Now there are more choices than ever for people who want to get out of glasses and contact lenses. Whether you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, we have a vision correction procedure that can improve the way you see the world. Imagine what it would be like to wake up and read your alarm clock, take a swim in the gulf, or just look in the mirror and see how beautiful your eyes are without glasses. People that have been told that they were not candidates for LASIK have several options such as PRK, Visian ICL and Refractive Lens Exchange.
PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), also known as ASA (advanced surface ablation), was the most popular refractive procedure before LASIK entered the medical field. Both PRK and LASIK are considered “laser eye surgery,” but the procedures are slightly different.
PRK is accomplished with an Excimer laser, which uses a UV beam to quickly and precisely remove minuscule bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it, refocus light on the retina and restore your vision. The procedure takes only minutes.
PRK patients, however, take longer to recover than LASIK patients. They usually require days or sometimes weeks. PRK can be a good alternative for those not considered good LASIK candidates, for example those with thin corneas. PRK and LASIK outcomes are similar. Most Clemson Eye patients achieve 20/20 or better vision with PRK or LASIK.
Clemson Eye has an excellent vision correction alternative for people with moderate to severe nearsightedness, particularly those with dry eyes or thin corneas.
The Visian ICL is an implantable collamer lens. It is a soft lens, like a contact lens, that is surgically placed into the eye. The lens works similarly to LASIK and PRK in that it permanently corrects your vision. Unlike these procedures, however, it doesn’t require cutting or reshaping of the corneal tissue and it is removable.
Schedule consultation or take our LASIK self-test to find out.
Refractive Lens Exchange Surgery is an elective surgical procedure. It is ideal if you struggle with near focus, distance focus, astigmatism or general vision correction. RLE corrects your vision by removing the natural crystalline lens in the eye and replacing it with a new artificial lens implant, called a premium lens implant, known as IOLs. This is much like what happens in Bladeless Laser Cataract Surgery however, in cataract surgery the cataracts are broken up and removed and then the lens is replaced with an IOL.
