3. Heard all the hype about dry eyes.

Tears naturally keep the eye moist and comfortable. Small tear secreting glands on the eye’s surface and in the surrounding tissue produce them. The fine nerves that are found in the eye provide a feedback loop by sensing the state of hydration of the eye and stimulating those tear producing glands to generate tears appropriately. 

 

One of the challenges that some patients experience after LASIK can be eye dryness. Generally, this is thought to be caused by the loss of connections of the fine nerves ends on the eye surface. As a result, the eye doesn’t produce enough tears for normal lubrication until these fine nerves regenerate. Instillation of artificial tear lubricants usually compensates for dryness until natural tear production returns to normal.

 

What may be surprising to learn is that the degree of dryness experienced by a patient is markedly affected by the methods used to create the flap.   In our experience, as well as in many carefully controlled clinical studies, use of the mechanical bladed microkeratome is responsible for a significant amount of dry eye symptoms. With the microkeratome, not only do a high percentage of patients experience dry eye, many of those patients experience severe dry eye. Severe dry eye can require the doctor to physically insert tiny plugs into the patients tear duct system to block the exit of tears from the eye or even necessitate the use of expensive prescription eye drops or oral supplements designed to stimulate tear production. 

 

Fortunately, Intralase technology has truly revolutionized the manner that the eye responds to LASIK surgery. With the Intralase method, severe dry eye appears to be a thing of the past. In addition, very few patients experience any symptoms of dry eye at all after the first few weeks postop. Most importantly, with the Intralase method, very few patients require the insertion of plugs or the use of prescription eye drops and oral medications. The ultrathin Intralase flaps markedly reduce nerve injury and allow for rapid nerve regeneration compared to old microkeratome methodology.

 

So if you are seeking information about LASIK and you are informed by some centers that many of their patients require the insertion of plugs in the tear ducts, don’t be surprised. Those centers are still using outdated microkeratome technology. Out of date, out of step and a literal factory for dry eye. Not pretty.

 

At Will Vision and Laser Centers we only use the advanced Intralase method for flap creation. As a result, we rarely see dry eye problems and almost never need to insert plugs into tear ducts or prescribe eye drops and oral supplements.

 

Leadership makes a real difference. We take the responsibility to deliver only the best, safest and most advanced technology very seriously. As a result, you can have confidence that Will Vision and Laser Centers will deliver only the highest quality of surgical outcomes with the least possible opportunity for adverse side effects. 

 

Call us today and find out more about what the Will Vision passion for excellence can do for you.

Why haven't you had Lasik yet?

1. Worried about suboptimal vision results.
Advanced wavefront guided Intralase technology unleashes the potential for you to attain visual quality that actually exceeds that obtainable using glasses or contact lenses. More ->

2. Concerned about night vision.
One of the problems that the early pioneers of LASIK technology could occasionally deal with were issues of night glare or halos. More ->

3. Heard all the hype about dry eyes.
Tears naturally keep the eye moist and comfortable. More ->

4. Apprehensive about the LASIK flap.
Frankly, so were we. That’s why in 2002, Will Vision and Laser Centers introduced the first Intralase femtosecond laser technology to the Pacific Northwest. More ->

5. It needs more testing.
LASIK is the most common elective surgical procedure performed in the US, bar none. More ->

6. You haven’t called Will Vision & Laser Centers
Will Vision & Laser Centers is the premier center for advanced wavefront laser vision correction in the Pacific Northwest. More ->