Lasik Consultations St. Louis Park

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is refractive surgery to correct vision problems. The procedure involves using a laser to rectify vision and reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Light rays must travel through your lens and cornea to have a clear vision. They reflect light so that it lands on the retina, turning it into signals that send to the brain to become images. Having refractive errors keeps the light from adequately bending, and when the light is not focused, your vision will be blurry.

We can focus light rays on the retina through a comprehensive eye examination and LASIK to improve your vision. We use laser surgery to treat the following common refractive errors.

Nearsightedness or Myopia

Nearsightedness is a refractive error where objects closer to you appear clear, but distant ones become blurry. 

The eyeball is typically longer than normal in people with myopia, or the cornea has too much curvature. These structural abnormalities cause the incoming light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in blurry vision for distant objects.

The long-term risk of myopia is developing a detached retina. The tissue lining at the back of the eye can separate from the eye wall, potentially causing blindness. 

Farsightedness or Hyperopia

Farsightedness is a refractive error that causes a person to see far objects clearly, but close ones become blurry. The main characteristic of hyperopia is that the light entering the eye focuses behind the retina instead of directly on it. This happens because the eye does not bend light enough to bring it into focus on the retina, resulting in blurred vision for close-up objects.

Most children have hyperopia, yet they do not have blurry vision as it is mild. Pediatric eye examinations for your child will help diagnose the condition. 

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the eye’s curvature that causes vision blurriness. There are two common types of astigmatism which are horizontal and vertical. This can make the eye wider or taller depending on the astigmatism type, causing blurry far and near vision.

Our doctors at Art of Optiks will have to review your health history, background, and other essential factors to determine your suitability for laser surgery. The information you provide about your vision health will help our doctors make appropriate decisions.

Some underlying conditions can affect your candidacy for the surgery, including:

• Corneal Thickness
• Family history
• Allergies to medication
• Eye health and problems
• Contact lens use

Your patient background and history help our doctors decide if you’re fit for laser surgery. It’s best to ask any questions or concerns during your LASIK consultation so they can be addressed.

Analysis of the Overall Health of Your Eyes

During your consultations, our doctors will perform a series of tests to further determine your candidacy for laser surgery. Some of these will be familiar as you’ve probably had a comprehensive eye exam.

Our LASIK Consultants in St. Louis will be with you at each step to ensure you’re comfortable. They will also explain the relevancy of each test and discuss the results in depth. Below are some common tests to analyze the overall health of your eyes.

Front of Your Eyes

This test uses a high-resolution scan of your eyes to help our doctors assess your eye tissue. The high-resolution scanner will capture images of your eye surface and the lens to evaluate your cornea, pupil, iris, tear film, and overall eye health.

Dilated Eye Exam

This test will increase your pupil’s size to help our doctor examine the retina’s health. During the test, we’ll administer a solution of eye drops, and the pupils will let in more light in response to the stimuli. This will help in taking accurate refraction measurements to confirm initial findings further.

Inside and Surface of Your Eyes

The test requires a digital device that captures images of your retinas at the back of the eyeball. Through the captured images, our doctors can evaluate the health function of your retina. They will also assess tear film composition and eye volume to ensure the film is healthy for LASIK surgery.

Ability to Focus

A test to analyze your eye’s ability to focus and the condition affecting your vision is essential before surgery. The test analysis will show our doctors the best way to correct your vision.