LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK Long Beach, LASIK Lakewood

Click here for your free LASIK Informational Kit!

Dr. Martinez and Dr. Donovan are very proud to offer the highest quality LASIK eye surgery for patients of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Orange counties. Each LASIK is customized specifically to meet the visual needs of each patient, as we provide the safest medical care and best visual results for our patients possible. Watch a few of our patient testimonials to learn more about their LASIK experiences through Eye Physicians of Long Beach.

Understanding LASIK eye surgery and iLASIK surgery

To help you better understand exactly what is LASIK and how does LASIK work.

“LASIK” is an acronym for Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that is generally safe, effective, and has very few side effects. Over 32,000,000 LASIK surgeries have been performed throughout the world, and is considered to be one of the most popular refractive procedures available for vision correction. Although LASIK may not promise perfect vision, it can reduce the dependence on glasses or contact lenses, therefore enabling a more active lifestyle for patients. iLASIK is a brand named used to describe LASIK using an Intralase Laser to during the initial step and a VISX laser to perform the actual laser treatment.

The LASIK Procedure

What happens the day of LASIK

LASIK takes only a few minutes. During this time, a laser reshapes your cornea to correct the imperfections of your eye which make you nearsighted, farsighted, etc. This section will explain the steps involved in LASIK.

1. First you get an extensive examination by a LASIK surgeon.
2. A wavescan is used to make an individual blueprint of your eyes which is used to drive your laser correction and is what gives you a truly customized.
3. During LASIK surgery, the surgeon first applies anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye for surgery. A lid speculum will be placed between your eyelids to prevent blinking during the LASIK treatment. After the eyes have been prepared and the speculum is in place, a suction ring designed to hold the eye steady is applied. To correct your vision using LASIK a thin opening in your cornea is created called a corneal flap. There are two ways to make this flap, a blade or a laser. At Eye Physicians of Long Beach flaps are created exclusively using the IntraLase™ FS laser. Eighty-one percent of patients choose bladeless LASIK over traditional LASIK with a blade when given the choice and there are substantial benefits to the Intralase FS laser.
4. Following the flap creation, the surgeon gently flips the flap to the side to expose the corneal tissue, and at this point the eye is ready to receive the excimer laser that will correct the cornea. The correction is completely driven by a computer based on your own unique corneal characteristics using the VISX Star 4 laser with Iris Registration. It's safe, fast and virtually painless. The VISX technology is the most popular excimer laser technology in the world and has an excellent safety and results track record. When the laser is applied, eye tissue is separated by the cool ultraviolet laser, actually reshaping the front part of the eye.
5. During the laser treatment and flap lifting part of the surgery your vision will be a bit blurry, but Dr. Martinez and Dr. Donovan will describe what is happening at each stage of the surgery so you know everything is proceeding as planned. Generally you shouldn't experience any pain or discomfort. Once the treatment is over, the flap is repositioned over the treated area, and use several eye drops to help initiate the healing process. A fluid wave is used to stretch the flap after putting it back. After you sit up from the surgical chair your vision will be initially blurry, this is usually because there is a little bit of fluid under the flap. The vision then improves gradually and it is usually very good by the next day. With LASIK you can have great vision without glasses or contacts.*

* Outcomes may vary. 98% of nearsighted patients participating in the Advanced CustomVue™ FDA Clinical Trials could see 20/20 or better one year after treatment.

During your consultation you will have ample opportunity to ask any questions and you will be given your doctors cell phone number in case you have any questions but here are the answers to the questions we are most frequently asked.

• You will be awake during the LASIK procedure but you will be given medicines that help you relax.
• You do not have to worry about blinking, the speculums holds your eye opens and anesthetic drops keep them numb and lubricated.
• Typically there is no pain during the LASIK procedure since the eyes are numb.
• Typically both eyes are done during the same visit.
• The entire procedure not including the initial consultation takes about 10 minutes.
• The vast majority of patients can see 20/20 after LASIK.*
  

* Outcomes may vary. Ninety-eight percent of nearsighted patients participating in the Advanced CustomVue™ FDA clinical trials could see 20/20 or better one year after treatment.

Experience counts

Dr. Carlos Martinez and Dr. James Donovan have performed thousands of refractive procedures with excellent visual results. They have been using the VISX laser, and studying wavefront LASIK for more than 15 years. They were some of the first residents to study how to perform LASIK while in residency in the world while at the LSU Eye Center where the initial FDA trials of VISX were performed; Dr. Martinez conducted extensive research in the area of laser vision correction during medical school and residency. When Custom Wavefront-guided LASIK is performed, results are better than with traditional LASIK, as many patients experience better nighttime driving vision than with previous lasers. With the VISX™ Advanced CustomVue™ system, Dr. Martinez and Dr. Donovan attest that 98% of their patients are 20/20 or better without glasses. If glasses or contact lenses have become a hassle, and you would like to find out if LASIK or vision correction surgery is an option, call our office for a consultation.

Benefits of LASIK Surgery

The benefits of LASIK eye surgery far outweigh the risks. Imagine clear, sharp vision and playing sports without glasses or swimming in the ocean without contact lenses. Consider no longer having to deal with glasses and contact lenses or waking up in the morning and seeing the clock. Patients also find that having great vision without correction during an emergency very reassuring. Considering the time of the surgery is approximately ten minutes and recovery is rapid, usually ranging from a few days to a few weeks, LASIK can be life changing. It is important to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for LASIK surgery. In general, they reject about 20% of patients as poor candidates, but forty percent of these will have a different procedure performed.

Your candidacy is based on calculations your ophthalmologist will make through a series of eye tests: Dr. Martinez or Dr. Donovan will only perform this surgery if you are a qualified candidate. Dr. Martinez and Dr. Donovan are general ophthalmologists who have extensive experience in other refractive options; if LASIK is not an option they will recommend one that you will benefit more from than LASIK.

The iLASIK procedure is not without risk, but wearing contacts comes with risks as well, as they require time and meticulous attention to ensure proper cleaning and to avoid infection. Infections with contacts do occur, so considering this risk, the hassle of contacts and the lifetime costs of wearing contacts, maybe it's time to consider the iLASIK procedure.

Back to Top

LASIK Risks

LASIK Complications

The technology used in the LASIK procedure at Eye Physicians of Long Beach is the result of decades of research and is very safe. NASA has approved the use of this advanced all-laser LASIK as safe and reliable enough for astronauts who face the extreme physical challenges of space travel and zero gravity and are responsible for landing one of their most precious equipment, the shuttle. The US Navy has also approved advanced all-laser LASIK for its fighter pilots. In fact, all branches of the US military have now approved all-laser LASIK for their personnel. These official recognitions of the safety and reliability of the same all-laser LASIK performed at Eye Physicians of Long Beach are very reassuring for anyone who may have been hesitant about having LASIK. The NASA decision was made following review of extensive military clinical data using our laser.

In addition to having chosen the best available technology, our surgeons have been performing LASIK for fifteen years and in the U.S., LASIK has become the most common elective procedure with approximately 32 million LASIK procedures performed. However, LASIK is an elective procedure with other alternatives including eyeglasses, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy, and other refractive surgeries and as with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with the treatment. This discussion is by no means designed to replace your discussion with your doctor about risks but it should help you become more informed.

The most discussed LASIK eye surgery risk to date has been increased that of glare and halos. Halos can be a result of uncorrected higher order aberrations. Before wavefront LASIK was introduced, surgeons would correct only the lower order aberrations of the eye (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). The residual higher order imperfections of the cornea could result in glare and halos. In addition, in the beginning days of visual correction, a smaller portion of the cornea was treated. This can result in both glare and halo effects around lights at night. This complication can result in night driving complaints but in most cases was so minor that the improvement in vision far outweighed any side effects. This particular issue after surgery is not as common with Custom LASIK eye surgery because wavefront technology is designed to correct not only lower order aberrations, like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, but also minimize higher order aberrations. In addition, Blade-free LASIK minimizes the amount of higher order aberrations caused by the flap creation when compared to the blade. Dr. Martinez and Dr. Donovan are experts on the application of wavefront technology for the correction of higher order aberrations. Please feel free to consult Dr. Martinez or Dr. Donovan regarding whether Custom LASIK and wavefront technology would help you achieve a better visual outcome.

The other issue that has received a significant amount of attention is dry eyes after surgery. Dry eyes can happen before or after LASIK. Dry eyes can be aggravated by LASIK. If your doctor determines that you have dry eyes, there are a several treatment options that your doctor can institute prior to LASIK. Please consult your doctor directly if you think you have dry eyes.

Flap related complications are also a concern primarily when blades are used. The Intralase FS Laser offers computerized control of corneal thickness with an accuracy of +/- 10 microns, whereas the microkeratome does not. The flap diameter can also be controlled using Intralase FS laser, the architecture of the flap is better, planar flaps instead of meniscus flaps lead to less imperfections and a smoother surface. Computerized control of centration and side wall architecture are also benefits of the intalase. The vertical sidewall allows for decrease epithelial in growth and less movement of the flap. With the Intralase there is less risk for flap related complications and very remote risk for free flaps, button holes. Furthermore if the procedure is interrupted for any reason it is easy to re-engage using the intralase but not possible with the microkeratome.

Back to Top

Other possible risks include:

1. Development of diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK). This is excessive inflammation and happens in 2% of patients and is usually controlled with drops or oral medication but can be serious
2. Infection
   

Retrospective analysis comparing LASIK using the blade and results using IntraLase™ FS Technology showed that IntraLase™ FS Laser System performed better in three main areas important to LASIK results and safety: flap thickness, induced astigmatism, and cell injury. There are fewer flap-related complications with the IntraLase Method.

• Minimal risk of sight-threatening events (free caps, globe penetration, buttonhole flaps, decentered flaps, and/or incomplete cuts)
• No risk of corneal abrasion
• Reduced risk of dry eye
  

Please visit the FDA LASIK website or come by our office for more information regarding LASIK eye surgery risks. It is important to discuss the risks associated with the procedure and any questions you may have about the procedure with your doctor. In 2006 a panel of ophthalmologists conducted a 10-year study on LASIK eye surgery and the results showed positive visual results over the 10 year period. According to this 2006 AAO study, it was concluded that LASIK or PRK eye surgeries were proven to be safe and effective. Before deciding whether to have the procedure, you should ask your doctor for and carefully review the CustomVue™ Patient Information Booklet.

Choosing Your LASIK surgeon

If you are seeking LASIK in Long Beach we hope you have the chance to meet our doctors and hear the stories from many patients in the area that have benefited from this procedure. If you do not make an appointment with our office, we want to help you with your research by providing you with some questions to ask your potential surgeon.

• How did you become LASIK trained?
• During your residency, were you trained in laser vision correction?
• Will I be seeing you (the surgeon) at each visit?
• Do you own the surgery center you use?
• Does your surgeon have roots in the community?
• What is Custom LASIK and is it right for me?
• Do you have Blade-FREE LASIK Technology? If not, why not?
• Is Blade-FREE LASIK Safe? How safe?
• What is the difference between conventional LASIK and iLASIK?
• Does your practice provide follow up care included with the price?
• Have you ever worked on LASIK research studies?
• How many surgeries have you performed?
  

LASIK eye surgery topics review - LASIK Long Beach, Los Angeles, LASIK in Long Beach, LASIK, Lakewood, LASIK Complications Los Angeles, Blade-FREE LASIK Long Beach, LASIK eye doctor long beach, LASIK cost Los Angeles, credible and trusted LASIK surgeon in Long Beach, Carlos Martinez, M.D., James Donovan, M.D. For more information regarding any type of LASIK eye surgery or vision correction procedure on the Los Angeles area please do not hesitate to contact The Eye Physicians of Long Beach.

Back to Top