Willis-Falkenberg

Thomas Falkenberg, M.D.

B. Roy Jani, M.D.

Shelly R. Hayes, O.D.

With the advent of the excimer laser, refractive surgery is experiencing the dawning of a new era. For nearly 70% of the population, excimer Laser Assisted in-situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK, could represent the first step toward less dependence on corrective lenses. How successful is the procedure? Most people who undergo LASIK are able to pass a drivers license test without glasses or contacts.

Of those who undergo CustomVue LASIK, 99% see 20/20 or better and 70% see 20/15 or better. LASIK can be used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Find out more about your refractive error and your first step towards visual independence by calling Willis-Falkenberg Eye Care.

1. To treat nearsightedness, the cornea must be made flatter. This is accomplished by removing tissue from the center of the cornea.

2. To treat farsightedness, the central cornea must be made deeper. This is accomplished by directing the laser beam to remove tissue from around this area.

3. To treat astigmatism, the cornea must be made more spherical. By changing the patter of the beam, tissue is removed in one direction more that the other.

--Your Initial Appointment If you are receiving information through the mail, just call us and we will set up an appointment with the surgeon of your choice for your initial exam.

At this time, you will be given a complete eye exam and a corneal mapping and wavescan will be done. If you currently wear contact lenses, they must be removed 2 weeks prior to exam (soft lenses) or 3 weeks prior to exam (hard or gas permeable lenses). The mapping and wavescan is done to provide information to determine the health and shape of the cornea pre-operatively. Also, at this time, your eyes will be dilated in order to obtain an accurate refraction and a thorough examination of the retina.

You will also meet with Margaret Craig, LASIK Coordinator, to schedule a convenient date and time for your surgery. She will assist you with a financing program that fits your needs. Also, you can now register online for our upcoming seminar.

Your Surgical Experience ... LASIK surgery is performed in a surgical suite in our office building at the Rappahannock Eye Center.

Some medication will be administered pre-operatively to relax you. An eye speculum will hold your eyelids open to prevent any blinking. We will already have programmed the laser computer with your prescribed correction, which will precisely calculate the amount of corneal tissue to be removed.

Your surgeon will first lift a small, thin section of the front of the cornea. This corneal flap will stay attached to form a hinge on one side of the cornea. The laser will then be positioned and your surgeon will ask you to focus on a red light overhead. The laser's tracking system will engage and look on your pupils. At this time, the laser will be activated to begin reshaping the cornea. With each laser pulse, a microscopic layer of the cornea is removed. For most patients, total laser time is less than 60 seconds for each eye. Your surgeon will then place the corneal flap back into position. The flap seals naturally so that no stitches are required. As a result of the laser treatment the center of the cornea is now re-shaped. Light rays are focused more directly on the retina and images are now more in focus.