Southern Eye Associates - Procedures

At Southern Eye Associates, the most experienced laser vision correction center in all of Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri, we believe that in addition to experience, high quality of vision correction is the essence to a successful practice.

Today, the most popular and proven successful way to correct vision is with a procedure called LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis), which means using a laser underneath a corneal flap (in situ) to reshape the cornea (keratomileusis). LASIK has quickly become the procedure of choice for most patients because of its incredibly rapid recovery and higher level of safety than with other methods of vision correction. In fact, most LASIK patients notice a significant improvement in their vision the first day after surgery.

We offer the very latest and most advanced, FDA approved technology so our patients can attain the best quality of vision available today. Our team of highly trained, board certified surgeons have used our VISX Star4 Excimer laser with Advanced CustomVue Iris Registration to perform thousands of laser vision treatments.

LASIK can now treat a large range of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism simply by reshaping the cornea (the clear dome over the colored part of the eye) reducing or eliminating the need for glasses or contacts. In the human eye, the cornea and lens inside the eye form the eye's "focusing system" and are primarily responsible for focusing incoming light rays onto the surface of the retina, much like the lens of a camera focusing light onto the film.

So how is LASIK done?

After applying anesthetic eye drops to numb the eyes, our specially trained surgeon first “tapes” the eyelashes out of the way then inserts an instrument to prevent the patient from blinking. He then applies a suction ring to hold the eye in place while he carefully and precisely creates a thin, hinged corneal flap. At this point, the patient’s vision appears dim momentarily and a mild pressure feeling is noticed; however, it is NOT painful. The surgeon then removes the suction ring and lifts the flap to expose the underlying corneal tissue. Afterwards, the excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea (the clear dome over the colored part of the eye) in a unique pattern tailored to each patient. The surgeon then gently repositions the flap to its original position, without sutures. Typically, patients notice improved vision within hours of the procedure and patients can usually return to work the next day following a brief check-up.