1105 N. Buckner

Derby, KS 67037

316-788-9290

 

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Hours:

Mon 8-5

Tues 9-6:30

Wed 8-5

Thurs 7-5

Fri 7-4

Sat 8-12

We are open the first and third Saturdays of the month, unless otherwise specified

Surgical Referrals

Optometrists do not perform major eye surgery, but we can help you make the correct informed decision about having surgery. Below is some information about different types of eye surgery.

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
Approved by the FDA for the correction of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, Lasik is a corneal refractive surgery. In LASIK, a thin flap in the cornea is created using either a microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser. The surgeon folds back the flap, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.

With nearsighted people, the goal of LASIK is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal, round shape.

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
A procedure involving the removal of the epithelium by gentle scraping away of the corneal epithelium and use of a computer-controlled excimer laser to reshape the stroma (the middle layer of the cornea).

PRK was invented in the early 1980s. The first FDA approval of a laser for PRK was in 1995, but the procedure was practiced in other countries for years. In fact, many Americans had the surgery done in Canada before it was available in the United States.

PRK is performed with an excimer laser, which uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the surface of the cornea in order to reshape it. When you reshape the cornea in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina providing clearer vision than before.

Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from PRK. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. Also, excimer lasers can correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK)
A hybrid of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), the goal of LASEK is the preservation of the corneal epithelium. Rather than creating a flap with a microkeratome (as in LASIK) or scraping and removing the patient's epithelium (as in PRK), LASEK treats the epithelium with alcohol to loosen and separate it from the stroma and it is then rolled back. The underlying stroma is ablated with an excimer laser and the epithelial cells are rolled back out, repositioned, and smoothed. The potential advantages of LASEK are to reduce postoperative haze, speed visual recovery, and decrease postoperative pain over traditional PRK.

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery involves removing the natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens (intraocular lens implant or IOL). The plastic artificial lens is permanent, requires no care, and can significantly improve vision. Newer artificial lens options include those that simulate the natural focusing ability of a young lens, allowing for distance as well as some near vision.

Cataract surgery is typically an outpatient procedure that takes less than a few hours. Most patients are awake during the procedure and need only local anesthesia. If you need to have cataracts in both eyes removed, the procedure is typically scheduled for two separate surgeries. This allows time for the first eye to heal before the second eye surgery takes place.

Two approaches to cataract surgery are currently used:

1. Small incision cataract surgery involves making an incision in the side of the cornea, the clear outer covering of the eye, and inserting a tiny probe into the eye. The probe emits ultrasound waves that soften and break-up the lens into little pieces so it can be removed by suction. This process is called phacoemulsification.
   
   During this procedure, the surgeon removes the cataract but leaves most of the thin outer membrane of the lens, called the lens capsule, in place. Since the incision made for this procedure is so small, sutures are generally not needed to close the opening.
   
   
2. Extracapsular surgery requires a somewhat larger incision in the cornea to allow the lens core to be removed in one piece. This approach may be used if your cataract has advanced to the point where phacoemulsification can't break up the clouded lens. Through this incision your surgeon opens the lens capsule, removes the central portion of the lens and leaves the capsule in place.

Once the natural lens has been removed, it is generally replaced by a clear plastic lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL is placed in the lens capsule that was left in the eye. The artificial lens has the appropriate lens power to focus light onto the back of the eye and improve vision. For situations where implanting an IOL is not possible because of other eye problems, contact lenses and in some cases eyeglasses may be an option to provide the needed vision correction.

Much of this information was found on the American Optometric Assiociation website, www.aoa.org

 

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