Alternatives to Lasik
LASIK surgery is the best known vision correction procedure available today. We hear about it on the radio, see it on television, and read about it in newspapers and magazines. But LASIK isn’t for everyone. For medical reasons or because of occupational considerations, many people need an effective alternative to LASIK.
Aloha Laser Vision is a top provider of LASIK, but we are also proud of our expertise in achieving excellent results through alternative procedures. If LASIK isn’t appropriate for correcting your vision, Dr. Alan Faulkner can evaluate your situation and advise you about the results that many of our patients achieve through PRK and phakic IOLs. Please contact Aloha Laser Vision today to learn more about the alternatives to LASIK.
PRK
PRK (photorefractive keractectomy) was the forerunner to LASIK, gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1995. In PRK, the laser treats the surface of the cornea, rather than deeper tissue. Our Honolulu practice offers PRK as an alternative to LASIK for those whose corneas are too thin for the creation of a corneal flap, who suffer from defects of the epithelium (the surface cells of the cornea), or whose pupils are too large to allow LASIK surgery. It is also the logical choice for those who want a flapless procedure.
PRK is appropriate for patients who have mild to moderate myopia (nearsightedness). More severe myopia usually responds better to LASIK, in which deeper corneal tissue is treated. There is a bit more post-operative discomfort with PRK, and healing takes longer for some patients, but by about six months after surgery, the results are comparable. Some employers, most notably the U.S. military, will not accept LASIK patients for certain assignments, but will accept PRK patients.
Contact Aloha Laser Vision in Honolulu, Hawaii, to learn if PRK is right for you.
Phakic IOLs
In more extreme cases of myopia, in which LASIK or PRK may not achieve an acceptable result, Aloha Laser Vision may recommend the phakic intraocular lens (IOL) to our Hawaii patients. A phakic IOL is one which supplements, rather than replaces, the eye’s natural lens.
Laser surgeries adjust vision by changing the shape of the cornea, which gathers light and directs it to the lens, which, in turn, provides the fine focus needed to create an accurate image on the retina. The advantage of laser surgery is that it is less invasive than IOL surgery. However, when adjusting the cornea isn’t enough to provide accurate focus, the surgeons at our Honolulu practice may recommend that a phakic IOL be implanted between the cornea and the lens.
Unlike lens replacement surgery, implanting a phakic IOL leaves the natural lens in place, so that the eye can still focus. As a result, glasses may not be required for many patients. In cases of a later significant change in vision that requires another solution, the phakic IOL can be removed. Just as with laser surgery, placement of a phakic IOL is an outpatient procedure; however, we normally treat one eye at a time.
At Aloha Laser Vision, we offer our Hawaii patients the Visian ICL™. During your vision correction consultation, your eye surgeon will help you determine if it is the appropriate myopia solution for you.
Visian ICL™
Our Honolulu practice is pleased to offer the Visian ICL™ as one of the latest variations on the intraocular lens (IOL). Because of its unique composition and design, it is foldable, allowing it to be placed behind the iris, and requiring a smaller incision that other lenses.
In addition to phakic IOL, the term “implantable contact lens” (ICL) is another used to describe IOLs that supplement, rather than replace, the natural lens. Staar Surgical, producers of the Visian ICL™, describe it as an “implantable Collamer® lens,” because it is made of a proprietary material that combines polymer plastic with collagen, an organic material found in the human body.
The use of Collamer® allows the Visian ICL™ to be more flexible. It can be folded, so that it can be inserted through an incision only 3.0 mm (1/8 inch) in length. As a result it is possible to place the Visian ICL™ behind the iris, where it is completely invisible to even the closest inspection. No one will ever know that you have an implanted lens. Collamer® also makes the Visian ICL™ highly biocompatible. Our Hawaii patients are virtually guaranteed not to experience any complication as a result of implantation surgery.
Contact Aloha Laser Vision
Dr. Alan Faulkner is committed to providing his patients with the highest quality vision treatments and procedures that serve to improve and optimize vision. To schedule a consultation, examination, or to find out more about LASIK eye surgery, PRK, the Visian ICL™ and other alternatives please contact Aloha Laser Vision of Honolulu, Hawaii today.
Driving Directions
Aloha Laser Vision is proud to serve patients traveling from nearby cities with expertise in quality eye care. We’ve provided directions to our practice from the following locations for your convenience: