LASIK technology has matured and incrementally improved since FDA-approval in 1998. Modern All-Laser LASIK is a painless 15-minute blade-free laser procedure in which patients typically resume their normal activities the next day. The safety and comfort of LASIK were improved by replacing the original microkeratome blade with a femtosecond laser, and is thus referred to as “All-Laser LASIK” or “Bladeless LASIK”. Similarly, modern wavefront excimer lasers are now capable of a custom laser treatment which have demonstrated better vision outcomes and better night vision results.
Ideal for: Patients ages 18-60+ with stable nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. For people above age 40, Monovision (“Blended-Vision”) LASIK can also help with near vision.
ZEISS SMILE (“Small-Incision Lenticle Extraction”) LASIK is an FDA-approved “All-Femtosecond” laser procedure for treating nearsightedness and astigmatism. The VisuMax laser is the ONLY laser that is approved for the minimally-invasive ZEISS SMILE procedure, which is bladeless, painless and “flapless”. While ZEISS SMILE can effectively treat nearsightedness, All-laser LASIK and Epi-LASIK remain the preferred procedure for treating severe astigmatism (over 3 diopters) and farsightedness.
Ideal for: Patients ages 18-60 with nearsightedness and astigmatism. SMILE may be the treatment of choice for patients with dry eyes, patients exposed to potential eye trauma (i.e. military, boxers), or patients that simply don’t want a “flap”. SMILE is not for patients with farsightedness or more than 3 diopters of astigmatism.
Wavefront EPI-LASIK is a customized “blade-less” laser vision correction procedure, which a flap is not created during the procedure. Both EPI-LASIK and LASIK can treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. While the initial recovery is slower with EPI-LASIK compared to LASIK, the final vision result are the same. EPI-LASIK is an FDA approved alternative to LASIK, which may be the treatment of choice for certain patients.
Ideal for: Patients with thin or asymmetrical corneas, prior corneal surgery, exposed to potential eye trauma (i.e. military, boxers). Or anybody that just doesn’t want a flap could consider EPI-LASIK/PRK or SMILE LASIK.
EVO ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) is an FDA-approved insertable collamer lens implant that treats moderate to severe nearsightedness and astigmatism (up to -20 diopters of nearsightedness and 4 diopters of astigmatism), and may be the treatment of choice for patients that are not otherwise candidates for LASIK. The EVO ICL is a painless procedure that is completed in about 15 minutes, and patients can resume normal activities the next day, similar to a “LASIK experience”. Plus, since the EVO ICL is "additive”, it could also be easily removed/updated, if ever needed in the future.
Our Dr. Joseph Ling is the most experienced EVO ICL surgeon in the entire Bay Area!
Ideal for: Patients ages 21-45 with large amounts of nearsightedness. Patients must have a normal “anterior chamber depth” for a proper fit of the EVO ICL.
As people get older, the natural lens inside the eye ages as well. This typically leads to needing glasses in order to see up close and perform near-vision tasks. Readers, bifocals, and progressive lenses are all ways to help patients see with glasses.
Custom Lens Replacement (CLR) is a modern vision correction procedure that reduces or eliminates the need for glasses for near vision as well as distance vision.
It is often a better solution than LASIK for patients in their 50s and older, especially if they are having difficulty with near vision tasks.
A normal part of the aging process involves the lens inside our eye. The lens begins to lose functionality in our 30s and 40s. It will lose its flexibility as it hardens and yellows. The end stage of this process results in a cataract.
The refractive cataract procedure is a modern vision correction procedure that offers significantly greater benefit to the patient versus basic cataract surgery.
