Lasik In Nashville

... because your sight is precious.

Lasik In Nashville

 

Nashville … an International musical icon…

The capital of Tennessee located on the Cumberland River and the county seat of Davidson County is not however only home for the music industry… but many other industries like banking , healthcare and publishing ( to name a few , as well, as numerous prestigious centres of learning.

Winters are pleasant and mild and summers hot and humid with many attractions to draw the curious tourist – including fine dining and various cultural assets.

It is also very green with 3% of the county under managed parks.

But really , most people visit Nashville for the music. All four major Record labels have offices here on Music Row …. As welll as various independants. Though most famous for country music , the whole city is dedicated to the music culture … including the opera.

BUT , did you know that Nashville is also a major centre for healthcare. There are many eye surgeons in Nashville … many specialising in refractive surgery and specifically Lasik Surgery. Nashville boasts a famous first as well as other prestige in the eye-surgery field..

For example Dr Ming Wang was the first eye surgeon to impalnt a new Intacs corneal implant for an eye disease which affects 1 in every 200-500 Americans. A significant contribution to the health of the nation.

The quality of care of lasik in Nashville is world class with people travelling here for eye surgery form all over the country and world.

It has the only exclusively bladeless all-laser Lasik centre in Tennessee.

It also has one of the leading 3 centres for FDA trials for prebyopia.

So there are many reasons to choose lasik in Nashville… and many world class surgeons to choose from:

Loden Vision Centers *

Selkin Laser Center *
2009 Mallory Lane, Suite #200
Franklin, TN zip code

Premier Eye Care Group *

LASIK Vision Institute *

Calvert Ophthalmology Center *

Summit Eye Associates PC *
5410 Old Hickory Blvd
Hermitage, TN zip code

Vanderbilt Eye Institute *
2311 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN zip code

Eye Health Partners of Middle TN Inc *
342 22nd Ave N
Nashville, TN zip code

Pilkinton Eye Center
300 20th Ave N, Ste 504
Nashville, TN zip code

Cornea Consultants-Nashville – Bernard H Chang MD

Cornea Consultants-Nashville – Ira A Shivitz MD
2400 Patterson St, Ste 201
Nashville, TN zip code

Pilkinton Eye Center – Dale Pilkinton JR MD
300 20th Ave N, Ste 504
Nashville, TN zip code

Shofner Eye Care Center
2021 Church St, Ste 303
Nashville, TN zip code

Eye Associates – James W Felch MD
2010 Church St, Ste 608
Nashville, TN zip code

Karla J Johns MD
1919 Charlotte Ave, Ste 220
Nashville, TN zip code

What Exactly is Refractive Eye Surgery ?

Refractive eye surgery is a branch of general eye surgey. It is aimed at making the refractive ability of the eye better , in this way eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses.

Different surgeries exist to remodel the cornea or to perform cataract surgery. Lasik is one of these.

Refractive surgery usually involves reshaping the cornea with excimer lasers.

These surgeries solve problems of myopia , astigmatism and hyperopia.

The techniques involves include :

• Flap procedures

• Surface procedures

• Corneal incision procedures

• And others

Refractive surgery can be divided into 3 main groups:

• Corneal surgery

• Lens-related surgery

• Scleral surgery

Any one of the surgeons above providing Lasik in Nashville can help you with these problems and provide you with more information about specific refractive surgery procedures

Lasik vs iLasik

Conventional Lasik had to do with lense optics , but iLasik is a significant step ahead – it uses modern optics dating from 2005. With iLasik special algorithms are used to determine the best treatment for you as an individual.

Without doubt it can give you better vision than glasses or contact and i salso an improvement on the results of the older procedure. This is because it combines technology and mathematics to customise your treatment with CustomVue .

This procedure ensures a completely new standard of safety and accuracy – a breakthrough in the field of laser vision.

Is iLasik More Expensive ?

Most people don’t even consider refractive surgery because they think they could never afford it anyway.

But this is not the case. While it’s true that advanced technology is expensive , a lot of iLasik providers offer payment terms even though Lasik is generally not covered by health insurance.

In fact paying the USD 2000 – 3000 it costs for surgery a bit at a time is far less costly than a life-time supply of contact lenses.iLasik pays for itself over 5-6 years when considered in terms of the life-time cost of contact lenses.

Lasik In Nashville – 3D

Nashville holds a first in the world in Lasik History … for the first 3 D lasik procedure.

In May 2011 Dr Wang performed a lasik operation using the TrueVision 3D high definìnition microsurgical technology

This new 3 D technology is image-guided. No longer does the surgeon have to inspect the eye with a traditional microdscope. With a traditional microscope , because the eyeball surface is so small , surgical accuracy is limited.

With this new 3D technology which is bladeless and all –laser , the surgeon uses 3D glasses and operates with a high definition microsurgical system , which provides images which make for ultra-precision accuracy.

IntraLasik – Are There Disdavantages ?

This is simply blade-free or all-laser Lasik procedure. The whole process is conducted using lasers.

Many people say this is the best option because surgeon mistakes caused by manually manipulating the blade can be avoided.

However , although this is quite true and Intralasik has a much lower risk factor than other refractive procedures , the excimer laser can still make mistakes. A small percentage of patients have given negative feedback with regard to light sensitivity problems.

Also IntraLasik is much more expensive than other types of refractive eye surgery. While cost should not be an issue when the safety of your eyes in concerned , you need to weigh up the options with your surgeon. Cost is definitely not the only factor to consider though. Each eye problem is unique with unique surgery solutions Make sure your surgeon is well informed about all the options and doesn’t just insist on their particular speciality

New Lasik Technology

The FDA has recently approved a system called ZYOPTIX Advanced Control Eye tracking ( ACE ) This sytem means that the iris recognition during the Lasik procedure can be more comprehensive.

This new system compensates for the small movements of the eye during surgery, making laser surgery more precise.. Because of this the problems that were previously more difficult to treat with Lasik can now be successfully dealt with.

This technology is precision German- made in Munich..

Previously eye conditions like astigmatism , high myopia , hyperopia which were more difficult to treat with Lasik now have possibilities of being solved with this new technology … really broadening the choice in safe, accurate eye care solutions.

Reliable Success Rate Statistics For Lasik

The generally accepted Lasik success rate statistic is 98% … being the percentage of people who were happy with their surgery results and would recommend Lasik surgery to others..

But you must remember that 2% and take into serious consideration that Lasik , like any other surgery cannot claim perfection.

If you really want to be free of dependance on glasses or contacts there is a certain level of risk to consider … and to seriously consider whether you want to accept this risk or not.

To reduce this risk you should choose the best and most experienced surgeon who can analyse your eye problem accurately and thoroughly , who can advise you about the best ( not neccessarliy most cost-effectibìve ) surgery solution for you… and who doesnt rush you into a decision.

If finances are a problem , most surgeons offer convenient payment programs . So even though your medical insurance probably doesnt cover Lasik Surgery… it can still be within your reach.

Is Intacs An Alternative To Lasik ?

Intacs are a device which can correct eye problems which involve certain stages of myopia ( with very little or no astigmatism ), when the cornea is healthy and normal.

They are small clear , plasitc rings which can be inserted into the cornea. This flattens the cornea , correcting myopia.

The positive aspects about Intacs is that tissue is not removed and there is no surgery across the critical visual axis ( which is the central area of the eye )

Rather, the Intacs device is inserted at the edge of the cornea.

The incision can be made mechanically or by means of an Intralase laser. Stitches are not needed.

Because there is a surgical incision , Intacs surgery is not really reversibile – however the option exists to take out or change the the lens.

Once the lens is in , the patient doesn’t feel discomfit and it can be seen only like a contact lens. After the surgery has healed , no further maintenance is required.

Because Intacs surgery can’t treat all stages of myopia, it is not really an alternative to Lasik.

However, because it can add corneal structural integrity , it is ideally suited to a condition called keratoconus. This problem is diffuse amongst Americans and is a pathology whereby the central cornea progressively thins and weakens.

What Do You Need To Know About Your Lasik Surgeon ?

Very important information you need to find out from your prospective Lasik Surgeon is what percentage of patients they turn away.

While they might not be able to furnish exact numbers you should be really cautious if they calim they dont refuse any patients.

The point is that if a patient is properly screened and declined by a surgeon it indicates that the surgeon is serious about his responsability and doesn’t just insist on surgery for his own financial gain but is honest about the paients real prospects for success and respect for their budget.

You Should Find This Out Before You Have Refractive Eye Surgery…

You need to find out if any other patient before you has successfully claimed for malpractice against the surgeon for more than USD 30 000. If the answer is yes , this figure should not include more than 1 in every 500 surgeries.This amounts to a success rate of 99.5%.

This should also include no more than 5 in the preceding 5 year period – even in the case that the surgeon has operated tens of thousands of times.

In the case of past malpractice cases , find out the details … how the malpractice case was handled , being attentive to how this might apply in your case.

What Is A Higher Order Aberration ?

Certain aberrations known as higher order aberrrations refer specifically to QUALITY of vision.

Wavefront technology is the only technology which can identify and measure this kind of visual problem .

While a conventional eye examination is able to identify myopia , hyperopia and astigmatism , wavefront diagnostics can identify many more ocular aberrations called Zernike polynomials … but in fact while it identifies myriads of these problems , only about 15 of these are actually dealt with.

What Exactly Does Ablation Mean ?

Alabtion simply means removal.

When an excimer laser is used it loosens the molecules of the cornea that cause them to stick together – they loosen from eachother and the remaining cornea.

Does Your Surgeon Offer Wavefront Diagnostics ?

If you have a higher order aberration , your Lasik doctor should do a Wavfront diagnosis before suggesting any kind of surgery.

This is not to be confused with Wavefront Guided Ablation –which is surgery itself..

If the surgeon doesnt have the neccessary equipment , this does not mean that he is not a good surgeon… but he should be able to arrange for you to have reliable screening elsewhere- though at your own cost.

Excimer Laser – Broadbeam , Variable Spot , Flying Spot – Which One Is Right For You ?

Depending on your particular problem , the type of laser technique your surgeon uses could be critically important or of no importance at all.

So it is important to find out what laser technique is neccessary in your particular case.

However it is absolutely vital to bear in mind that it is ALWAYS the surgeons expertise that counts. An expert surgeon with an older type of laser is far better than , and in fact there is no comparison to , an inexperienced surgeon with state-of-the –art-laser technology at his disposal.

Another critical issue is that the surgeon should under stand their limitations and be honest with you about these. – both in their own personal capacity as the right surgeon for your particular problem and the suitability of their equipment.

They should never consider surgery if they cannot gaurantee the highest probability of a positive outcome taking the previous two factors into consideration.

What Exactly Is An Excimer Laser ?

This laser was developed for the microprocessing industry and later applied to vsision correction

It is a laser which emits ultraviolet light in pulses of a certain wavelenrth which make it a “cool “ laser.

The name excimer derives from the fact that the laser is based on the idea of an energiy molecule having 2 identical components – excited dimer (excimer )

This is a “ cool “ laser pulse which removes tissue from a targeted surface.

What Exactly Does Broadbeam Refer To ?

This is a particular way of using an excimer laser.

It functions in this way – a beam of energy is targeted over the complete ablation area at once.

What Exactly Does Flying Spot Refer To ?

This is another way of using an excimer laser

Instead of targetting the entire ablation area at once , a tiny spot of laser energy is used in quick succession at different spots over the ablation area.

What Exactly Does Variable Spot Refer To ?

Another excimer laser technique … in this case the energy is used in variable spot sizes over the ablation area. Ablation area referring to the area where tissue is to be removed..