Laser Eye Surgery FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions regarding laser eye surgery. If you still have questions about laser eye surgery that are not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact Century City Eye, located near Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
- What is laser eye surgery?
- What are the benefits of laser eye surgery?
- Is laser eye surgery safe?
- What laser does Century City Eye use for laser eye surgery, and is it FDA approved?
- What is refractive error?
- What is the difference between PRK and LASIK?
- What is laser light?
- The Century City Eye laser
- What is CustomVue™ and WaveScan™?
- What is CK®?
- Is CK® safe?
[ Top ]
What is laser eye surgery?
Laser eye surgery is an outpatient treatment that uses a cool beam of light to gently reshape the surface of the eye - the cornea - thereby improving vision. The light gently pulses to remove a microscopic amount or tissue, flattening the curvature of the cornea, allowing images to be more sharply focused on the retina.
[ Top ]
What are the benefits of laser eye surgery?
Laser eye surgery for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism is designed to be a one-time treatment that should reduce the condition overall, while also reducing or eliminating your dependence on glasses and contact lenses.
[ Top ]
Is laser eye surgery safe?
Yes, laser eye surgery is safe. More than one million patients worldwide have had the treatment performed on them successfully. The FDA has recognized laser eye surgery for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and found the treatment safe and effective for eligible patients.
[ Top ]
What laser does Century City Eye use for laser eye surgery, and is it FDA approved?
We offer you the most technologically advanced eye care available -- we are proud to offer the VISX Star S4™ ActiveTrak™ Laser, located here in our laser eye surgery office near West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. This advanced-technology laser FDA-approved for the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The laser's extraordinary abilities can be enhanced even more in some eyes with the addition of VISX WaveScan™ technology, which allows your doctor to custom-craft your laser treatment to achieve the clearest results possible.
[ Top ]
What is refractive error?
If an individual has normal vision, light will enter the eye through the cornea and will be bent to focus on a single point on the retina at the back of the eye. If there is a refractive error, the light is not focused on a single point on the back of the eye, but on a point behind the retina (hyperopia or farsightedness), or on a point in front of the retina (myopia or nearsightedness), or on points both behind and in front of the retina (astigmatism).
[ Top ]
What is the difference between PRK and LASIK?
Both laser eye surgery procedures use an Excimer laser to shape the cornea. In PRK, the laser is directed onto the surface of the cornea. In LASIK, prior to performing the laser shaping, a precision instrument (called a microkeratome) painlessly creates a thin corneal flap that is gently folded out of the way of the laser beam. The laser shaping is then done in a "protected" way, and the protective corneal flap is replaced.
Remember, because numbing drops are used, these are pain-free laser eye surgery procedures.
If you are between 18 and 70 years of age, wear glasses or contacts, are in good general health, and have healthy corneas, you're likely to be an excellent candidate for laser eye surgery. To find out if laser eye surgery in the West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills areas is right for you, contact Century City Eye today to schedule a FREE personal consultation.
[ Top ]
What Is Laser Light?
A laser produces a highly uniform, concentrated beam of light that can be precisely focused and controlled. A system of electronics, gases, lenses, and mirrors is used to produce laser light. A powerful electronic current is passed through a tube containing specialized gases. This produces cold energy that is radiated in the form of a narrow light beam.
Laser light differs from light produced from the sun or a light bulb. Normal light radiates in all directions and contains all visible colors of the spectrum. In comparison, a laser produces a uniform, concentrated beam of a single wavelength of light, which can be precisely directed.
[ Top ]
The Century City Eye Laser
The development of ophthalmic lasers has revolutionized the way many eye diseases are treated. With lasers, refractive errors can be treated more effectively and safely than was ever before possible with conventional surgical instruments. Not only are lasers an effective means of treatment, but they have also reduced the time and complexity of many procedures.
We offer you the most technologically advanced laser eye surgery available - the VISX Star S4™ ActiveTrak™ Laser. This laser is FDA-approved for treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. As the name implies, the laser tracks any patient eye movement, providing you with a high level of safety and accuracy.
The VISX Star S4™ also features Variable Spot Scanning. This innovation provides a larger treatment zone and more personalized refractive treatment. This greatly reduces night vision concerns for patients with larger pupils.
[ Top ]
What is CustomVue™ and WaveScan™?
CustomVue™ LASIK, using WaveScan™ technology, is the most advanced and precise laser eye surgery technique available today.
Our doctors use the WaveScan™ computer to make a detailed map of your cornea; these measurements, 25 times more precise than conventional LASIK methods, can help the laser to correct so-called "higher order aberrations" that are responsible for such unwanted effects as glare and halos around lights.
Measurements are kept accurate because they are sent directly from the WaveScan™ computer to the VISX Star S4™ ActiveTrak™ laser, ensuring the best possible results. The result of CustomVue™ LASIK is correction that is completely unique and tailored to your needs. Contact Century City Eye today to learn more about CustomVue™ and WaveScan™ technology and to find out if you are a candidate for CustomVue™.
[ Top ]
What is CK®?
CK®, or conductive keratoplasty, is an effective, minimally invasive method of reshaping the cornea in patients who have hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia (the need for reading glasses).
Our doctors use a tiny hand-held device to apply radio frequency waves to the cornea. This causes changes in the collagen in the corneal tissue, which steepens the cornea and lets the eye focus light more effectively.
[ Top ]
Is CK® safe?
Yes, CK® (conductive keratoplasty) is safe. Although similar technology was used for decades to treat the cornea, this form of CK® was initially approved by the FDA in 2002 for mild farsightedness. CK® then received expanded approval in 2004 for presbyopia. CK® is becoming an excellent vision correction option for our aging population in the United States, allowing people to regain the clear vision of their youth.
If you would like to learn more about our laser, or if you would like to schedule a laser eye surgery consultation at our Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles area offices, contact Century City Eye today.
[ Top ]
