LASIK Surgery Centers in Paso Robles, Santa Maria & San Luis Obispo
LASIK is one of the most common elective surgeries performed in the world. LASIK has both an extremely high success and satisfaction rate. LASIK can successfully treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Am I a Candidate for LASIK?
To determine LASIK candidacy, fill out this quick LASIK Self Quiz!
Once we receive your results, we’ll review and contact you with our recommendations. If you are a good candidate, your journey will continue with a FREE LASIK consultation at one of our offices in Paso Robles, Santa Maria, or San Luis Obispo, CA.
During this initial exam, we will assess the unique characteristics of your eyes like the shape and thickness of your cornea, refractive errors, the prevalence of dry eye, overall eye health, and more. Dr. Abroms will work closely with you to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for LASIK.
The LASIK Procedure
The cornea is what allows us to see clearly by focusing light onto the retina. When the shape of the cornea is distorted, the image which reaches the retina is blurry or out of focus. LASIK is a two-step procedure that corrects your vision by reshaping your eye’s cornea.
- First, your surgeon will use a femtosecond laser to create a thin flap out of your corneal tissue. This flap is then carefully lifted back so the concealed corneal tissue can be reshaped using a cool excimer laser.
- Then, once the cornea is reshaped and your vision corrected, your surgeon replaces the flap where it will heal naturally. No stitches are needed to hold the flap in place, your cornea will self-heal.
The entire procedure only takes about three minutes per eye. Your surgeon will typically perform LASIK on both eyes on the same day.
What is the recovery process and what results can I expect from LASIK?
LASIK is an extremely popular vision correction procedure because of its quick recovery time and fantastic results. While you may have somewhat improved distance vision right after your surgery, your vision may be blurry, like you’re looking through Vaseline.
Your eyes may be irritated for the first four to six hours. You will be asked to keep your eyes closed for the first four hours after surgery to let the flap settle into place. You will be prescribed eyedrops for the first four days after surgery.
Your first follow-up will occur the next day, and the second a week or two later. Because everyone has a different eye topography, we cannot guarantee 20/20 vision; however, statistically most patients gain 20/20 vision or better after LASIK surgery.
Is LASIK safe?
As with all surgeries, there are possible risks and side effects. However, the risks with LASIK are low and typically very treatable. In fact, LASIK can be much safer than contact lenses. You take twice the risk of damaging your vision with a contact lens compared to LASIK.1
Types of LASIK Offered at ADV Vision
Custom Wavefront LASIK
Similar to a fingerprint, no two eyes are the same and everyone’s vision is unique. Custom wavefront LASIK uses advanced diagnostic technology to provide a custom, highly detailed analysis of your vision so that your surgeon can precisely customize your laser vision correction treatment to your individual anatomy and needs.
All-Laser LASIK with Z-LASIK Z
Z-LASIK Z is the most advanced innovation in bladeless surgery. The FEMTO LDV Z8 uses ultra-short pulses of invisible light to gently separate the layers of the cornea. This advanced LASIK technology helps to minimize post-surgical inflammation and discomfort. It is designed to create truly customized flaps, precisely, safely, and painlessly.
Monovision LASIK
Monovision LASIK is a form of LASIK specialized for presbyopia. Presbyopia is the naturally occurring loss of close-up vision which affects almost everyone as they age. Monovision LASIK can help patients with presbyopia reduce their need for reading glasses.
CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK
Topography guided laser vision correction uses advanced technology to provide safer and more precise vision correction outcomes. CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK improves upon traditional diagnostic technology by precisely measuring your cornea so that the laser used during LASIK can be ultra precise in correcting your vision.
CATz Topography-Assisted LASIK maps the patient’s cornea by measuring nearly 7,000 points of light, versus the approximately 200 points of light measured with traditional wavefront technology. This more precise measurement creates a topographic map of the cornea that shows even the most subtle distortions.
As a result, nearly half of the LASIK patients treated as part of the CATz FDA clinical study achieved “super-vision” (better than 20/20 vision), with reduced risk of post-LASIK complications such as glare and halos. CATz may also be used to correct such complications following LASIK performed with less advanced technology.
Dr. Dougherty was the first LASIK surgeon to perform this new technique in Southern California and has helped to pioneer this new generation of laser technology.
Star S4 IR Excimer Laser
The Star S4 IR Excimer Laser uses an advanced form of wavefront-guided technology, called iDESIGN®, to more accurately measure the changes needed and rapidly deliver the ablation pattern to minimize thermal effects during surgery. Excimer laser treatment utilizes Variable Spot Scanning for a precise adjustment of beam size, ActiveTrack 3-D technology, and a variable repetition rate which allows for incredibly exact LASIK results.
Using Excimer laser therapy, many patients achieve better than 20/20 vision and improvements in contrast sensitivity. Excimer laser applications include reducing or eliminating myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism with an incredibly high level of patient satisfaction and procedure success.2 ADV Vision Centers uses the Star S4 IR Excimer laser for the high degree of customization and excellent results it provides our patients.
Experienced LASIK Surgeons in SLO County
Dr. Paul Dougherty and Dr. Adam Abroms have over 40 years of combined experience in LASIK and other laser eye surgeries. Both have been at the forefront of the industry since LASIK’s FDA approval in 1998.
Our team of experienced surgeons are happy to guide patients through their options for better vision and to provide the highest level of patient care. If you would like to learn more about LASIK at ADV Vision Centers, call or schedule an appointment at one of our locations in Santa Maria, Paso Robles, or San Luis Obispo, CA today.
What Conditions Can LASIK Refractive Surgery Correct?
Generally speaking, LASIK laser eye surgery in San Luis Obispo corrects refractive errors, which are vision problems caused by the way light rays focus on the retina. Refractive errors can occur as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
Astigmatism results in blurry vision when looking at close and distant objects. This refractive error occurs as the result of the cornea not being round like a ball, but more elongated. This elongated shape causes an uneven focus of light. LASIK can fix blurry vision.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, causes distant objects to appear blurry. Myopia occurs as the result of a steeper cornea or an eye shape that’s longer than normal. In either case, light is focused not directly on the retina, but in front of it, affecting distance vision. How much nearsightedness LASIK can correct depends on the severity of the condition.
Farsightedness, also called hyperopia, causes up-close objects to appear blurry. Farsightedness occurs when the cornea is flatter or the eye is shorter than normal. Either of these will cause light to be focused behind, instead of directly on, the retina, causing a refractive error.
Santa Maria Monovision LASIK for Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a condition that most people over 40 will develop. It is the need for reading glasses due to the inability to see near objects like bottle labels and text messages clearly. Its cause is not a refractive error but the increased rigidity of the natural lens due to age.
Instead of traditional LASIK, Monovision LASIK eye surgery is used to correct this vision problem by leaving one eye slightly nearsighted while correcting the other eye for improved focus on close objects.
Both SLO LASIK procedures eliminate the need for corrective lenses like glasses or contacts.
