A NEW VISION: SURGERY OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE

Dr. Shawn Parker performed LASIK eye surgery on Ruth Ann Newman of Poplar Bluff at Eye Care Specialists, 360 S. Mount Auburn Road. Parker worked with coordinator Lori Johnson and technician Brian Yarbrough.

Glasses slipping to the end of your sweaty nose, contacts popping out in the middle of the big game, the baby cries and you stumble blindly toward the crib because you can't find your glasses.

Sound familiar? To the many millions who require some form of vision correction, these and other such instances are often commonplace and extremely annoying.

The alternative? You might want to consider some form of corrective surgery such as Lasik. Laser vision correction has been used to cure nearsightedness, astigmatism and some farsightedness for a number of years. Its popularity is growing however.

"One million Lasik procedures were performed in the United States last year and it is estimated another one and one-half to two million will be performed this year," said Laura Nicholson, refractive coordinator at Kies Eye Center.

Howard Kinder of Cape Girardeau was somewhat of a guinea pig when he sought vision correction options over 12 years ago. Kinder's vision was 20/600.

After participating in a trial of extended wear hard contact lenses, Kinder traveled to Memphis for laser surgery.

His eyesight was so bad the surgery had to be performed twice and his doctor, Luther Crabb, told him the best he could do was get his vision to 20/30.

To Kinder that was "just wonderful." "It's the best thing I ever did," he said. Kinder has begun to notice a slight deterioration in his sight which he was warned about when he had the initial surgery. The surgery can be performed again and he is exploring those options.

"Insurance companies do not recognize the surgery as necessary," said Dr. Jim L. Davis, a Cape Girardeau certified therapeautic optometrist. The surgery typically runs between $1500 and $2000 per eye and will involve about an hour in the doctor's office although the actual procedure only takes a few minutes.

During Lasik a flap is cut from the front of the cornea, a laser beam corrects the vision with pulses of light. The flap is replaced and will heal without stitches. Patients report seeing better almost immediately, but it may take as long as six months for vision to be at its fullest.

The targeted age group for the surgery is 25 to 55. Your eyes change as you grow and it is best to wait until you have reached your full growth potential. Lifestyle reasons are the most common for requesting the surgery. Surgery can be an option for patients for whom contacts or eyeglasses are not feasible. For some, being able to do away with the "coke bottle" lenses also makes the surgery attractive.

"There is a two hour evaluation to discuss the pros and cons of the surgery," said Nicholson.

With Lasik, as with any surgery, there are certain side effects which must be considered.

"With any surgery there is always the risk of infection," said Davis. Other side effects include under and over correction.

Patients must also realize there is no guarantee as to exactly the degree of correction that will be achieved. The normal correction is to 20/60 or better.

Each case is different. Anyone considering the surgery needs to speak with their optometrist to determine the best possible treatment options.