Vision Correction
The Lasik Procedure
Laser eye surgery is convenient and fast, requiring very little downtime. Our patients can usually resume most of their normal activities about 24 hours after surgery depending on the procedure. Plus, your insurance plan may cover all or part of a LASIK procedure.
iLasik: Blade-Free Correction for a Better Life
Dr. Richard Gordon performs the incredibly safe and effective blade-free LASIK procedure on his Hudson Valley and Palisades patients to eliminate their need for corrective eyewear. iLASIK is a quick, painless, FDA-approved procedure that provides precise, long-lasting results. Although similar to the traditional LASIK procedure, the iLASIK surgery utilizes an IntraLase® laser to create the corneal flap rather than a microkeratome blade.
To be a candidate for iLASIK, patients must first be 18 or older, undergo a routine eye exam, have had a stable prescription for the last year, be free of eye infections or injuries, and suffer from near- or farsightedness and/or astigmatism. Then, as with any of our laser eye surgeries, the iLASIK procedure begins with a consultation with Dr. Gordon that allows you to address any questions or concerns and gives the team a change to organize a customized treatment for you.
Here’s what you can expect: You will be seated in one of our comfortable, reclining chairs. We will then place numbing drops in your eyes to ensure a pain-free surgery. Using the intraLase® laser, Dr. Gordon will create the corneal flap which is then folded back to expose the deeper layers of the cornea. A second laser is applied to the eye to reshape the cornea. Finally, the flap is folded back into place where it will stick, eliminating the need for sutures.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of iLASIK is that the risk of complications involving the corneal flap is significantly lower when it is created by a laser rather than the microkeratome blade associated with traditional LASIK. However, as with any medical procedure, iLASIK does carry some degree of risk. You may experience some discomfort after the surgery, but this is normal and can be treated with prescribed pain medication. Our Hudson Valley staff is committed to providing our iLASIK patients with helpful information to alleviate the anxiety that can accompany a surgical procedure.
PRK: No Glasses, No Contacts, No Problem
PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is designed to reduce or eliminate your dependency on corrective eyewear by changing the shape of your cornea. Because PRK predates procedures such as LASIK and iLASIK, it is commonly discounted as being a less accurate treatment. In reality, PRK can produce the same outstanding results as LASIK and is often the best option for patients who have thin corneas or are not candidates for LASIK. You may be a candidate for PRK if you are at least 18 years of age, have had a stable eyewear prescription for at least a year, are not nursing or pregnant, and do not suffer from any eye disease, infection, or injury.
Here’s what you can expect: Dr. Gordon will perform a comprehensive eye exam and have an in-depth consultation with you prior to your treatment to establish your care plan and answer any questions you may have. The actual procedure is simple and straightforward; surgery should be complete in a matter of minutes. First, we will administer some anesthetic drops and, in some cases, a mild sedative. Once you are comfortable, your eye will be positioned under the excimer laser, which will ablate the surface layer of your cornea and sculpt the corneal tissue for an accurate correction.
You will need to wear bandage contact lenses for two or three days after the surgery to allow time for your cornea to heal. Prescribed topical medication and anti-inflammatory, antibiotic eye drops will help your eye heal quickly. Although full recovery from PRK surgery generally takes about six months, you will begin to see a difference in the quality of your vision almost immediately. The improvement PRK patients experience can be equivalent to that of LASIK patients and can last a lifetime. In addition to reducing or eliminating your need for corrective eyewear, PRK can improve the quality and clarity of your vision by reducing the risk of halos, blurring, double vision, or poor night vision.
