ORDER CONTACTS
Request an Appointment
Home » Patient Resources » FAQs
FAQs
LASIK FAQ
Dr. Dong is a vision correction expert. We provide a variety of options to enhance your vision to the extent that your body or condition will allow. Most people are great candidates for the LASIK procedure, which Dr. Dong is happy to perform due to its high success rate. Patients with cataracts also have great options when it comes to vision correction, and there are other options like PRK, LASEK, Phakic, ICL, and Refractive Lens Exchange for patients who are not good candidates for LASIK.
Unfortunately, LASIK procedures are NOT created equally. Every surgeon uses different equipment/lasers which may lead to different results. With WaveLight® refractive technology, Dr. Dong can perform the fastest and most precise laser vision correction available in the United States to work with your eyes’ unique attributes. It’s the fastest, most precise and customizable treatment available. Dr. Dong is the only doctor in the Athens area who performs LASIK using the advanced technology of the WaveLight® Refractive Suite.
LASIK surgery is the most common form of laser vision correction. It is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to reshape the eyes into their ideal shape for focusing light. Studies have also shown that the LASIK procedure is safer than a lifetime wearing contacts.
The FDA has extensively evaluated and approved the safety and effectiveness of laser vision correction, and more than 17 million people worldwide have had some form of it (LASIK surgery or otherwise).
While LASIK is still a surgical procedure, thanks to the advanced technology of the WaveLight® system, the entire LASIK process is fast, precise and safe by all medical standards.
Patients with astigmatism are often among the happiest LASIK patients. Almost everyone has some level of astigmatism, and it is easily addressed with LASIK surgery. With WaveLight® refractive technology, Dr. Dong will perform laser vision correction designed to work with your eyes’ unique attributes.
LASIK is a trusted procedure that yields life-changing results. While the overwhelming majority of patients interested in LASIK are indeed great candidates, not every patient is the right fit for the procedure. Unfortunately, many patients have been told by someone other than a LASIK specialist that they aren’t good candidates for the procedure. ONLY a trained LASIK specialist like Dr. Dong is qualified to make that determination. Dr. Dong and his staff are experts at evaluating and determining just who is and isn’t a good LASIK candidate.
In addition to performing an intensive array of tests to determine if your eyes are right for the LASIK procedure, Dr. Dong will make sure that your prescription has been stable for at least the past year. If your vision is still changing, he may recommend waiting to perform the LASIK procedure. This is most common in patients under the age of 25.
Certain physiological conditions, such as having a thin cornea, can also affect your surgical options. Dr. Dong will ask you about any other medical conditions you may have, as well as any medications you might be taking. All of these factors may affect your options.
Finally, and most importantly, Dr. Dong will make sure you are comfortable and knowledgeable about LASIK, answering any questions you might have and helping you understand what you can expect from the procedure. As with any surgical procedure, there can be risks, complications and side effects that come with LASIK surgery (though serious and/or lasting side effects are rare). Dr. Dong will discuss these concerns with you and help you decide if the LASIK procedure makes sense for you specifically.
Rarely do patients feel anything since topical numbing drops will be placed in your eye and medications may be administered to help you relax.
With newer, more precise technology of the WaveLight® Refractive Suite, Dr. Dong has been able to correct prescriptions of up to -10. Everyone is different and only a free LASIK evaluation with a LASIK specialist such as Dr. Dong can give you a definitive answer, but high prescriptions are often correctable with the procedure.
If you need contacts or glasses at all, you are most likely a good candidate. The LASIK procedure can allow you to free yourself from the burden of wearing glasses or contacts. We suggest you meet with Dr. Dong and discuss your lifestyle and vision needs to determine your LASIK candidacy.
Typically, you will be able to return to normal activities within several days. You should be able to resume driving and return to work within 2 to 3 days.
Cataract FAQ
Cataracts develop differently for everyone, and most people won’t even notice them at first. Gradually, your lens will become cloudier, until it causes:
Blurry or cloudy vision, glare, halo, difficulty with night driving, discomfort when reading even with proper-strength reading glasses, and difficulty seeing clearly even after updating your glasses prescription.
All surgery has risk, but cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common surgical procedures performed. The actual procedure involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL), such as the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL.
Cataract surgery is typically an outpatient procedure. The surgery takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Recovery after cataract surgery is generally quick and usually occurs within only a few days. Most patients have improved vision soon after surgery and your sight may continue to improve for several days or weeks.
General FAQ
When you have the LASIK procedure, your cornea is reshaped to provide the perfect angle for light to enter your eye in near perfect focus. Around the age of 40, most people experience a different condition called presbyopia in which close-up vision becomes a problem. This has nothing to do with the shape of the eye (which is what LASIK corrects), but rather with the loss of flexibility of the natural lens inside the eye. For patients over the age of 40, Dr. Dong may discuss the option of monovision to minimize the need for reading glasses. Monovision corrects your dominant eye for distance correction and provides the fellow eye with a comfortable amount of near vision. A good candidate for monovision is determined based on a number of personal factors including your prescription, occupation and hobbies.
Monovision is a vision correction procedure in which one eye is corrected for distance and one eye is corrected for optimal close-up vision. Monovision correction is often used in both the LASIK procedure and with glasses or contacts. If you are not a candidate for monovision, you may still need reading glasses. This is a personal decision that Dr. Dong can discuss with you so that you may make the best decision for your lifestyle.
