Dr. Ralph Chu, MD discusses LASIK laser vision correction at Chu Vision Institute.
TRANSCRIPTION
Dr. Ralph Chu: LASIK is one of the greatest procedures that we perform, because in such a short period of time with no discomfort to the patient, we can actually transform their lives. We improve their vision. They see better, and it actually changes the way they live their life. From the time they were a young kid having to wear glasses to now being in their thirties, twenty, thirties, or forties, and being able to see for the first time is the most incredible feeling as a surgeon.
Dr. Ralph Chu: Now, the first step into the journey of your great candidate for LASIK is to get a regular eye exam. If your regular eye exam was normal, then I would schedule an advanced LASIK evaluation to see if you’re a candidate for certain. I think our best candidates for LASIK are people who are 18 years of age and older. They have a saline prescription. They worn contacts or glasses most of their young lives, and they really want to get free of their glasses and contacts and improve their function.
Dr. Ralph Chu: We’re able to treat people who have nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A lot of patients are confused and think that astigmatism can’t be treated. But nowadays with the technologies we have, we can treat a wide range of patients with many types of astigmatism. The day of LASIK is pretty straightforward. You come in, you talk to our preop nurses, you king of get relaxed. The surgery only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get both eyes done. There’s no discomfort during the procedure.
Dr. Ralph Chu: There’s only drops that are used to help you feel comfortable in the procedure. And afterwards your eyes might be a little bit blurry, but almost immediately most patients are starting to see better right after the surgery. It takes a few hours for them to kind of recover. They have some teariness. We tell them to take a nap and kind of rest their eyes after surgery.
Dr. Ralph Chu: After about four to six hours, most patients are able to watch TV without their glasses comfortably. One of the reasons I think patients choose us at Chu Vision Institute to perform their LASIK is because they feel that we’re different. When they come in they feel like an individual because our approach for the last 20 years has been to look at each patient as an individual and tailor all the available technologies to giving them the best outcome possible.