The front of the eye, or cornea is reshaped with a very short wavelength of light energy. The laser flattens or steepens the cornea by ablating tissue. To reshape the cornea, only a minimal amount of tissue is removed, normally less than 10% of the cornea. The surrounding tissue is not disturbed during the procedure.

The procedure has been actively done since 1988 in many countries. Over 500,000 procedures have been performed in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Korea, Japan, Australia, China, and many other countries. The USA core studies include 2,500 patients over the past 6 years prior to submitting data to FDA resulting in approval. This occurred on October 20, 1995, as safe and effective. Utica, New York was 1st in Central New York to begin treatment in November 1995.

The fee for the procedure starts at $1995 for both eyes and increases with complexity of your prescription.. The procedure is considered functional, and is not covered by most medical plans. It is deductible as a medical expense for tax purposes. Loans can be arranged with local Banks.  No interest is available with some of our surgical programs.  Ask our office staff for particulars.

The procedure is a permanent correction, once the cornea is reshaped tissue will not regenerate. Studies have shown there is little if any regression once healing is completed, three to six months after the procedure. A prerequisite to be considered a good candidate is a stable prescription. i.e., less than one diopter change over the course of a year (FDA). If you undergo the procedure when your prescription is unstable you may regress from your desired result. Must be 21 years old or older. Our eldest, happy patient was 73 years old (12/19/95) and of course a sassy Lady!

As with any procedure there are risks and potential complications. There is data on surface ablation patients out to sixteen (16) years, (i.e., 1989) this data supports stable results with little if any regression. No one can say what will occur in twenty years, however experts feel confident nothing will change over the long term. This confidence is based on a decade of study with the Excimer laser, and a century of continue research on corneal wound healing.

The vast majority of people who are myopic (nearsighted) and/or astigmatic are eligible for the procedure. Someone who is myopic can see well close up, but has difficulty seeing clearly in the distance. A myopic eye is either too long for it's focusing power or the cornea is too steep. The astigmatic eye is an irregular curvature of the eye resulting in more than one focal point, preventing a sharp point of focus on the retina. As an example, a normal eye is shaped like a tennis ball (spherical), while an astigmatic eye is shaped like a football (toric).

The procedure itself is virtually painless. The majority of patients will experience irritation in the 12-24 hours immediately following the procedure. Some will experience no irritation or discomfort, others will experience varying degrees of moderate to severe discomfort.

The outer layer of skin protecting the cornea, the epithelium, must be removed during the procedure. Contact lens wearers often tear or scratch the epithelium while inserting and removing their lenses. The resulting sensation for contact lens wearers and Excimer laser patients is a scratchy, burning sensation.

The risk of infection is present from the time of the procedure until the epithelium regenerates. In a normal healing process this will take between 24 and 72 hours. During that time the patient is fitted with a bandage contact lens, placed on anti-inflammatory drops, and monitored at 24 hour intervals.

The patient will use a combination of drops as well as a bandage contact lens to control the discomfort. Tylenol 3 or it's equivalent is also prescribed, although much less than half the patients treated will require it. Also, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drops are an adjunct topical medication.

Most patients return to work three days after the procedure. Normal activities including sports may resumed at this time. However, swimming and gardening should be avoided until at least a week following the procedure. You may begin driving the next day.

Presbyopia is a normal aging process that causes a hardening of the lens. The Excimer laser treats the corneal surface only, but can compensate for Presbyopia. Please ask the ophthalmologist and your eye care affiliate who performs the screening for a full explanation.

Other risks associated with surface ablation are Haze, Overcorrection, and Undercorrection. A full explanation of these potential risks will be explained during the screening process. They are all treatable by an enhancement procedure. A superficial corneal haze, considered as part of the healing process, may be evident through slit lamp examination initially, but normally dissipates in the 6-8 weeks following the procedure. Persistent haze, rare in its occurrence, can be successfully resolved with a retreatment. Undercorrection, which may be a planned course of treatment, or may be caused by an unusual healing process can also be successfully retreated in order to eliminate the residual refractive error. Overcorrection is a risk, however slight.

Every individual who undergoes the procedure is motivated by what they perceive as their own benefits. Participation in sports and leisure activities without the hassles of corrective lenses or glasses is motivation for some. Others would like to see the alarm clock in the morning without putting on their glasses. Whatever the reason, the vast majority of patients who have undergone the procedure at Dove Laser are satisfied with their result. Many of our patients are interested in long term investment in their future such as law Enforcement Career. Many of the Oneida Indian Nation Employees (Dealers, Security) are laser vision correction patients.