Procedures

Blue Ridge Eye Center delivers state of the art eye care in a warm, personalized setting. As a solo practitioner, Dr. Weisman is able to provide direct, personal attention to all your vision and eye care concerns. His expertise covers the full spectrum of ophthalmic care, including medical and surgical eye care; complete eye exams; diabetic eye care; glaucoma; advanced cataract surgery; implant surgery; radial keratotomy surgery to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism; PRK Laser Surgery and LASIK vision corrective surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism; eye plastic surgery; and LASER eye surgery.

ABOUT LASIK

The name "LASIK" is short for Laser In-situ Keratomileusis. Like Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) which utilizes the Excimer Laser, LASIK reshapes the cornea utilizing laser technology. The shape of the cornea determines whether you are nearsighted, farsighted, have astigmatism or have normal vision. The Excimer Laser emits a "cool" laser light that can remove microscopic amounts of tissue with extreme precision. Dr. Weisman can program the laser to reshape the cornea, accurately correcting your specific refractive error.

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE?
To determine whether LASIK is right for you, please call us to schedule a FREE initial consultation. The evaluation can confirm that your degree of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism is within the proper range, make sure that you are currently free of any eye disease and allow us to discuss other details of both your case and the LASIK procedure. You should bring your glasses or contacts with you, as well as any current or old prescriptions you have.

THE PROCEDURE
During the LASIK procedure, you are awake. Dr. Weisman gives you some eye drops to numb your eyes so that throughout the entire surgery you are relaxed and comfortable. Next, using an automated instrument called a microkeratome, Dr. Weisman creates a protective flap of corneal tissue. This flap remains attached on the outside edge, and the Excimer Laser then reshapes the newly exposed underlying layer of the cornea. Once this surface of the cornea has been reduced by the exact amount necessary, the doctor returns the flap to its original position. Therefore, the shape of the cornea is corrected under the surface. After the procedure, you will leave with an eye shield and eye drops to protect the eye and help the healing process. Some discomfort and blurriness can be expected for the first day or two. Generally, most patients return to work within 48 hours.

Understanding Refractive Errors and the LASIK Procedure
	Myopia (nearsigntedness) occurs when the eye is too long for the focusing system and rays of light are focused in front of the retina. Glasses or contact lenses refocus light onto the retina.

	Hyperopia (farsightedness) occurs when the cornea of the eye has too little curvature and causes the light to focus behind the retina. Glasses or contact lenses refocus light onto the retina.

	Astigmatism is a condition where the front of the cornea is not uniformly curved, it is slightly oval in shape. As a result, the rays of light that enter the eye are bent unequally and cause distortion of the image. Most people have some degree of astigmatism.

	With the LASIK procedure, the doctor first lifts a thin layer of the cornea to create a "flap" that stays connected on one side.

	Next, the Excimer Laser sculpts the cornea with a cool, ultraviolet light.

	Finally, the doctor returns the "flap" to its original position for a quick, natural recovery.