Laser Vision Correction Accelerated Ortho-K Contact Lenses Eye Glasses

LASIK is the surgical procedure of choice in many cases for the permanent correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Dr. So insists on providing his patients with a surgical experience that combines the highest safety standards with the best possible results. Thus, Dr. So works with world renowned surgeons at TLC Laser Eye Centers in order to provide you with exceptional surgical care and experience, the absolute latest in laser refractive technology, and superior service.

LASIK certainly isn't for everyone—no procedure is. Anyone considering laser vision correction must understand the procedure, be aware of the different options and technologies available, have realistic expectations, and be informed of the risks and benefits of laser vision correction.

To be a potential candidate for LASIK you must be at least 18 years old, in good general health, and have good eye health with no diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. Only an in-depth examination of your eyes, your individual case, your expectations, and your lifestyle can determine if you are a candidate. Call our office at (416) 297-0322 to set up a free screening and consultation and see if this procedure is right for you. If you are a candidate and decide to undergo the LASIK, Dr. So will perform the necessary pre-operative testing. After your surgery, you will return to see Dr. So for post-operative care.

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The LASIK procedure

LASIK is a fast, painless procedure. The surgery itself takes only a few minutes; visual recovery only a couple of days. Most patients see an immediate improvement in vision and are able to do most daily tasks by the first post-operative day. In fact, many people are back to work after only a day or two of rest with minimal post-operative discomfort.

There are essentially 3 steps in a LASIK procedure:

a protective flap is created... the laser gently re-sculpts the cornea with your prescription... the protective flap is replaced and self-sealed without stitches.

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It is not just LASIK anymore!

Since its inception, laser eye surgery has evolved with significant advances in technology.

Advancements in surgical techniques and laser technology have improved the safety and visual outcome of LASIK procedures, such as reduced risk of glare, halos and difficulty with night vision. There are now different laser technologies available to best suit your needs:

Standard	The benchmark LASIK technology. Corrects your prescription similar to glasses or contacts.
Prolate	Standard LASIK with anti-glare treatment to reduce the risk of night glare.
Custom	LASIK utilizing wavefront technology to treat higher-order aberrations for better quality vision. Custom LASIK offers the patient the best possible visual outcome by treating not only your prescription, but the individual irregularities in your optical system as well. This technology offers the ultimate in customized treatment where no two treatment patterns are the same; two individuals with the same glasses prescription will have different laser treatment patterns—much like the uniqueness of a fingerprint!

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Bladeless LASIK

If you are considering laser vision correction, you should know about IntraLase, an unparalleled technology that has a unique level of comfort, safety and precision when it comes to your laser vision correction.

IntraLase is the first step in optimizing the visual results of LASIK procedures. In the traditional LASIK procedure, the surgeon creates a corneal flap with a microkeratome (a mechanical device that utilizes a surgical blade). Now there is a safer, less invasive alternative—IntraLase. Instead of using a surgical blade, this revolutionary technology uses the accuracy and precision of a computer controlled laser to create the corneal flap.

The IntraLase laser has been reported to be more accurate in creating the corneal flap than a microkeratome. Moreover, IntraLase allows the surgeon maximum control to customize the corneal flap for every individual patient.

Traditional LASIK using the microkeratome is a safe and proven procedure. However, the bladeless IntraLase procedure has been clinically shown to significantly reduce the risk of complications that may occur from using the microkeratome to create the corneal flap. We feel this is very important for all our patients.

Many surgeons recommend IntraLase because of its safety, precision, and excellent visual results. The advanced IntraLase technology has given many patients more confidence when considering laser vision correction. Because of its consistent accuracy, IntraLase now makes it possible to treat many patients who were previously dismissed as candidates for laser vision correction due to thin corneas.

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Iris Registration

Iris Registration (IR) offers a more precise Custom LASIK correction with potentially enhanced visual quality. IR is an iris-based, automated, non-contact method of registering and aligning wavefront corrections for laser vision correction.

The eyes of some patients rotate (cyclotorsion) slightly when they go from a sitting to a lying position. Thus, your eyes may be oriented differently from the time you have your pre-operative wavefront map taken in a sitting position, to the time you are lying down in the surgical suite for treatment. To take this difference in eye rotation into account, IR takes a digital image of your iris during the pre-operative wavefront image assessment and identifies several unique landmark patterns on your iris (much like fingerprinting). This image is then used as a guide by the surgical laser to confirm the exact alignment of your eyes (much like fingerprint matching) in order to maximize accurate placement of the laser treatment on your eye. Thus, IR ensures an exact alignment and centering match between pre-operative wavefront measurements and the actual laser treatment. Better alignment means better results.

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