Throughout your lifetime, your eyes will change and develop along with the rest of your body. The first stage vision changes occur during your childhood or adolescent years, and continue on into your mid to late 20s. For a time, your vision then remains stable, but it begins to change again in your 40s and 50s. At La Jolla Lasik, we understand the way your vision behaves at different stages of your life, and we know what signs to look for in regard to age-related vision problems. Below, for your benefit, we look at three of the most common vision concerns for those in their 40s, 50s, and beyond to watch out for.

 

Presbyopia

 

A large number of middle-aged adults require the use of bifocals or reading glasses to see things well up close. This fact stems from the development of presbyopia in many in their mid and late 40s. Presbyopia is thought to result from our eye lenses losing their flexibility over the years. Once an eye lens becomes too rigid, it has difficulty refocusing to better see objects not far from the eyes.

 

One way to deal with presbyopia is to wear reading glasses or bifocals, but another option is LASIK surgery. LASIK treatment involves using a Portland eye laser to restore one eye’s up-close vision ability. The other eye is not so adjusted, in order to retain its ability to see objects more distant. The resulting “mono-vision” is generally adjusted to by patients, allowing them to see both close-by and distant objects well.

 

Cataracts

 

A cataract is an area on your eye’s lens that gradually clouds up and eventually impairs your vision. While cataracts can develop on one eye or on both, they never spread from eye to eye. In the earliest stages, a cataract condition can be successfully treated with prescription glasses or contacts. Eventually, however, eye surgery becomes necessary in order to remove the diseased lens and replace it with an artificial lens. It can also be replaced with an intraocular lens implant.

 

The bad news is that more than half of all Americans, who are 80 or older, either have cataracts or once had them. The good news is that cataract-removalsurgery is relatively safe and simple, and is often successful at clearing up the patient’s vision.

 

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in U.S. adults ages 50 and up. The macula is a small area located in the center of each eye’s retina that is responsible for your central vision abilities. As we age, the macula ages too and often degenerates. This will affect the ability of sufferers to see clearly the fine details of many objects.

 

There is no fully proven cure for the dry-eye variety of AMD. However, there are actions that you can take that may delay the onset of AMD or slow down its progression. Among the best preventative and management practices are the following:

 

• Eating a healthy diet, which includes plenty of vitamins C and E, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc oxide, and copper.
• Exercising regularly to keep your blood flowing and your body healthy.
• Scheduling annual eye exams with your ophthalmologist.

 

How to Respond to Vision Change

 

Regardless of whether your are currently in your 20s, 40s, 50s, or any other age group, you should never ignore symptoms of eye problems. You should contact,your eye doctor as soon as possible once your have noticed blurred vision, eyestrain, chronically dry eyes, or any other symptoms. Many times, early detection and treatment can make a huge difference in correcting or managing eye problems.

 

Do not hesitate to contact us at La Jolla Lasik, by calling 858-551-4100, for help and advice on handling vision change. We offer you a complimentary eye health assessment, and we will be happy to answer all your questions and address allof your concerns.

What Exactly Is LASIK and How Does It Correct Your Vision

 

Many visual abnormalities – including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism – are caused by imperfections in the corneas of our eyes. Thus when light passes through them to our retinas, it is distorted, causing distortions to our vision.
LASIK in San Diego is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to correct these visual abnormalities by changing the actual shape of the cornea. For patients with moderate vision problems, it can offer the possibility of clear, undistorted vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses.

 

How Does It Work?

 

After numbing drops have been placed in your eyes and the doctor has positioned the laser properly, it is turned on for a short, pre-programmed burst to ablate (remove) microscopic amounts of the cornea to reshape it so that the light passing through it focuses more precisely on the retina, thus improving your vision.

 

The amount of and the location of tissue to be removed depends on your prescription. For example, if you are nearsighted, the laser may be programmed to “flatten” the cornea, and thus resolve the problem. If you are farsighted, the laser may be programmed to create a “steeper” cornea to improve your sight. For astigmatism, excimer lasers can “smooth” an irregular cornea and create a more normal shape, with corresponding benefits to your vision.

 

How Long Does This All of This Take?

 

The actual surgery takes at most 10 to 15 minutes per eye, after which you can return home. You don’t need to spend any time “blind” or with your eyes bandaged. As for when the benefits appear, many people notice an immediate improvement, but because some stabilization has to take place, it may be three to six months until you see the full benefits of the surgery.

 

If you have any questions about LASIK in San Diego, including whether you are a candidate for the procedure, just give us a call at 858-551-4100. We offer a free initial consultation, during which we will fully examine your eyes and then give you our best recommendations for how you can best improve your vision.

LASIK Is One of the Safest and Effective Forms of Surgery Ever

For most patients, LASIK provides a safe, pain-free, and above all effective way for people to permanently improve their vision. Over 35 million LASIK surgeries have been performed worldwide since the procedure was first approved, with remarkably high success rates. The founder of La Jolla LASIK Institute, Dr. Angela Nahl, is so passionate about using only the safest procedures that she has a phenomenal perfect success rate.

 

As With Any Surgical Procedure, However, Complications Can Occur

 

Like any surgery, LASIK eye surgery carries risks. Most of them are associated with existing risk factors that can complicate the surgery, recovery, or results, such as extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness, cataracts, chronically “dry eyes,” and diabetes. If we discover any of these conditions during your examination, we will notify you if they either increase your risk or make you an unsuitable candidate for LASIK. Other complications that have occurred in some patients in the past include:

 

• Undercorrections. If the laser removes too little tissue from the cornea, your vision may not be corrected to as sharp a level as you’d hoped for.
• Overcorrections. The opposite can occur if the laser removes too much tissue.
• Vision returning to pre-surgery levels. A small number of patients find that their vision reverts over a period of years to its original level.
• Glare, halos and double vision. After surgery, some patients experience glare or halos around bright lights or have double vision.
• Dry eyes. LASIK causes a temporary decrease in tear production, so for the first six months your eyes may feel unusually dry as they heal.

 

At La Jolla LASIK Institute, We Provide the Safest Surgery Available

 

So yes, there are some risks associated with LASIK surgery. However, we are proud to stand on the record of Dr. Angela Nahl and our La Jolla LASIK Institute clinic. We perform the most extensive pre-examinations possible, and if we discover any risk factors that could cause potential problems or less-than-desired results, we’ll tell you and recommend other vision correction procedures that would be more appropriate for you. So give us a call at 858-551-4100 and let us explain both the benefits and the possible risks of LASIK to you in greater detail.

So What Is the LASIK Procedure Like?

 

First, the procedure itself is remarkably fast (10 to 15 minutes per eye) and painless. Unlike some invasive eye surgeries in the past, you won’t spend any time with your eyes bandaged so that you can’t see (and thus can’t work). Healing is so fast, in fact, that most patients can return to work the next day.

 

What Happens During LASIK Surgery

 

During the procedure, you will lie back in a reclining chair and a numbing solution will be placed in your eye, and a device called a speculum will be used to hold it open to prevent blinking during the procedure. Then (depending on your prescription) the doctor may use a precise instrument called a microkeratome to cut a small flap in the cornea.

 

Next, the doctor will ask you to focus on a light (not the laser used to perform the surgery) for at least 60 seconds to help him position the laser. When this is finished, the doctor will program the laser to precisely remove corneal tissue according to the prescription developed for you during earlier examinations. The actual laser will probably only be used for 20 to 50 seconds. Afterwards, the flap is placed back in position, and you rest for a while before returning home. The doctor will give you eye drops to be used over the next few weeks, and instructions for how to avoid touching or in any way damaging your eyes.

 

How Long Will It Be Until My Vision Improves?

 

Many patients report an immediate improvement of vision, but some stabilization takes place over the first three to six months after surgery, so the full benefits may not be present until then. Naturally, Dr. Nahl and the entire staff of La Jolla LASIK Institute will be available at all times during your recovery if you have any questions or concerns.

 

So give us a call at 858-551-4100, take advantage of our free initial consultation, and get started on having the vision you always wanted – without glasses or contacts.

If you’re looking into getting LASIK in San Diego, one of your top questions is sure to be about how much LASIK surgery will cost with your insurance. Sadly, most insurance providers don’t cover the cost of LASIK, because they rarely ever view it as medically necessary. The good news is that La Jolla LASIK Institute in San Diego offers an array of flexible payment options to help make laser eye surgery affordable to you.

 

So how much is LASIK in San Diego with insurance?

 

Although you’ll be hard-pressed to find health insurance coverage that will pay for LASIK, there are a few larger insurance companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield that may offer a courtesy discount for your surgery by negotiating with your surgeon’s office. So, whether or not your plan covers LASIK, it wouldn’t hurt to ask them about any discounts or special considerations.

 

How might insurance cover LASIK in San Diego?

 

It’s not an easy feat, but certain individuals may be able to get their LASIK costs covered by insurance:

 

• Some military members, such as special forces, can occasionally get LASIK covered if the job has specific vision requirements. Still, there are other stipulations, such as seeing if you’re a candidate, and, if so, go through a waiting period and surgery performed by military doctors.
• Some athletes and performers may qualify for coverage if the insurance company agrees the procedure is necessary for the job.
• People with certain medical conditions, such as people who can’t wear contacts or those with severe cases of eye dryness or allergies, may be able to use insurance for LASIK in San Diego.
• If safety is a concern when wearing eyeglasses or contacts, such as with police or firefighters, insurance may help out.

 

Despite documentation of your need for LASIK surgery and no matter how long you’ve tried to struggle through wearing contact lenses or spectacles, don’t count on insurance to cover the cost of your procedure.

 

How can you afford the best LASIK in San Diego without insurance?

 

At La Jolla LASIK Institute in San Diego, we understand your frustration with wearing glasses and contacts and dealing with stubborn insurance providers. That’s why we offer a wide range of payment plans and financing options to help you get the improved vision you deserve without a huge financial burden and hassle. For more information or to schedule an appointment for your complimentary consultation, call us at 858-551-4100.

Do you want the best LASIK eye surgeon without going broke? When it comes to the best in laser eye surgery, you can have your cake and eat it too. The cost of LASIK in San Diego is affordable for most people, because we offer competitive pricing and flexible payment options to meet your budget and help make it easier to get improved vision. At La Jolla LASIK, we know that cost is a major factor in choosing a surgeon or whether or not to get LASIK. Here, we offer some things to think about as you make this life-changing decision.

 

LASIK in San Diego costs are an investment in your health and wellbeing

 

As you research LASIK eye surgery costs in San Diego, keep in mind that you are paying for not only the surgery, but for long-lasting health and vision that will benefit you the rest of your life. Your eyes are delicate and the LASIK surgery, although fast, isn’t simple. This is a highly detailed surgery that calls for great skill and experience, and it should be performed by a board certified ophthalmologist with a high success rate. You deserve the best outcome, so you shouldn’t gamble your sight and health for the cheapest price. It often holds true in healthcare that you get what you pay for, so if you want the best for improving your eyes, you want the best LASIK surgeon like Dr. Nahl of La Jolla LASIK who is a Harvard trained, board certified ophthalmologist.

 

Your San Diego LASIK cost will vary depending on treatment

 

Most of the time, the cost of LASIK eye surgery in San Diego varies. Costs fluctuate due to prescriptions, your health condition, and the type of laser needed for your specific eye treatment. At your consultation, Dr. Nahl will thoroughly examine your eyes and overall health and devise a care plan appropriate for you. You’ll be able to get a better idea of costs at this time. Usually, San Diego LASIK cost includes your surgeon’s fees, facility and technology fees, and things you’ll need for care before and after your procedure. These items are detailed within your LASIK cost estimate.

 

Payment Options at La Jolla LASIK

 

We aim to make our LASIK procedures accessible to everyone, so we offer affordability with a range of flexible payment options. Our center accepts financing with CareCredit (several plans are accepted to meet your needs) and FLEX dollars and HSA or MSA to help pay for high-deductible insurance costs.

 

You can apply for financing online now or after your consultation. We offer so many payment options to allow you to be able to get the corrective eye surgery you need at a price point you can afford. Why not apply now and schedule your complimentary consultation at La Jolla LASIK? You’ll be glad you did.

Getting LASIK in San Diego is a great way to correct certain vision problems and without the hassle of having to wear eyeglasses or contacts. Still, LASIK is a surgery that requires the cutting of the cornea and using a specially tuned laser to reshape the inner layer of the cornea. The procedure is painless for the patient and completed in under 30 minutes. Even though it sounds easy, this is not a simple surgery for any kind of surgeon to perform. The best LASIK in San Diego is performed by an experienced and highly trained surgeon who specializes in LASIK, such as our surgeon and ophthalmologist Dr. Angela Nahl.

There are important factors to consider before getting LASIK in San Diego

Other than the surgeon’s skill and experience, there are other factors that contribute to successful LASIK surgery. Your best outcome starts with a comprehensive assessment performed by a credentialed surgeon and his or her professional team to make certain LASIK is right for you. The facilities and technologies used by the staff and surgeon are also key. At La Jolla LASIK, we believe that having the most advanced laser equipment and other tools in a modern, climate controlled office is beneficial to our patients. This allows us to deliver high quality, customized and safe LASIK surgery.

Are there complications associated with LASIK in San Diego?

Complications associated with LASIK in San Diego are minimal, which makes this one of the safest surgeries available to date. Even before your procedure, we thoroughly screen you for any possible risk factors such as thinning corneas or dryness that might increase your risk for complications. We also assess your candidacy for getting LASIK during your initial consultation, because the procedure may not be ideal for everyone.

Common risk factors can include:

• extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness
• dry eyes
• thin or misshapen corneas
• cataracts
• eye complications of diabetes

 

Even if our surgeon determines that you aren’t a good candidate for LASIK surgery, she may be able to make referrals for alternative treatments that might be a better option for you.

If you’re considering LASIK in San Diego, La Jolla LASIK is here for you

As you can see, LASIK isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great option for improving your vision and enhancing your quality of life if you qualify. To see if you’re a candidate for the best LASIK in San Diego, make an appointment for an exam and consultation by calling us at 858-551-4100. We look forward to making your LASIK experience the best it can be.

At La Jolla LASIK surgery San Diego, we hear many different questions about the procedure and the results our patients receive. Many people want to know just how long the results of this LASIK procedure San Diego offers will last. In most cases, they are permanent. Once the cornea has been reshaped, it will normally retain that shape for several years. Each patient is different, however, and results will vary due to circumstances and factors unique to each patient.

Why Is Stabilized Vision Required Before a LASIK Procedure?

Your vision changes as you age. It can be affected by pregnancy, medication and illness. After a person reaches their mid 20’s, their vision becomes more stable. Up until that time, it fluctuates as the body grows. A person who is still in their teens or early 20’s is not a good candidate for LASIK surgery because their vision is still fluctuating.

Secondary Enhancement Procedures

Every person reacts differently to surgery and heals at a different pace. While the surgery may be a complete success for one person, it may not have fully corrected another person’s vision problems. If this occurs, the eye surgeon may recommend an enhancement surgery. This secondary LASIK procedure will be able to correct what the first surgery did not. Most results from secondary procedures are considered to be permanent.

Vision Conditions that Are Unrelated to the LASIK Procedure

After the age of 40, presbyopia can become an issue. As people age, it becomes more difficult to see things that are close to their face. This condition is known as presbyopia. This is part of the reason that individuals who are in their 50’s require the uses of glasses for reading and other up close activities. Presbyopia is common, even in individuals who have had LASIK surgery.

Glaucoma, type-2 diabetes and other diseases that affect the cornea can be responsible for a variety of vision problems. They are unrelated to LASIK procedures and can eventually occur whether or not a person has had any type of surgery involving their eyes.

The long lasting results of LASIK procedures make it a worthwhile treatment option. Vision deterioration that is associated with aging or various eye conditions may have an impact on how long the benefits of LASIK surgery will last.

Call La Jolla LASIK surgery San Diego today at 858.551.4100 to schedule your complimentary consultation. They will be able to explain the benefits this type of surgery offers and will let you know what kind of results you can expect.

Individuals who are considering a LASIK procedure often ask their doctor, ” Is LASIK eye surgery painful? ” At La Jolla LASIK, doctors will discuss the procedure and what to expect, both before and after. Although most people claim the procedure is relatively pain free, the patient may feel some type of discomfort. Your LASIK surgeon will describe the procedure in detail so you know what to expect. They will also go over your expected recovery plan and make sure you understand the procedure from start to finish.

What Will Happen the Day of Surgery?

LASIK surgery is a very fast and efficient procedure lasting only about 15 minutes (both eyes). It is performed on an outpatient basis and you are allowed to go home within a few hours after the surgery is finished. When you arrive at our office on the day of your procedure, the first few hours are considered prep time. We will go over the procedure with you and answer any questions you may have. Once the procedure is over, you will be allowed to rest in a recovery room until the doctor has checked your eyes. The ophthalmologist will go over your after care procedures and make sure you understand how to care for your eyes during your recovery. You will be able to leave as soon as it is verified that you have someone who can assume responsibility for your care.

We Make You As Comfortable As Possible

Approximately 30 minutes prior to your surgery, you will be given a very mild sedative. It will allow you to relax while you are being prepped for the procedure. When the doctor is ready to begin, a topical anesthesia will be applied to the eyes. These eye drops will numb the eye to prevent you from feeling any pain. Although you may not feel any pain, there may be a slight amount of pressure during the procedure.

LASIK Surgery Recovery

Your eyes will normally heal very quickly after a LASIK procedure. Your eyesight will most likely improve dramatically in the first 24 to 48 hours after the surgery. For the first few days, your eyes may itch slightly. The itching sensation and discomfort will begin to subside as the healing continues. You may be offered eye drops that will lubricate your eyes and keep them moist. This will help to alleviate any discomfort you may
feel.

You will no longer be hindered by the constant use of prescription glasses or contacts. LASIK surgery gives you the freedom you are looking for. Please contact the professional staff at La Jolla LASIK, San Diego LASIK surgery center at 858.551.4100 to find out about your options and schedule your first appointment. You will have all of your questions answered at your complimentary consultation.