Laser Eye Surgery Consultations in Lindsay

Name: Russell West Optometry
Address: 67 Russell Street West, Lindsay, ON, K9V 2X1
Telephone: (705) 324-2612

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Are You Curious About Permanently Clear Vision?

Laser eye surgery has been growing in popularity as more patients crave permanent solutions for their vision problems. However, even though laser eye surgery is widely available and can be very safe to perform, this doesn’t mean that every patient is a match for the procedure.

To help determine your candidacy for surgery, we offer consultations where we examine your eye and see if laser eye surgery is a good choice for you. If you are a good match, we will go through the different types of laser eye surgery and help you determine which type is likely to yield the best results for you.

Please, book a consultation with our team today and see what laser eye surgery can do for your vision!

What is Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser eye surgery, also known as refractive surgery or laser vision correction, refers to a group of procedures designed to help correct refractive errors in your eyes, like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.

However, having laser eye surgery doesn’t guarantee you will have 20/20 vision. Many patients do still have to wear glasses or contact lenses following the procedure, though most report that their vision is noticeably improved.

Even if you’re interested in laser eye surgery, this doesn’t mean your eyes are a match for the procedure. Factors like eye disease, corneal thickness, and pupil size all have to be considered before you’re cleared for surgery.

Pre-Operation

Once your eye care team has cleared you for surgery, there are a couple of things you need to remember before going in:

Make sure you’ve booked off a couple of days from work. Your eyes will need a little time to heal before you can rely on them for clear vision.
Please remove and stop using your contact lenses for a couple of days before the procedure. Timelines vary depending on a variety of factors, but your eye care team will let you know how long you should stop wearing your contact lenses for.
Please ensure you’re not wearing clothes that can attract dust or dirt, such as wool or fleece. These fabrics may release particles into the air, causing complications during your surgery.
Please don’t wear any fragrances, colognes, or perfumes containing alcohol.

Post-Operation

Following the operation, your eye care team (including your optometrist and ophthalmologist), will guide you through the recovery process:

You won’t be able to drive for a couple of days following the operation, so please make sure you have a reliable mode of transportation to get around.
You may receive a pair of protective sunglasses to help protect your eyes while they heal. Your eye care team will also provide you with eye drops. Please use both your protective sunglasses and your eye drops per your eye care team’s instructions.
Common side effects of laser eye surgery include dry eyes, irritation, redness, and light sensitivity, but they are very normal. If you believe these symptoms are more intense than expected or are lasting longer than they normally would, please contact your eye care team for advice.

Types of Laser Eye Surgery

LASIK

LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the world. During the procedure, an ophthalmologist creates a small flap in your superficial cornea, granting them access to the corneal stroma (the cornea’s inner layers). The corneal stroma is then reshaped with an excimer laser, correcting the refractive error.

Finally, the flap is set back in its original position to heal.

PRK

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is a very similar procedure to LASIK eye surgery. However, instead of creating a flap from the superficial cornea, your ophthalmologist removes the entire outermost layer of your cornea (the epithelium) before using an excimer laser on the corneal stroma to correct the refractive error.

RLE

RLE (refractive lens exchange) is a procedure where an ophthalmologist creates an incision in the outer layers of your eye, allowing them to remove your natural crystalline lens. An intraocular lens (IOL), carefully calibrated to meet your visual needs, is then inserted in the natural lens’ place.

The main difference between this and cataract surgery is that one is removing a crystalline cataract lens, and the other is removing a clear crystalline lens.

Book Your Consultation Today!

Are you not quite sure if laser eye surgery is right for you? Our team can help you identify the risks and benefits of these procedures so you can make an informed decision about your vision and eye health. Please, book a consultation with our team today!

Russell West Optometry (RWO) is proud to work very closely with Dr. David Lane at the Laser Cataract Center right here in Lindsay. Our team will be happy to make referrals to this center for all of these refractive surgeries described above.

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