes. I would absolutely recommend her.” Lori
How it Works
ASED treatment is effective because the drops contain antibodies and growth factor that come from the patient’s own blood. These drops repair the surface of the cornea, helping the patient to see better, feel better, and enjoy an improved quality of life. In a recent study, the visual acuity improved in 100% of patients*.
Made in a Specialized Pharmacy
The Serum eye drops are created in the lab from the patient’s blood, so they are uniquely customized to treat the patient’s condition. The drops are made by a specialized compounding pharmacy.
To make the serum eye drops, the patient has blood drawn, then the blood is spun through a centrifuge to extract the clear serum. The serum in placed in a dropper bottle and mixed with a sterile saline solution.
A three-month supply of drops is made from each blood draw. These drops can be used with the same frequency as artificial tears. Patients may continue to use the serum drops as long as needed.
Find our if serum tears are right for you
If you would like to explore this treatment to help alleviate dry eye, call us to make an appointment today. For more information on ASED treatment, click on the articles below.
Thicker than Water
*National Institute of Health
by Dr. M | Apr 23, 2019 | Allergies, Appointment, Conjunctivitis, Cornea, Dry Eye, Exam, Uncategorized, Vision
When you see the trees and flowers start to bloom, do you think “YAY, Spring!” or “OH, NO, Allergies!”?
Do your eyes feel itchy and irritated with seasonal allergies? Don’t suffer, come in for relief from the symptoms of allergy eyes. Dr. Moran and Dr. Tang can evaluate the best treatment for your allergy eyes that will help you enjoy the beauty of Spring.
SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS: Itching, redness, tearing and eyelid swelling. This condition is often accompanied by other signs of allergies, like a stuffy, itchy and runny nose. It’s not contagious since it is caused by dust or allergens. Artificial tears, antihistamine eye drops, and medication can help relieve the symptoms.
If you use an over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine like to treat a runny or congested nose, while this medicine dries out our sinuses, it causes dryness in your mouth and eyes too! Use lubricating eye drops (artificial tears) when you take allergy medicines, and you give your eyes the moisture that they need to feel better and see clearly.
There are also specific OTC allergy eye drops that are can be used to treat irritated allergy eyes, but these drops aren’t suitable for long-term use. We don’t recommend drops that “get the red out”. These drops may offer a quick fix for red eyes, but they don’t give you any long-term benefits. In fact, you may become dependent on them, since they don’t solve your dry eye issues.
Our doctors can diagnose if there are other underlying causes for the eye irritation…it might not be just allergies. If you have a crusty, yellowish discharge you may have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics.
We are here to help you maintain good eye health and excellent vision no matter the season. Call us, text us, or fill out the form on this page to make an appointment with Dr. Moran or Dr. Tang.
