Our 20/20 LASIK Blog

Since its inception in the mid-1990s, PRK and LASIK have seen many evolutions and incredible advances in technology, from the lasers that perform the prescription correction to the devices that great the flaps.

LASIK Lasers
At the 20/20 Institute, we utilize the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q laser for vision correction. It is the fasted FDA-approved laser on the market today and was built on Wavefront optimized technology. No other approved laser can make this claim. All procedures performed at the 20/20 Institute are done using this wavefront technology.

Femtosecond Lasers
The newest (and some say best) way of creating the flap in LASIK procedures is with an incredibly precise cool laser called a Femtosecond laser. At 20/20, we use the Ziemer LDV femtosecond laser for flap creation. Studies proved that flaps created with these types of laser, rather than with a blade called a microkeratome, are more precise and create fewer complications.

At 20/20 Institute, you only get the best in technology for your Custom LASIK treatment. To answer any questions you may have about technology or if you are a candidate for laser vision correction, please contact one of our locations today to schedule you free comprehensive evaluation.

At the 20/20 Institute, we feel it's important for you to know that we take our jobs seriously. We are a patient-focused center that concentrates on educating (and pampering) our patients and producing great results for them.

We invest in the best technology available and all the members of our staff participate in continuing education for whatever position they hold at our centers. We believe it's especially important for our surgeons to keep up with the latest advances in the field of ophthalmology, and in particular, refractive surgery. All of our surgeons are board-certified and attend annual national meetings with other refractive surgeons. There, they learn about new technology that's being studied and approved by the FDA as well as new procedures on the horizon. They also are able to investigate new tools and devices that may enhance the results we produce for patients.

We do all of these things to provide the best care for you, our patients. And we back it up and put it in writing with our 20/20 LASIK Commitment for Life plan. If you're not a patient yet, we hope you'll contact our offices and schedule an free consultation today. We can't wait to meet you!

At the 20/20 Institute, we pamper and take care of you from the beginning to the end of the process of your LASIK procedure. We take the time to answer your questions and make sure you understand all of your pre- and post-operative instructions.

While LASIK is a relatively safe and painless procedure it is still surgery and you must adhere to all of the instructions given to your by your surgeon and the staff members at the 20/20 Institute. After your procedure it is normal to feel burning, itching or the sensation of a foreign body in your eye. It is also normal for your eyes to water or to feel dry and to have some sensitivity to light.

The morning after your procedure we will see you in our office, evaluate your progress and any symptoms you may be having. For most, the process is smooth and complications are rare.

If at any time you feel severe pain or your vision becomes worse, please call us immediately. Don't try to put anything in your eyes (other than medicines we've given you) or rub your eyes. We'll get back to you right away and let you know what to do and if we need to see you.

If you have further questions about the possible complications from LASIK surgery, please don't hesitate to contact the 20/20 Institute offices for help.

The short answer is pretty darn custom and the long answer is more complicated than the average person will ever understand. Let's try to find something in the middle.

Custom LASIK at the 20/20 Institute is really amazing. We start preparing for your Custom LASIK treatment during your very first visit to our offices. During your comprehensive evaluation, we test your refraction, the size of your pupils, and the thickness of your cornea and several other tests. We also take 3-D images of your eye with the Pentacam, a 3-D camera. All this information and more is sent to the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q laser, a laser custom-designed for performing custom LASIK.

We can use the Ziemer LDV femtosecond laser (or you can opt to use the microkeratome) to create the corneal flap and then the Wave Eye-Q laser gently reshapes the exposed layers of your cornea, precisely to the degree indicated from your individualized measurements. This laser is the fastest and most accurate laser currently FDA-approved in the U.S.

It's sounds simple but the Custom LASIK process is actually quite complicated. If you would like to learn more about Custom LASIK and what it can do for you, please contact the 20/20 Institute today to schedule your free comprehensive evaluation.

• In good general and ocular health
• Have refractive errors within a range reliably corrected by LASIK technology
• Committed to taking responsibility for his or her own health by following all postoperative instructions

PRK is a laser vision correction option that is not as familiar as LASIK to most people. However, for most people it is an equally good option, and for some people it is the best option.

Both procedures utilize advanced laser vision correction technology to offer superior results in terms of visual accuracy and patient satisfaction.

For most people, LASIK is a slightly better procedure because patients tend to see immediate vision correction, as opposed to PRK patients who see slowly improving vision over a few days. LASIK also has a slightly lower risk of infection. People receiving PRK are more likely to report discomfort following the procedure, although it is typically transient and controllable with over-the-counter painkillers.

For some people, though, LASIK laser vision correction is not a good option. People with very thin corneas, very large pupils, or with profession or hobbies where eye injury is more likely are considered poor LASIK candidates. PRK may allow these people to free themselves from the burden of glasses or contact lenses forever.

If you would like to learn more about these laser vision correction procedures and how they can help you see the world more clearly, please schedule a consultation with the 20/20 Institute today.

With so many laser vision correction procedures available today, it's hard to know which one is the right one for you. Should you choose LASIK, LASEK, Epi-LASIK or PRK? Or is laser vision correction right for you at all? It's important to do your research and then get an in-depth evaluation to determine which procedure is best for you and which one will produce optimal results for your particular visual problem. At the 20/20 Institute we have a variety of procedures available to correct your vision.

If you require a speedy recovery and don't have any tolerance for postoperative discomfort, then LASIK may be the procedure for you. If, however, you have thin corneas or corneas that are too steep to make you a candidate for LASIK, then LASEK may be the best option for you.

Of course, all of this depends on the outcomes of your comprehensive evaluation. Please contact the 20/20 Institute today to schedule your evaluation. Be sure to ask about our affordable financing and our 20/20 Institute Commitment for Life plan.

PRK is the original laser vision correction procedure, invented during the 1980s. For some people, PRK still offers advantages over other laser vision correction options.

In PRK, the WaveLight Allegretto Wave Eye-Q excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea so that light focuses properly on the retina. For a more detailed explanation, see our How the Eye Works page. This makes PRK similar to LASIK and other forms of laser vision correction.

What makes PRK different from LASIK is this: in PRK, the laser reshapes the surface of the cornea, but in LASIK a flap is created so that the laser can be used to reshape the middle of the cornea.

For some people, PRK is a better option than LASIK. If you have been told you cannot have LASIK either because you have thin corneas or because your pupils are too large you may be an ideal candidate for PRK.

To learn if PRK or LASIK is the best procedure for ending your dependence on glasses, please contact the 20/20 Institute today for a free consultation.