Laser Vision Correction Comanagement
Imagine Life Without Glasses or Contact Lenses.
Laser Vision Correction Comanagement
Tired of wearing glasses and contact lenses? Laser vision correction may be right for you! Dr. Laurie Canham Kilby is an affiliate doctor with both TLC, and LasikMD in London, ON. She is able to answer your questions on candidacy, procedures, and pricing between the different laser centers, and she can refer you directly to one or both of them for your consultation. After refractive surgery, a specific schedule of follow-up appointments is necessary to monitor your healing during the first year. Why drive back and forth to the surgical center in London? Dr. Laurie can do your progress checks locally and will update your surgeon along the way.
An individual’s refractive error is created by the relationship between the shape of the cornea and length of the eyeball. A near-sighted eye has a steep curvature and a longer length, causing light to focus in front of the retina. A far-sighted eye has a flatter cornea and a shorter length, causing light to focus behind the retina. Astigmatism is a curvature that causes light to focus in two different places simultaneously. An eye with no prescription has a perfectly coordinated strength and length, allowing light to focus directly on the retina and create a clear image. We cannot alter the length of the eyeball. The premise of laser vision correction, then, is to reshape the curvature of the cornea so it focuses light accurately on the retina.
How we accomplish laser vision correction
The two main techniques to accomplish laser vision correction are LASIK (LASer In-situ Keratomileusis) and PRK (PhotoRefractive Keratectomy). The LASIK technique utilizes a flap of tissue that is lifted off the surface of the cornea prior to reshaping; once the laser has been applied, the flap is re-positioned and healing begins immediately. With PRK, laser is applied directly to the surface of the eye without creation of a flap. After treatment, a contact lens is worn for a few days while the surface ‘skin’ of the cornea grows back. PRK has a slightly longer healing time and takes a few more days for vision to begin to clear up. Which procedure you are better suited for depends on your prescription and eye measurements.
If you are over age 18 and your prescription has been stable for two years, you may be a candidate for laser vision correction. Contact us to make an appointment and discuss it!