What is LASIK?
LASIK Surgery consists of two main surgical steps: First, we create a corneal flap. Then we reshape your cornea to correct your vision. If PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is selected as a better laser vision correction option the flap creation step is omitted as the laser treatment is applied directly to the corneal surface.
Who is a Good Candidate for LASIK?
People who want to minimize their dependence on glasses or contact lenses make good candidates for LASIK. Lifestyle, hobbies, and amount of correction needed are all factors that may determine whether you are a good candidate. The ideal candidate for LASIK is:
Contact the Reeves Eye Institute of Johnson City today to begin your LASIK journey to better eyesight!
What happens during LASIK eye surgery?
First, we will numb your eye with local anesthetic drops. LASIK surgery requires the creation of a flap. The flap can be created either with a femtosecond (Z-LASIK Ziemer) laser or with a microkeratome, (an automated blade).
Once the LASIK flap is created, the flap is then lifted and the excimer laser is then used to reshape the cornea. You will stare at a special pinpoint light called a target light (fixation light) while the laser sculpts the exposed corneal tissue. The laser makes a clicking sound that can be heard during the procedure. After the excimer laser treatment, the flap is re-positioned. Advances in laser technology have made LASIK very safe and a very reliable procedure.
Bladeless LASIK
When LASIK first arrived as a laser vision correction procedure, a microkeratome was used to create the corneal flap. Over the years ophthalmologists have found that when complications arise from LASIK they are typically from a poorly created corneal flap. Unlike mechanical instruments, the Z-LASIK platform by Ziemer is uniquely able to program the dimensions of your flap based on what’s best for your eye(s). Then this femtosecond laser creates your flap from below the surface of the cornea-without ever cutting it.
Z-LASIK is a LASIK procedure performed with the Ziemer FEMTO LDV Femtosecond Surgical Laser in conjunction with any one of the leading excimer lasers. Z-LASIK is a bladeless LASIK procedure similar to the Intralase technology. Both machines use femtosecond technology to produce the LASIK flap part of LASIK eye surgery. For several years now it has been possible to create the flap using a femtosecond laser. This means that no blade is involved in the procedure. Over one million patients have already undergone bladeless laser eye surgery.
Custom LASIK
Custom Vue LogoWhen people speak of custom LASIK they are referring to wavefront technology. This recent technology has reduced aberrations after LASIK and simply made vision more clear for LASIK surgery patients. Originally invented by NASA for use in high-powered precision telescopes, Wavefront technology has been used in LASIK vision correction since 2005. CustomVue laser vision correction is an exciting, new procedure that incorporates WaveScan wavefront technology and the patented, FDA-approved VISX laser to create a highly effective, personalized treatment plan for patients.
Without custom LASIK, doctors must rely on one-size-fits-all, traditional laser vision correction, which achieves great results but is not nearly as precise as CustomVue. In fact, our practice can achieve custom LASIK results that are up to 25 times more accurate than traditional.
iLASIK
iLASIK LogoIf you were not a candidate for LASIK eye surgery prior to iLASIK you could possibly now be a candidate. Given the wavefront technology and bladeless mircokeratome technology additions to LASIK, the doors are now open for some previously unqualified candidates. If you were previously determined to be a LASIK candidate you will most likely also be a candidate for iLASIK. In order to determine candidacy for this procedure please consult with the qualified iLASIK surgeons of Reeves Eye Institute. Our Johnson City LASIK surgeons will be happy to provide a very thorough eye health examination before determining your candidacy. There are some conditions that will still exclude certain patients from becoming a candidate, however, if you have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism there is a solid chance that you will be an iLASIK candidate.
Patient LASIK Financing
Reeves Eye Institute makes LASIK vision correction affordable. We accept all major credit cards, including VISA, MasterCard and American Express, cash, personal checks (7 days in advance of the procedure) and cashier’s checks. We have competitive pricing and offer our patients excellent payment plans.
The GreenSky Patient Solutions ® Installment Loan Program for better vision
LASIK FAQs
LASIK can help correct the various types of refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
Myopia is also called nearsightedness—you can see well up close without glasses but need glasses to see well at a distance. Myopia arises when the front surface of your eye—called the cornea—is steeper than usual.
Hyperopia is far-sightedness—you cannot see well up close and usually cannot see well at a distance either. People with hyperopia often have flatter than usual corneas.
Astigmatism is a mixture of myopia and hyperopia—your cornea is warped like the shape of a saddle.
If you are interested in LASIK eye surgery in Tennessee but concerned about the cost of the procedure please note that Reeves Eye Institute will do everything to help you afford LASIK vision to see better. We have a series of options to make the cost of LASIK less burdensome. When to have your vision procedure should be the question, not how to pay for it. We’d like to make that decision even easier for our patients. That’s why we’re pleased to offer the CareCredit® card, North America’s leading patient payment program.
If you are researching LASIK at this point you are thinking about life without the hassles of glasses and contacts but what about Blade-FREE LASIK? Why would Blade-FREE LASIK be a better choice than conventional LASIK?
Not only do patients prefer the Blade-FREE LASIK experience but there is clinical evidence that blade free LASIK method provides more patients with 20/20 vision than mechanical microkeratome methods. When making your decision about Tennessee LASIK eye surgery there are numerous advantages of LASIK without a Blade, also called Blade-FREE LASIK.
One of the biggest advantages of the Z-LASIK Blade-FREE LASIK method is that is is SIMPLY safer. SAFETY must play a role in your decision to have LASIK eye surgery; after all, these are your only eyes!
We understand that selecting a LASIK surgeon in Tennessee and getting started with LASIK research can be overwhelming. There are so many LASIK doctors and so many LASIK websites that discuss various aspects of LASIK technology. How is the average person supposed to differentiate between the choices? If you are considering Reeves Eye Institute for your LASIK eye surgery you can rest assured that you have found surgeons with credible experience. Our doctors are top Tennessee LASIK surgeons and have performed many procedures.