Is Beverly Hills Laser Eye Surgery The Best?

Jan 27 2011 Published by admin under Eye Surgery

Beverly Hills Laser eye surgery is something, which can be very confusing for people. This article provides you an insight on laser eye surgery in Beverly Hills. As we all know that the laser eye surgery varies from one patient to another and from one surgeon to another.

There are a wide variety of instruments, which are used in laser eye surgery. They vary according to the needs of the patients. Consult your doctor to find out which type of procedure you need to undergo. Ask as many questions a possible. What is the disease? What is the cure? Talk to the medical staff and know as much as you can about the machines and lasers.

What to ask?

Take pre surgical consultations. Don’t hesitate to demand for more than one consultation. During the screening the doctor will test your eyes in a number of ways. He or she will take your medical history into account, provide you with all the information that you require, he or she will ask questions and might prescribe some medicine or eye drops. Apart from these also discuss the amount of money that will be spent on the whole procedure.

Remember you are not only availing the services of a doctor and medical staff but also the costly equipments and machines during lasik eye surgery. So, ask about the whole cost of the procedure, from first consultation to recovery time.

Your doctor will conduct various tests before he or she can perform the surgery. Your doctor might tell you to remove any contact lenses that you have been wearing for some time. Some medication can also be given to avoid any infections

Don’t forget that one the most attractive things about the Beverly Hills laser eye surgery is that you can find some of the best medical staff and surgeons who are well equipped with the advanced and the latest tools and machines.

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Prostate Medication and Cataract Surgery

Oct 15 2010 Published by admin under Cataract Surgery

Have you been diagnosed with a cataract? Are you currently taking Flomax? Flomax is the most commonly prescribed drug to treat prostate enlargement, or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Flomax and other drugs in the alpha-blocker class decrease the need to urinate in the middle of the night.

Flomax does not adversely affect the eye or vision, but it does adversely affect cataract surgery by preventing the pupil to adequately dilate during the procedure. This condition has been coined Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS).

IFIS has been associated with an increased complication rate during cataract surgery. It is very important for the patient to advise their ophthalmologist that they are taking Flomax if they are to undergo cataract surgery. In our pratice, we take the following steps to insure an excellent surgical outcome:

- Discontinue Flomax several weeks prior to surgery, if possible.
- Prescribe a long acting dilating drops 1 week prior to surgery.
- Use a dilating medication in the eye during surgery.
- Use a new device called the Malyugin Ring during cataract surgery in order to ensure adequate pupil dialtion.

The Malyugin ring has been one of the most important inventions in preventing complications associated with IFIS. It makes a possibly difficult case much easier by mechanically keeping the pupil dilated during surgery.

It is important for patients to inform their ophthalmologist when they are taking this or any other prostate drugs prior to eye surgery. Please be sure to discuss this and all concerns with your surgeon prior to your procedure. Following this advice could lead to a much safer surgical outcome.

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Eyelid Surgery – Post Operative Instructions and Tips

Jul 30 2010 Published by admin under Eye Lubricant

Blepharoplasty or surgery aimed at the eyelids is more of an aesthetic touch up than a reconstructive one. There are also times when this is used to improve a person’s sight function instead of his or her looks. Eyelid surgery is quick and relatively safe. There are also some risks to it especially since the area is quite close to the eyes but experienced surgeons rarely encounter sight problems after an operation such as this.

Post Operative Instructions: The surgeon in charge of the patient usually gives post operative instructions and tips before the operation is to be done. This is because eyesight of the patient will be affected, therefore rendering him or her unable to fully see or read the instructions after the procedure. Cold compresses are recommended to help with the swelling and discomfort in and around the affected area. Medicated eye lubricants or eye drops will also be prescribed by the attending physician to prevent infection and keep the eyes moist. Itchiness is to be expected once the stitches heal and it is best to avoid touching or holding the area.

One other important instruction is to keep the head elevated for several days after the operation. This is to prevent further swelling and aggravation in the stitches if blood pools due to none elevation of the head. Extra pillows may be necessary when sleeping.

Tips: The patient will need a person to accompany him or her after eyelid surgery. This is because the area around the stitches may need to be covered afterwards to protect it from dirt and infection. Once the anesthesia wears off, the patient can expect to feel a slight discomfort and soreness, which can be addressed with some pain medication which the surgeon is sure to prescribe. If the degree of pain is intense, it is best to consult the surgeon immediately.

Tears are to be expected for several days post operation as well as the development of bruises. Expect the bruising to disappear after several days to a week after they appear. The person’s eyesight may also be more sensitive to light but this will improve after several days. Blurred vision occurs most of the time after eyelid surgery so this is not something that the patient should panic about. The occurrence should improve in more or less a week.

There will be consultations following the eyelid surgery to give the surgeon time to assess and monitor the progress of the procedure. Stitches will be taken out during one of these times and once the doctor is satisfied with the result everything will be normal.

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Laser Eye Surgery Recovery Tips

Apr 29 2010 Published by admin under Eye Surgery

If laser eye surgery is on your schedule, then getting some tips on recovering after your surgery is a must. This article will look at some of the basics in ensuring a quick and smooth recovery from your surgery.

First things first, the procedure itself doesn’t take long therefore you will be walking in and walking out the same day. When coming out afterward have someone else drive you home, as you won’t be up to driving just yet. Also try and wear a good pair of sunglasses, it’s likely that your eyes will still be sensitive to the light, so try and protect them.

If you are getting laser eye surgery for both eyes, it will most likely benefit you to have someone stay with you for the first few days afterward to help you with anything.

The first 48 hours will be a period while your eyes are settling down, therefore try and rest your eyes as much as possible. No reading, working on computer, watching TV etc as they will strain your eyes too much. In the early stages your eyes may be irritable but it is very important not to rub or touch them. Your doctor will give you advice if this happens and provide any medication.

Also playing sports will need to be avoided for about a month, talk to your doctor about this and they will be able to give you advice on when you can start playing again.

Ensure while taking a bath or shower to keep the water and any soap out of your eyes to prevent any damage to them. Make up and aftershave/ perfume should be avoided so that the dust or fumes don’t get in your eyes.

A good product to use after laser eye surgery is an eye mask which blocks out sunlight, so it is great for taking the strain off your eyes.

Your doctor will want to see you for your follow up exam, which is extremely important as they will examine your eyes to ensure the surgery was a success and that no side effects have occurred.

All going well you should hopefully be able to go back to work after about 2-3 days, but every person is different, so seek advice from your doctor about this.

Laser eye surgery is a life changing procedure so make sure you take care in the recovery process to ensure your eyes are taken care of.

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Laser Eye Surgery Provides Vision Without Contacts Or Glasses

Apr 17 2010 Published by admin under Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery is also referred to as LASIK surgery. This type of surgery makes it possible for those who normally have blurry vision to be able to see again without wearing contacts or glasses. The surgery was brought to the public in 1990 and is very popular today.

Most vision problems can be corrected with laser surgery but especially the problems of hypermetropia and myopia or those that are far and near sited. When one has good vision light enters the eye by way of the natural lens. The light refracts or bends so that it hits the retina, which takes that image and focuses it so that you can see clearly. Wearing glasses makes sure that the light hits the retina in the right place so that the vision becomes clear.

The light overshoots the retina with people that have myopia. Instead the light hits the cornea, which cannot sharpen the image. When laser surgery is applied the cornea is reconfigured so that the light gets to the retina and focusing will no longer be a problem. The material in the center of the cornea is thinned out and removed. In hypermetropia the light is unable to get as far as the retina. In this case material is removed from the edges of the cornea and it allows the light to reach the retina.

When surgery is begun pain medication is put right into the eye. After a few minutes tape is used to keep the eyes open and then a speculum is inserted to force the lids to separate. A tiny cut is made on the cornea so a flap can be created. The laser moves in and takes out the excess cornea material. The little flap is then put back in place and stitched. The whole procedure only takes a few minutes and the pain is minimal. There is little chance of a mistake because the laser is programmed and moves automatically.

The people that are most likely to have this surgery are those whose vision has not changed much, which limits the surgery and discounts young patients. Having a cornea that is relatively thin may prevent a patient from having the surgery. Material cannot be removed if there is not much there to be removed. This happens when a person has serious loss of eyesight. Those that have the age related presbyopia or have astigmatism are candidates for the surgery.

Health insurance usually will not pay for laser surgery. There are those doctors that will accept payments but most want to be paid the entire amount before surgery commences. Make sure to find a doctor that has done many surgeries. Do not go to a doctor that advertises a cheap rate and has not done many surgeries. Laser surgery will cost about USD $1500 at the least and $3500 at the most so watch out for added expenses after surgery by a doctor charging less.

This type of surgery is major surgery. It will take some preparation to have it and if you wear contacts you will not be allowed to wear them for a while prior to surgery. This may be just a few days or up to a month or so. Afterwards eye makeup must be avoided and a guard is placed over the eye to protect it while sleeping. There are drops to be put in the eye periodically to prevent dry eye and a chance that you may have to take an antibiotic to prevent an infection. Some people see relatively well right after surgery but it might take some time with others however, approximately ninety percent of people having laser eye surgery are able to see clearly without having to wear corrective lenses.

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How a Cataract Surgery is Done

Mar 09 2010 Published by admin under Cataract Surgery

Cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eyes. It affects vision. A thin lining of cloudy natural lens is removed from the eye because it blocks the passage of light. This is how a cataract surgery is done. Cataract surgery is a harmless procedure. Every year, there are more than 1.6 Americans who undergo this treatment to repair their vision. More than half of the American population have cataract or may have been through a cataract surgery by the age of 80. Some people believe that when one eye has cataract, the other eye will definitely be next. This is a myth. Cataract doesn’t spread. It can occur in either or both eyes though.

Before a cataract surgery, a patient will go through an eye examination to determine the correct power of the intraocular lens that the eye needs. It is important for the patient to mention if he is presently under some medication. The doctor will advise whether or not to continue the said medications. There are really some medications which cause problems during a cataract surgery. An example of this medicine is Flomax, which is taken by men with enlarged prostates. The patient is then given an option on what to choose over single vision intraocular lens or presbyopia-correcting intraocular lens. The patient’s choice is usually dependent on some factors such as his lifestyle and ability to pay the total cost.

On the day of the surgery itself, there is a list of things to do such skipping breakfast and avoiding intake of liquids. An eye drop to dilate pupils and sedative are given prior to the actual procedure. Topical anesthesia is also given in order for the patient not to feel the pain. After the areas around the eyes were completely cleansed and after a sterile covering is put into place, at least a small cut is done into the eye to enable the surgeon to remove the cloudy lens. There are two methods to remove the cloudy lens. One is through sonically breaking up the cataract then extracted out of the eye. The other one is through mechanically breaking up the cataract into small pieces then removed from the eye through a small incision. After this, a plastic or silicon intraocular lens will replace the natural lens that was taken off the eye.

After the operation, a protective shield is placed on the eye. Then the patient is usually sent home after few minutes in the recovery room. Surgeons advise patients to apply eye drops for a number of times in a day. This goes on for few weeks depending on the surgeon’s advice. Just like any other medical procedure, there are dos and don’ts patients are given to ensure effectiveness of the operation.

The price of a cataract surgery is around $3,000, exclusive of health insurance. Fortunately, HMOs, Medicare and other health insurances cover this specific surgery. It is indeed pricey however, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports 98% of the patients believe it is highly recommended since it simply worked for them.

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