To experience the power of custom LASIK, contact our Stockton, Modesto, and Sacramento-area practice.
Heritage Eye Associates
445 West Poplar Street
Stockton, California
Ph. (866) 922-0405
Fax. (209) 465-2562
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When conventional LASIK was introduced, it changed everything about vision correction. The advent of custom LASIK does just as much to improve on the original LASIK procedure. Where conventional LASIK simply treats nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, the new procedure is precise enough to treat tiny imperfections known as higher-order aberrations. The patient's resulting vision is amazingly crisp and clear. By choosing custom LASIK at Heritage Eye Associates, Sacramento, Modesto, and Stockton-area residents can enjoy a uniquely tailored procedure that treats the eyes more accurately than ever before.
Candidacy for custom LASIK is similar to that for conventional LASIK. Good candidates for custom LASIK are over 18, with a prescription that has remained stable for at least a year. The procedure is an appropriate treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Women who are pregnant or nursing must wait for treatment, and we do not perform custom LASIK at our practice serving Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto is for those who have sustained corneal scarring from an eye injury or infection.
In order to perform custom LASIK, our surgeons must remove somewhat more of the cornea than is necessary with conventional LASIK. For this reason, it is important to have sufficiently thick corneas to accommodate the procedure. Those whose corneas are too thin or are affected by scarring may be able to turn to other laser vision correction procedures with different requirements.
The first step in the custom LASIK procedure is to create a detailed three-dimensional map of the surface of each eye. This map is created using wavefront imaging technology. Light is shined into the eye, after which it is reflected out and hits the wavefront sensor. The sensor interprets distortions in the light to map out the surface irregularities in the cornea.
Before reshaping the eye, our surgeons create a corneal flap using a high-precision microkeratome blade. The flap is folded back to expose the portion of the cornea that will be reshaped. Rather than simply treating the eye according to your refractive prescription, a custom LASIK procedure is planned to account for the miniscule irregularities detected during the imaging process. The laser corrects these irregularities, creating a smoother and more uniformly shaped corneal surface that will focus light more precisely and evenly to produce sharper vision. The flap is then closed so it can heal.
Most patients experience better vision almost immediately after custom LASIK, which continues to improve over the next few months as the eyes stabilize. For safety, you should plan to get a ride home from someone else after surgery, as you will not be able to drive. It is important to wear protective shields for a few days after surgery in order to protect the eyes while they heal. It is also important to use anti-inflammatory and antibacterial eye drops, and to keep the eyes well moisturized.
Ultimately, the majority of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better with custom LASIK. For our patients from Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton, and elsewhere, the procedure frequently produces an improvement in both overall visual clarity and functional vision in difficult conditions as compared with glasses and contacts. In combination with the convenience of avoiding corrective lenses, these advantages are enough to make custom LASIK the choice of more vision care patients every day.
Clear vision could change your life for the better. If you are ready to explore laser vision correction options like custom LASIK, contact us today. Serving Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto, Heritage Eye Associates is the area's destination for superior vision correction using state-of-the-art technology.