LASIK Eye Surgery in Portland, ME
At Eyecare Medical Group, our Laser Center for LASIK Eye Surgery gives patients the comfort and convenience of having Laser Vision Correction procedures performed right in our facility.
Experience Matters
Our eye laser center staff is comprised of surgeons, ophthalmic nurses and certified ophthalmic assistants, technicians and technologists. Our team has over 300 years of cumulative experience in all types of laser eye surgery for vision correction. In fact, Eyecare Medical Group eye surgeons were the first to bring laser eye surgery for vision correction to Maine in the 1990s.
Make Sure That You Are a Good Candidate
There is simply no way to find out if you are a good LASIK candidate or a good candidate for any type of laser eye surgery-without having a thorough eye exam and consultation that includes very specific measurements of the shape and thickness of your cornea as well a critical evaluation of the health and quantity of your tears. You cannot tell if you are a good candidate from a phone call or knowing your eyeglass or contact lens prescription. We always ask that patients come in for a consultation-which allows them to personally meet with us in order to feel comfortable and have all of their questions answered.
Set Realistic Expectations
Eyecare Medical Group is equipped with state of the art eye lasers and support systems to assist our LASIK surgeons in getting you the best possible results. We use the Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser to perform All-Laser Bladeless Custom LASIK for the vast majority of patents.
Thus, our patients should expect to see quite well in terms of vision correction. But to really be happy with the results of their LASIK, we want to walk patients through an in-depth discussion of how they expect LASIK to help them. Specifically, we want to know about their lifestyle expectations in terms of occupation, recreation, and day to day life. This gives us something to set as a goal beyond simply their visual acuity. Understanding these goals and expectations is really the best way to get the results the patient is hoping for.
LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK for Nearsightedness, Farsightedness & Astigmatism
Eyecare Medical Group has performed LASIK Eye Surgery in Portland since 1997. LASIK is a type of Laser Eye Surgery that we can use to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK, or Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, is the most common type of Laser Vision Correction performed in the United States today and is a good choice for most patients. Our experiences and results are consistent with the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project between the FDA, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense and data from PROWL studies reported by the FDA, in that with thorough screening and preoperative testing, careful patient selection and realistic patient expectations, in the hands of experienced surgeons, there is little negative effect and LASIK is safe, effective, predictable and beneficial over long timeframes.
During your consultation, we will be taking all the measurements necessary to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK or another type of laser eye surgery to correct your vision and give you the best possible results. We will take the time necessary to review our examination results with you and answer your questions so that you can make informed decisions about the various types of laser eye surgery to correct your vision.
About LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK Surgery is a type of Laser Eye Surgery called “lamellar eye surgery” because it is performed between the layers of corneal tissue.
This is accomplished by creating a very thin flap of corneal tissue. The flap can be lifted and the laser energy applied. After the laser energy is applied, the flap is returned to its original position without the need for sutures or stitches.
LASIK offers patients a laser vision correction procedure with minimal discomfort and a quick visual recovery.
A technician will then accompany you into the excimer laser suite with our Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser. The Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser System uses Wavefront Optimized ablation profiles to help maintain the natural corneal shape and to ensure safe and precise laser energy delivery at high speed for vision correction procedures such as LASIK. The Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser System customizes every treatment to the patient’s individual prescription and cornea while aiming to improve what nature originally designed. By using Wavefront Optimized treatment, we are able to consider the unique curvature and biomechanics of the eye, preserving the quality of vision and addressing the spherical distortions than can induce glare and night vision reduction.
The Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser’s high-speed eye-tracker will follow your eye’s fastest movements while ensuring an accurate placement of each laser pulse on the cornea. The Z-axis alignment, cross-line projector, neurotrack technology, and multi-spatial eye tracking provides a safe and accurate environment for the surgeon to perform the procedure confidently. It takes only about two seconds of treatment to correct one diopter of nearsightedness. Of course, spending less time under the laser means an easier and less stressful experience during your laser eye surgery.
Once inside the Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser suite, the technician will help you to position yourself comfortably on the moveable “bed-like” area that is actually part of the laser system. Your LASIK surgeon will gently place a small instrument between your eyelids to help you remember to keep them open during your surgery.
Your surgeon will then create a very thin layer, known as a “flap” of clear tissue in the center of the cornea. He will then carefully fold the flap over and allow the inner layer of the cornea to be visible so that the laser energy can be applied. For most patients, the actual laser application only takes 2-15 seconds, depending on the amount of correction necessary.
You will be asked to look at a small light and to try and hold your eyes steady. There is no need to be concerned about moving your eyes during your treatment as the laser will actually “scan” the position of your eyes to identify the exact position of your eye and will then “track” and adjust its position in order to keep perfectly aligned with your eye movement.
Based on your examination, your prescription, and the other measurements and calculations collected at your LASIK consultation, your eye doctor will instruct the staff to program certain information into a computer that will monitor and control the actual application of the laser energy. Upon completion of the laser application, your LASIK surgeon will have changed the curvature of your cornea so that it will be the shape necessary to correct your vision.
Finally, your LASIK Surgeon will then gently replace the “flap” back into its original position. Since the cornea is able to “stick” to itself, there is no need to use sutures or “stitches” to hold it in place.
LASIK surgery is quite “patient-friendly”. The nature of the LASIK procedure is that it permits the healing and visual recovery process to be quick and predictable for most patients. For a few days after your LASIK eye surgery, you will need to be careful not to rub or bump your eyes too much.
Your doctor and the staff will give you complete instructions regarding eye drops and medications to use to help the healing and visual recovery process.
YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
We will require that you return for scheduled follow-up visits either at our office or with your primary eye doctor to check the healing process, regardless of how well you think you are doing. Most LASIK patients at Eyecare Medical Group are able to pass the Maine Motor Vehicles Eye Test without eyeglasses or contacts within a day or so after their surgery with our eye surgeons.
You should feel free to discuss any fears, concerns, questions or thoughts about LASIK or any laser eye surgery procedure with your eye doctor or the staff. Our staff is available to answer any questions or to address any needs you may have regarding laser vision correction at Eyecare Medical Group. We will be pleased to spend whatever time is necessary to review any information about the LASIK procedure, what to expect on LASIK surgery day, follow-up care, fees and affordable “no money down” easy monthly payment plans that will fit into your budget.
