LASIK and PRK at Our San Antonio, Texas Ophthalmology Office
At South Texas Eye Institute, we are proud to offer high-quality vision correction treatments. Using advanced laser vision correction technology, our skilled surgeons can perform various refractive surgery techniques to better improve your vision.
Learn more about LASIK, PRK, and the other refractive error correction treatments offered at South Texas Eye Institute.
Laser Vision Treatments:
- Laser Vision Correction Candidates
- The Eye and Refractive Errors
- Presbyopia and LASIK
- Refractive Surgery Pricing
- Financing Refractive Surgery
LASIK
LASIK (Laser-in-Situ Keratomileusis) uses the excimer laser to remove corneal tissue under the surface of the cornea. In traditional LASIK procedures, a microkeratome, which is a hand-held device with a metal blade, is used to create a small flap in the cornea. Following the flap creation, the excimer laser gently removes corneal tissue to reshape the eye. The flap is then folded back to its original position and bonds with the eye tissue, not requiring stitches after surgery. Because the corneal epithelium (epithelial tissue on the front of the cornea) is left intact, there is little or no pain associated with the procedure and its healing. Vision tends to improve within hours of LASIK surgery.
Although complications from LASIK are rare, a common source of errors during surgery are related to the microkeratome because the device is not as accurate as the femtosecond laser, which is used to create the flap during blade-free LASIK procedures.
Blade-free IntraLase® LASIK
At South Texas Eye Institute, located in San Antonio, Texas, we are proud to offer IntraLase® blade-free LASIK. Rather than create the corneal flap using a microkeratome blade, the IntraLase® blade-less LASIK procedure uses a femtosecond laser. Because of the increased precision of a laser over a metal blade, many patients choose to the IntraLase® procedure over traditional LASIK.
Medical literature notes that complications are more common during traditional LASIK than blade-free LASIK. Because the IntraLase® femtosecond laser allows for increased precision and safety, the level of vision improvement and patient satisfaction, seems to be greater with the blade-free procedure.
To find out if the Custom BLADE-FREE LASIK procedures are right for you, schedule an evaluation with one of San Antonio LASIK surgeons through this website or by call 210-692-1388.
CustomVue™ LASIK
We offer CustomVue™ LASIK at our San Antonio, Texas office, the newest, most advanced technology in custom laser vision correction. CustomVue™ is superior to conventional laser correction alone. Customized to your eyes' unique vision needs, this technology also makes it easy to correct for higher order vision aberrations affecting vision in low light situations.
The CustomVue™ procedure is performed in three steps. First, each of your eyes' unique aberrations are captured and mapped using a Wavefront™ technology device. Next, each eye's Wavefront™ map is fed into a computer to guide the laser during the vision correction process. Finally, the excimer laser reshapes each cornea.
Your vision is corrected more precisely and accurately using CustomVue™ LASIK technology. Because the Wavefront™ map is a direct reflection of your eyes' unique needs, the result is superior to other vision correction techniques. Using CustomVue™ technology during laser vision correction translates into fewer problems with glare and halos after the procedure, and better quality of vision. Contact South Texas Eye Institute to learn about the CustomVue™ custom LASIK procedure at our San Antonio vision correction center.
PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy, commonly referred to as PRK, uses the excimer laser to gently reshape the corneal surface without creating a flap. This allows for patients who have corneal irregularities or thin corneas to have laser vision correction without risk of long-term complications, and achieve visual results that are comparable to LASIK.
Unlike LASIK, PRK requires the removal of the corneal epithelium (the thin protective layer of tissue on the cornea). Once the tissue is removed, the excimer laser reshapes the cornea by removing a microscopic amount of tissue. This flattening of the cornea allows images to focus on the retina.
Because the PRK involves removing the epithelium, recovery time is longer than it is for LASIK; in most cases, vision is blurred for three to five days after PRK. To assist in healing and to reduce discomfort, a special contact lens, which acts as a bandage, is placed on the eye. Common sensations in recovering PRK patients are sensitivity to light and the sensation of sand in the eye. Because corneas may heal at different rates, the complete vision correction results from PRK may not be realized until anywhere from a week to a few months after the procedure.
To determine if you are better suited for PRK, LASIK, or another vision correction procedure, speak with one of the experienced vision correction surgeons at our San Antonio practice.
CustomVue™ PRK
Using the same technology as CustomVue™ LASIK, CustomVue™ PRK uses a WaveScan™ to map a cornea's unique characteristics. This mapped "fingerprint" of the cornea allows the surgeon to better tailor the PRK procedure to each individual eye and its distinct contours. In fact, WaveScan™ is able to detect corneal imperfections about 25 times more precisely than the method used during a corrective lens (glasses or contacts) examination. Because of this increased precision, CustomVue™ PRK patients tend see better than they did even when they were wearing prescriptive eyewear.
Data from a patient's WaveScan™ is input into the excimer laser on the day of the CustomVue™ PRK procedure. With the improved accuracy of the WaveScan™ data, the surgeon is typically able to reduce or completely eliminate higher order aberrations that could occur, improving the overall results of the PRK surgery. Clinical trials support this, with about 98 percent of participants reporting 20/20 or better vision three months after their CustomVue™ PRK procedure.
Recovery
To prevent scarring, the formation of a haze on the eye's surface, and other complications, the surgeon may apply Mitomycin C to the treated eye. This medicine has anti-tumor and antibiotic activity and can reduce the production of scar tissue and fibroblasts (connective tissue), which could potentially diminish the final results of the PRK procedure. Mitomycin C is not recommended for every PRK patient, so typically the surgeon will make a case-by-case decision on its use.
Similar to the traditional PRK surgery, after the CustomVue&trade: PRK procedure a special, non-prescription contact lens will be placed on the treated eye to help facilitate healing. The patient will be given post-operative eye drops to use at home and will return to the office in about three to four days to have the bandage contact lens removed.
The patient will need to continue using the eye drops, tapering off their use over two to three weeks. The drops will help the recovery process by reducing swelling, inflammation, and infection. Complete visual recovery may not be realized for two weeks or a few months. The rate of recovery is contingent on the severity of the pre-surgery refractive surgery.
To learn more about CustomVue&trade: PRK, traditional PRK, and their recovery processes, please contact our office.
CustomVue&trade: Safety
When considering refractive surgery, some patients become anxious, believing that if they do not remain perfectly still during the procedure, the results will not be as precise (or worse that they could blind themselves). Rest assured that, although it is important to stay as still as possible, safety features are built into our laser vision correction procedures. Overall, the most critical part of CustomVue&trade: laser procedures take less than a minute (and at times as little as 30 seconds).
The patient's only responsibility during this short time is to look at the red light. Looking at this light allows the VISX&trade: CustomVue&trade: laser vision correction system to properly track the eye's movements. The system is able to track the eye's movements 200 times per second. If, for whatever reason, the patient's eye moves outside of the laser's range, the CustomVue&trade: laser will turn off. Once the eyes are centered again, the laser will resume treatment.
Blinking is not an issue either during CustomVue&trade: procedures. Our surgeons will use a device during surgery to keep the patient's eyes open.
Laser Vision Correction Candidates
Not everyone is a perfect patient for LASIK or PRK. It is important to consult with a qualified laser correction surgeon to determine your candidacy.
Traits of a Good LASIK Candidate
It is important for all patients to be screened by an eye care professional before any type of refractive procedure. Some important characteristics of a good LASIK patient include:
- Proper age – Patients must be at least 18 years old for nearsightedness correction and at least 21 years old for farsightedness and astigmatism correction.
- Vision stability – Vision and corrective prescription must remain stable for one year before LASIK or other laser vision correction procedure.
- Corneal shape – Patients must have the correct corneal curvature.
- Healthy eyes – A thorough eye examination must determine that, other than the refractive error, the patient's eyes are healthy.
- Ability to heal – Patients with any condition that could hinder proper healing are not eligible.
Not Eligible for LASIK Surgery
There are several factors that can make a prospective LASIK patient ineligible for the procedure. If a patient can be described with any of the following, he or she is not a good LASIK candidate:
- Pregnant or nursing
- Has a degenerative or autoimmune disease
- Shows signs of keratoconus (degenerative eye disease)
- Unable to heal/difficulty healing properly
- Suffers from ocular herpes (herpes of the eye)
- Has connective tissue disease or severe atopic disease
The Eye and Refractive Errors
The eye is comprised of numerous structures, including the cornea (clear surface of the eye), lens (part that refracts/focuses light), iris (colored part of the eye), pupil (open part in center of iris), retina (eye structure that converts image into electrical energy), and optic nerve (pathway to brain stem).
Often, the eye is compared to a camera. When working properly, the eye is able to take in light rays, refract it, and clearly interpret the image. However, if the eye is shaped irregularly or if light rays do not properly focus on the retina, then vision can become blurred. Imperfect vision is typically the result of a refractive error, like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia.
Nearsightedness
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the inability of a person to clearly see distant objects. The condition, named for a person's ability to only see near objects, occurs when an eye is too long or its cornea is too steeply curved for the eye's shape. This irregularity causes light to focus in front of (not on) the retina, creating a blurred appearance of distant objects.
Farsightedness
Just the opposite of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or hyperopia, is the inability of a person to clearly see near objects. A person with farsightedness also has a misshapen eye; however, the eye is either too short or the cornea is too flat. In hyperopic patients, light focuses behind the retina, resulting in blurred near vision.
Astigmatism
Unlike nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism is not caused by the eye's length. Where an eye without astigmatism has a smooth and evenly shaped lens and cornea, an astigmatic eye has a cornea or lens that is irregularly shaped in some areas. This irregularity can distort both near and far vision.
Presbyopia
Unlike the other refractive errors, presbyopia is not caused by the shape of the eye, but by the aging of the aging of the eye. A young, healthy eye is able to use accommodation, the ability to shift focus from near to far (and all distances in between). However, as the eye ages, the eye's crystalline lens begins to lose its flexibility and has trouble focusing on near objects. Typically around the age of 40, a person will notice that he or she has difficulty with close-up tasks, like reading.
Nearsighted individuals may be able to see better simply by removing their glasses for near tasks. Others will either need to get bifocals (if they already wear glasses for farsightedness or astigmatism) or begin to use reading glasses. Because the hardening of the eye's lens is a natural part of the aging process, all adults will eventually be affected by presbyopia.
Presbyopia and LASIK
Unlike farsightedness, which has similar symptoms, presbyopia cannot be corrected using LASIK since the LASIK procedure corrects for irregularities in the shape of eyes, but cannot restore flexibility to the eye's lens.
This does not mean that myopic patients with presbyopia cannot undergo LASIK or PRK to correct their nearsightedness. Nearsighted patients over 40 affected by presbyopia who are otherwise good candidates for LASIK or PRK can have a vision correction procedure to correct the myopia, but they need to be aware that they will still need to use reading glasses because of the presbyopia.
Another option for nearsighted presbyopic patients is monovision. In this vision correction procedure, the patient's dominant eye is corrected to be able to focus for distant vision and the other eye is focused for near vision. Some patients have difficulty adjusting to monovision, but other patients view it as the best solution, avoiding the use of glasses for about 80 to 90 percent of the time. Because monovision is not a good solution for all patients, it is recommended that the patient trial the effects of monovision using contact lenses before permanently altering his or her eyes.
To determine the best vision correction treatment for your specific needs, consult with one of the skilled LASIK surgeons at our San Antonio, Texas office.
Refractive Surgery Prices
Below is the current pricing for refractive error treatments at our San Antonio, Texas vision correction center.
- Blade-less LASIK: $1,550/eye
- CustomVue™ Blade-less LASIK: $1,895/eye
- PRK: $1,550/eye
- CustomVue™ PRK: $1,895/eye
- Mitomycin C: $100
- Enhancement: $700/eye
- CustomVue™ Enhancement: $850/eye
- Multifocal IOL: $1,200/eye + cost of lens
The above fees are all inclusive, including your initial vision evaluation and consultation, corneal mapping, use of WaveScan WaveFront™ System for CustomVue™ patients, the procedure (and surgeon fees), and post-operative visits for the year following the vision correction procedure. Please note, all enhancement procedures have three months (not a full year) of post-operative appointments included. All pre-operative and post-operative care is personally provided by our surgeons, either Dr. Lisa Martén or Dr. Andrew J. Cottingham.
Financing Refractive Surgery
At South Texas Eye Institute, we believe that vision correction is an important part of being able to live life to the fullest. We understand that the cost of LASIK, PRK, and other refractive error solutions can hinder some patients from seeking treatment. In order to keep the cost from being an obstacle to your vision correction, South Texas Eye Institute offers several payment options, including: 
- Cash or check
- Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover)
- Monthly payment plans (offered through Chase Health Advance)
- Flex Spending Accounts (FSA)
Chase Health Advance & Care Credit
Many patients at South Texas Eye Institute finance their vision correction treatment using Chase Health Advance and Care Credit. These divisions specialize in financing medical treatments and offers many favorable financing options including:
- No down payment
- No interest payments for 12, 18, or 24 months
- Monthly payment plans (offered through Chase Health Advance & CareCredit)
- Low monthly payments
- No prepayment penalty
The application process is quick, simple, and confidential. To speed the process of your application, get South Texas Eye Institute's merchant ID from a member of our staff.
Learn More about IntraLase® CustomVue™ LASIK at Our San Antonio, Texas Office
To learn more about IntraLase® CustomVue™ LASIK or other procedures at South Texas Eye Institute or to schedule a consultation for refractive surgery, contact our in San Antonio, Texas LASIK and PRK doctors today.