How long does the LASIK or PRK surgery results last? This is something we are asked often. Both the LASIK and PRK procedures reshape the cornea permanently in order to correct your visual aberrations or visual irregularities. Both refractive procedures are performed to allow you to see with your best corrected vision. When I say best corrected vision it might make you wonder how does Dr. Holzman know what my best corrected vision is? Dr. Holzman knows because when you come in for the initial consultation and throughout he is and has been gathering numerous pieces of information about you and your eyes. We perform topographical mappings called pentecams and wavescans which allow us to see the aberrations more clearly. We also perform a dilated eye exam. Before we see you for the dilated eye exam, you must be out of your contact lenses for a time period in order to allow your cornea to go back to its natural shape. For most patients, the time period is 2 weeks prior to their eye exam. Some patients have to be out of their contacts longer if they are wearing Toric, or Gas Permeable lenses. Once you have had your contact lenses out for the designated timeframe, we have you come in and we repeat all of the mappings and dilate your eyes. During your dilated eye exam we test for pupil size, corneal thickness, dryness and the overall health history of you and your eyes. Dr. Holzman will use all of the information gathered at the dilated exam to determine what refractive procedure is best for you.
While laser vision correction does permanently reshape the corneas, it will not prevent age-related conditions such as presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) or cataracts (the lens in the eye becomes progressively opaque). If you have these age related conditions then you have to address the lens of the eye. For patients who have developed the need for reading glasses, we discuss mono-vision. Mono-vision is where we slightly under correct one eye for reading. For patients who are developing cataracts Dr. Holzman will spend time with them explaining that cataracts are cause by the lens in the eye aging, not cornea. When you trust us with your vision we strive to educate you on every ocular condition as it relates to your visual outcome. This is not a “one size fits all procedure” Being an educated patient and doing your research well will usually give your best visual outcome.
