Cataract and Lasik Co-Management in Houston

Refractive errors cause light rays to enter the eye incorrectly and focus in front of or behind the retina, causing vision to be out of focus or distorted. LASIK can treat refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK eye surgery can correct refractive error and reduce your dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This procedure involves using a laser to alter the cornea’s shape, thereby allowing light rays to properly focus on the retina and give you clear vision.

The entire procedure only takes around 15 minutes. A femtosecond laser will be used to create a small flap in the epithelium, or outer layer of the cornea. The flap is then gently lifted to reveal the corneal tissue beneath. Finally, an excimer laser will reshape the cornea and then the small flap will be replaced to act as a natural bandage. Your vision will likely be blurry following the procedure and you will be given some medicated eye drops to aid in healing. Your vision should improve in a few days following the procedure.

After your surgery, the doctors at Vision Optique will closely follow your post-operative recovery for a period of six months to ensure that your cornea is healing properly as you adapt to your new vision.

To have LASIK, you need to meet a few requirements:

• You must be over 18 years old, preferably over 21
• Your eye prescription should not have changed much over the past 2 years
• Your refractive error must be one that can be treated with LASIK
• You must have healthy corneas that are thick enough for the procedure

You may not be a candidate for LASIK if you:

• Have extreme levels of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism
• Have severe dry eye disease
• Have very thin corneas
• Have corneal abrasions or disease
• Have keratoconus
• Have advanced glaucoma
• Have cataracts
• Have a history of eye infections
• Have uncontrolled diabetes
• Are pregnant or nursing

Cataracts occur when the normally clear lens in the eye begins to become cloudy with age. A cloudy lens makes it appear like you are always looking through a dirty or foggy car windshield and everyday activities like reading can become difficult. Driving at night and glare become troublesome and cataracts can progress to the point where vision is lost completely.

The only way to remove a cataract is with surgery, which involves removing the cloudy natural lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL).

Before your procedure, the proper focusing power for your new IOL will be determined to ensure your vision is clear after the surgery. During the surgery, a femtosecond laser will be used to create tiny incisions near the edge of your cornea, which will be used to reach the lens in your eye. Then, using very small instruments, they will break up the lens with the cataract and remove it through the incisions. After all the pieces are removed, a new lens will be put into place. The incisions are considered “self-sealing” as they will naturally close over time. You will have a clear shield placed over your eye following surgery to protect the eye while you begin recovery and healing.

After your surgery, the doctors at Vision Optique will closely follow your post-operative recovery for a period of six weeks to ensure that your cornea is healing properly and that your new IOL is in the proper position and providing clear vision.

Keratoconus is a corneal dystrophy that occurs when the normally dome-shaped cornea begins to bulge outward like a cone. When the cornea starts to bulge, light rays cannot focus properly on the retina, creating distorted vision.

The doctors at Vision Optique screen all patients for keratoconus. When an early diagnosis is made, the latest nonsurgical treatment option is called corneal crosslinking. This procedure helps to strengthen the weak and bulging collagen fibers in the cornea and creates new stronger corneal bonds. A major benefit of CXL is that further vision distortions slow or stop for many patients with keratoconus.

Before your procedure, your doctor will administer anesthesia to numb your eyes and other medicine to relax. The procedure takes approximately 30 minutes. Following CXL, you will experience a temporary decrease in vision and will also experience some light sensitivity while the eye heals. The doctors at Vision Optique will closely follow your healing for a period of six months. New glasses and/or specialty contact lenses are often required after treatment.