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Does LASIK Hurt?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions when patients come in for their LASIK evaluation. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, LASIK does NOT hurt and the procedure itself is painless. Before surgery you will be given a valium to help relax…and your eyes are numbed with a series of eye drops. You will be comfortable during the procedure (the surgery room is cold and recommend you wear a sweater or jacket).
Choosing a qualified surgeon is one of the most important decisions you can make for a pain free and successful outcome. Our surgeons has performed LASIK for over 60,000 patients and are confident they can give you the excellent visual results you are looking for.
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Considering LASIK? Ask Your Optometrist
If you’re thinking about getting LASIK, you should ask your optometrist who they recommend. More than likely, your eye doctor will say “Eye Center of Texas” because over 275 Houston area eye doctors trust their patients to Dr. Mayo or Dr. Wade.
Don’t just trust search engines, trust the eye doctor who’s been taking care of your eyes for the last 5…10…20 years. When it boils down to it…who knows more about which surgeons get the best results than other eye doctors who have sent their patients and family members to Eye Center of Texas for more than 20 years?
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After LASIK…get out and enjoy Houston!
With so many fun things to see and do in Houston. Here are some of our favorite activities to do in Houston after you have made the quick recovery from LASIK vision correction surgery.
Hermann Park: is a beautiful wooded site with picnic areas, running trails, lots of on-leash dog walking areas, the Houston Zoological Gardens, a public golf course and an outdoor theater featuring plays and live music.
Discovery Green: This downtown park offers free yoga classes, movie nights and toddler story times. The park has a playground, spray fountain and Mist Tree, great for hot Houston days.
Memorial Park: Memorial Park is a sprawling park nestled within a wooded majestic metropolis. Enjoy miles of walking or jogging with friendly Houstonians. You will find this park to be very pleasant indeed.
Memorial/Allen Parkway Trails: The Allen Parkway and Buffalo Bayou trail revitalization is awesome! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get over there to explore…but will report more when our temp warms up a bit!
Get LASIK at Eye Center of Texas on Friday…explore and enjoy Houston on Saturday!
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Visian ICL or LASIK?
Not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. When doing your research, you should look seriously at a practice that also offers Visian ICL as an alternate to LASIK.
If you have thin corneas, dry eyes and high refractive error – the Visian ICL may be a better option for you.
The Visian ICL is an implant and it doesn’t involve a laser to treat the cornea (this is especially good for patient with dry eye).
The Visian ICL is an outpatient procedure, takes 15 minutes per eye, little to no discomfort and has a 99.4% satisfaction rate.
The ideal ICL candidate is between the ages of 21-45 with high levels of nearsightedness and without significant astigmatism.
Recovery begins immediately, with most patients reporting clear vision by the end of the procedure.
Dr. Wade is the #1 Visian ICL surgeon in Houston. Call Eye Center of Texas (713-395-1515 and ask for Steve) to schedule your free Visian ICL evaluation.
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Top Ten FACTS You Should Know About LASIK
With the New Year many of you are thinking about getting rid of your glasses and/or contact lenses permanently – with LASIK. But, your a little nervous because someone told you that their aunt had it years ago and she went blind. The truth is no one has ever gone blind because of LASIK. Check out these 10 LASIK facts:
1. LASIK is painless.
2. LASIK takes about 15 minutes for both eyes.
3. The laser vaporizes microscopic layers of tissue of the cornea (the front part of the eye) in a precise fashion to correct the vision abnormality.
4. No stitches are required with LASIK.
5. Eye drops are used to anesthetize the eye – no injections are used.
6. Both eyes are done at the same time, in most cases.
7. LASIK has a low complication rate, less than 2% and the vast majority of these complications are correctable with medication and/or an additional LASIK procedure.
8. LASIK patients must be 18 years and older.
9. Your prescription should be stable (has not changed in the past 12 months).
10. No one has ever gone blind with LASIK.
Deciding which LASIK surgeon you want to preform your surgery can be overwhelming, especially when you hear “LASIK as low as $499”. Don’t make your decision based on price (may times, you get what you pay for and we’re talking about your EYES). At Eye Center of Texas our LASIK surgeons are experienced – with thousands of procedures under their belts and only use the latest LASIK technology. Begin your journey toward freedom from glasses and/or contact lenses today – schedule your free LASIK evaluation today.
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Lost Cost LASIK – You Get What You Pay For!
I just spoke to a potential LASIK patient and he wanted to know why ECT’s LASIK price is more expensive than the LASIK center across the freeway from our Bellaire location. Here’s the low down on LASIK centers that advertise “LASIK starting at $499. per eye”.
Technology
Not all LASIK centers offer the latest LASIK technology: ECT only offers Custom Bladeless LASIK, the most advanced LASIK technology available today. It requires the use of a Wavefront Analyzer and a second laser to create a thin layer of corneal tissue. A cheaper LASIK center is more than likely to offer the older microtome technology. Another word for microtome is BLADE. Always ask if their LASIK price includes “Wavefront Custom Bladeless Technology”?
The Surgeon’s Qualifications
You get what you pay for, and what you want to pay for is a qualified LASIK surgeon with at least thousands of procedures under his LASIK belt. Surgeons with less experience and fewer qualifications are likely to command cheaper prices.
The Old Bait-and-Switch
You see or hear an advertisement: LASIK starting at $499/eye – but when you go in for your LASIK evaluation they tell you that you don’t qualify for the $499. because your Rx is too high or you have astigmatism (and most patients have astigmatism). Once they explain all their “add on fees”, you find out that their price is the same (or higher) than ECT’s.
While LASIK shopping, remember that LASIK is eye surgery. Great surgeons spend years perfecting the art and science of their craft, and will charge a price that reflects their expertise. Beware of cheap LASIK centers that advertise starting at $499/eye or even $999/eye.
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Can I go blind if I have LASIK…and does LASIK hurt?
Every day we have patients call to inquiry about LASIK eye surgery…and the number one question they ask: “how many people have gone blind due to LASIK”? According to the FDA there have been no reported cases of a patient going blind due to LASIK.
Second most asked question: Does LASIK hurt? No. Because anesthetic eyedrops are used during surgery, the procedure is not painful. Patients may feel a moderate amount of pressure around the eye during surgery as the instruments that hold the eyelid may cause minor discomfort. After surgery, some patients may experience tearing, irritation, and light sensitivity. These sensations are all temporary and will improve within the first day.
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Considering LASIK… Do Your Homework.
So you’re thinking about having LASIK Eye Correction? GREAT…now do your homework. The first thing to research is the surgeon. The second thing is technology (get this…many LASIK surgeons still create their patients flaps with the microkeratome (blade) system. Last, but not least… price (many people put price over surgeon and technology).
The Surgeon: Our surgeons, Dr. Mayo and Dr. Wade are two of the top LASIK surgeons in Texas. Together, they have performed over 60,000 LASIK procedures and are considered “the doctors…doctor” – meaning more Houston eye doctors refer their patients to them. Dr. Wade is also one of a select number of surgeons in Houston that offers the Visian ICL procedure – a procedure for extremely nearsighted people that probably are not candidates for LASIK.
Technology: Many LASIK surgeons in the Houston area are still using metal microkeratomes (blades) to make flaps. The difficulty with flaps being make with microkeratomes – is the chance of a significant complication is much greater than with the IntraLase (blade free) method for creating flaps. Our LASIK surgeons, Dr. Mark L. Mayo and Dr. Edward C. Wade used the blade microkeratomes for years, but as soon as a safer and more precise technology was available, they changed over. Now, all our flaps made during the iLASIK procedure are blade free IntraLase. Our surgeons love the safety and exact nature of the blade free flap making experience.
Additionally, some Houston LASIK surgeons are still doing non-custom LASIK procedures. At the Eye Center of Texas we only offer the Advanced CustomVue Wavefront–guided VISX excimer laser technology for a truly customized experience. When you match the IntraLase method with the CustomVue Wavefront laser vision correction procedure, you get the absolute best results. iLASIK is the latest and most advanced LASIK procedure available – and it’s the only technology the Eye Center of Texas offers.
Price: If you check around, you will find that we are not the most expensive…but then we are not the cheapest. We are right in line with the other reputable Houston LASIK surgeons…but in addition to having surgery by at one of the top LASIK centers in the county – you will receive a ‘limited lifetime warranty’. Very few LASIK surgeons offer this. And if you need a little help with payments, you may want to consider Care Credit Financing. This makes it easier for those patients that would like to ease the burden of payment.
Call the Eye Center of Texas at 713-395-1515 to schedule your FREE iLASIK evaluation.
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Will I Have 20/20 Vision After LASIK Surgery?
One of the most common questions we get asked at the Eye Center of Texas is: Will LASIK give me 20/20?
Will LASIK give me 20/20?
It’s a great question, and the answer depends on your best correctable visual acuity. When you come in for your free LASIK evaluation we will gather data about your eyes including: visual acuity, refraction, measurement of current glasses, measurement of night time pupil size; measurement of corneal thickness, corneal topography and Wavefront analysis. (Related: LASIK consultation preparation & What does LASIK fix?)
Based on your results, our doctors and staff will take as much time as necessary to help you understand your expectations and explain the risks and benefits of this amazing procedure.
Restoring 20/20 vision during LASIK surgery
Our Houston LASIK surgeons, Dr. Mayo and Dr. Wade only offer the IntraLase (blade-free) method for creating flaps in the superficial layers of the cornea. The IntraLase method is the safest and most precise way to make flaps in the cornea. Additionally, we only offer the Advanced CustomVue Wavefront-guided VISX excimer laser technology to reshape the underlying cornea. Your fingerprint is unique to you as your visual system is and the laser creates a custom fingerprint of your visual system.
The laser vision correction ablation automatically centers and automatically tracks the eye and shuts off automatically is there is movement. With iLASIK, there is iris registration. With iris registration, the laser looks at pinpoint areas of the iris and centers the laser vision correction on those specific areas. Bladeless Custom LASIK with iris registration is called ‘iLASIK’ and is the most progressive and advanced way to perform LASIK.
Better than 20/20 vision with LASIK?
With the combination of Dr. Mayo and Dr. Wade’s great surgical skills and the iLASIK technology…many of our patients achieve better than 20/20…that’s right…better than 20/20. We’re in this with you, from the first evaluation, to after-LASIK care and beyond. For further reading, visit our LASIK recovery timeline which covers questions like, “How long after LASIK can I see 20/20?”
Call us at 713-395-1515 to schedule your free iLASIK evaluation or contact us now…you’ll love your new vision!
Eye Center of Texas is the premier LASIK eye institute in Houston, with over 75,000 LASIK procedures and running.
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What is the Difference Between LASIK, PRK and Clear Lens Exchange
When patents come to us to find out if they are a good candidate for LASIK vision correction we conduct a very thorough eye examination – because not everyone is a good candidate . For example, your cornea might be too thin, or the shape of your eye might not be appropriate for LASIK. ECT also offers PRK, which is an excellent option to improve your vision.
What is LASIK?
LASIK is the most popular surgical procedure to correct vision problems. LASIK is a type of laser vision correction performed by a surgeon using a computer-controlled laser that emits precise pulses of energy to reshape the cornea. LASIK dramatically reduces the need for glasses or contact lenses by treating nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. After LASIK, nearly all patients see well enough that they don’t need glasses or contacts for most or all activities requiring distance vision.
What is PRK?
PRK, which stands for photo-refractive keratectomy, works in exactly the same general way as LASIK by reshaping the cornea. While both LASIK and PRK are two-step processes, in PRK the first step is different. Whereas LASIK involves providing the laser treatment under a flap, PRK is the application of the laser treatment on the corneal surface.
What is Clear Lens Exchange?
This procedure is much like cataract surgery, where the natural lens of the eye is exchanged for a custom lens implant. So, when LASIK or PRK is not the best option for you, we most likely have other procedures to improve your vision!
The only way to know what procedure is right for you is to schedule a no-obligation evaluation. We will do a comprehensive set of specialized tests and talk to you about what will work best for your eyes. Our friendly LASIK Counselors and Physicians look forward to seeing you to answer all your questions.
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Our Locations
Houston/Bellaire
6565 W. Loop S., Suite 650Bellaire, TX 77401
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
713-357-7276
LASIK/Near Vision:
Office: 713-395-1515
Fax: 713-357-7278
Pasadena
4415 Crenshaw RoadPasadena, TX 77504
Medical Office:
281-977-8800
Medical Fax:
281-977-8877
Sugar Land
15400 S.W. Freeway, Suite 301Sugar Land, TX 77478
Medical Office:
281-277-1010
Medical Fax:
281-277-4504
Clear Lake
455 E. Medical Center Blvd., Suite 110Webster, TX 77598
Medical Office:
281-332-1397
Medical Fax:
281-282-9152
Katy
Greenhouse Medical Plaza2051 Greenhouse Road, Suite 110
Houston, TX 77084
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
713-357-7276
The Woodlands/Conroe
100 Medical Center Blvd., Suite 118Conroe, TX 77304
Medical Office:
713-797-1010
Medical Fax:
936-647-1620
