LASIK Laser Surgery
Dr. Shah and Dr. Frohn co-manage LASIK evaluation, surgery, and post-operative care with some of the best eye surgeons anywhere. Together we provide care for you before and after surgery, with eye doctors who know your history and your eyes.
Dr. Franklin W. Lusby is a renowned, highly qualified specialist in laser refractive surgeries. His extensive experience can be traced back to the beginnings of modern vision correction procedures and he has performed more than 45,000 refractive surgeries in the United States, Mexico, and China. He has been at the forefront of the field and has performed thousands of successful PRK surgeries over the last 17 years. He continues to perform PRK surgeries as well as LASIK, Custom LASIK, Intralase, and more.
Dr. Tom Tooma, Founder and Medical Director of NVISION Laser Eye Centers (formerly a part of TLC Laser Eye Centers) has performed more than 100,000 LASIK procedures, including procedures on more than 250 eye doctors. Dr. Tooma has many firsts including being the first in California to perform LASIK surgery, first to perform Custom Wavefront Guided LASIK, and first in the U.S. to use the Femtosecond Laser (IntraLase FS30 - All Laser LASIK). Dr. Tooma has held positions at Loma Linda University as Chief and Director of Cornea Service and Director of Refractive Surgery.
LASIK (Laser-Assisted-In-Situ Keratomileusis) is currently one of the most frequently performed elective procedures in North America. It is a highly effective outpatient procedure designed to correct multiple levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and reduce reliance on corrective eyewear. LASIK uses a cool beam of light from the excimer laser to gently reshape the front surface (cornea) of your eye. It offers the least discomfort and the fastest recovery time of any laser vision correction surgery.
The Custom LASIK Approach LASIK surgery procedures have evolved in recent years. Technology advancements allow Dr. Kunal Shah and Dr. Robert Frohn to recommend further customized LASIK procedure for your individual eyes. FDA studies show that today's custom LASIK procedure may produce better vision than is possible with contact lenses or glasses. Clinical studies have shown that custom LASIK may improve not only what you see but also how well you see it. In the past, all vision was measured using a standard vision chart. If you could see the letters, the doctor would use that measurement for how well you could see. But now, with custom LASIK, doctors are able to focus on the quality as well as the quantity of your vision. Many patients who have had custom LASIK are reporting the ability to see clearer than ever before. In clinical studies, custom LASIK has been able to provide patients with:
- A greater chance of having 20/20 vision
- The potential for better vision than is possible with contacts or glasses
- Less incidence of glare and halos and
- Potentially better overall vision, even at night.
Better Quality Vision with Laser Eye Surgery Prior to surgery, a wavefront analyzer is used to measure the way light travels through your eye. The wavefront analyzer creates a customized 3-D map of your eye that looks at your entire optical system. This map provides information about the unique visual characteristics of your eye, adding an additional level of data about your vision, enabling our doctors to further customize your vision correction. Treating both eyes with LASIK surgery takes around 15 minutes. The surgeon uses either a computer-controlled instrument or a laser to create a very thin, circular flap of tissue in the outer cornea. This flap is folded back to expose the bed of the cornea, and the laser removes a precise, pre-set amount of corneal tissue. The flap is replaced and is almost instantly held in place by the natural process of the eye. In most cases, the flap will effectively heal within a few hours. LASIK patients typically return to work and leisure activities within two or three days of their laser vision correction surgery. The improvement in vision is virtually instantaneous. LASIK is perfectly safe, and it's routine to treat both eyes with LASIK on the same day. Bladeless Custom Wavefront LASIK LASIK surgery may be elective, but good vision is not. We understand how valuable your sight is to you, and we keep our sights set on providing safe and advanced technologies for our patients. That is why bladeless custom LASIK using the IntraLase laser is a technology chosen for our Centers.
In custom LASIK procedures, a flap of corneal tissue must be created and then folded back. The cornea is the transparent dome-like structure that covers the iris and pupil of your eye. By creating a flap in the cornea, the surgeon is able to perform the laser vision correction treatment on the inner layer of the cornea, allowing for a rapid visual recovery.
With bladeless custom LASIK, the surgeon uses a laser to create the corneal flap. This technology enables the surgeon to customize the corneal flap for every individual patient. In recent studies done by IntraLase, this technology may now make it possible to treat those who were previously dismissed as non-candidates for LASIK due to thin corneas. LASIK Recovery After the LASIK procedure, your eye may feel irritation or a foreign-body sensation, or your eye may tear or water for a few hours. If you experience discomfort, your doctor may suggest taking a mild pain reliever. Most patients are quite comfortable after taking a short nap while wearing the protective eye shields. Some LASIK patients may wear the eye shields while sleeping during the first few days. Do not rub your eyes during the early healing stage. It is not unusual for dryness in your eyes to last for several days or longer.
Most LASIK patients notice dramatic visual results within the first few days following their procedures. However, the speed of visual recovery depends on personal healing patterns, and patients with higher prescriptions may recover more slowly.
Many patients return to work within a day or two of the procedure. You will need to follow the post-surgery restrictions mentioned below. Otherwise, as long as you follow your doctor's instructions, you should be free to resume all your normal activities.
- Wait one full day before taking a shower.
- Wait one day to one week, as your doctor advises, before resuming driving.
- Wear sunglasses for the first few days.
- Read and watch TV in moderation the first few days.
- Do not wear eye makeup for four days.
- Do not rub your eyes for one week.
- Do not exercise for one week.
- Avoid swimming, hot tubs and whirlpools for one week.
- Avoid gardening and dusty environments for one week.
- Avoid contact sports that could result in an eye injury for one month.
- Smoking is allowed, but you will probably find smoke very irritating.
If LASIK is not right for you, there are alternatives forms of treatment such as PRK, Intraocular lens and others that may be appropriate for you. Our doctors are very thorough in determining if you are a good candidate for laser vision correction and will be happy to discuss the potential outcome and risks involved for a patient with your particular prescription.