DOCTOR OFFERS NEWEST IN EYE LASER SURGERY

A surgery technique being offered locally for the first time may provide a more focused future for people who have blurry or fuzzy vision.

Dr. Shawn Parker is the only full time corneal subspecialist practicing between St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn. He performs Laser Vision Correction using the LASIK procedure for the Corneal & Refractive Surgery Center, located at EyeCare Specialists, L.L.C. in Cape Girardeau.

The LASIK laser procedure corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism using ultraviolet rays from an excimer laser to reshape the inner layers of the cornea. Numbing drops are used to relax the eyes for the outpatient procedure, which generally takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Anyone who wants to become less dependent upon glasses and contact lenses is a potential candidate for the procedure. Some patients with up to -20.00 diopters of nearsightedness and -4.00 diopters of astigmatism may qualify as good candidates for the LASIK surgery. Additional factors, such as previous eye surgeries, pathological myopia (progressively worse nearsightedness), or eyesight which worsens due to age, may make a person ineligible for the surgery.

"When you can't see to read and you're 45, that's presbyopia, and that's not something the surgery can correct," said Parker. "This is generally for people with mild to severe myopia (nearsightedness)."

LASIK is less traumatic to eyes than other laser procedures which recontour the surface of the cornea. Parker, who corrected over 1,200 eyes using the procedure during a yearlong fellowship, said LASIK surgery also offers a faster recovery time and less pain.

"Both procedures use the same type of laser, but with LASIK patients can usually return to normal activities in one day ," he said. "PRK usually requires two to three days."

Nearly one million LASIK surgeries have been performed, the majority resulting in improved vision for patients. Since September, Parker has performed about 89 LASIK surgeries with similar results.

Of Parker's patients with slight to moderate nearsightedness, 75 percent had 20/20 vision after surgery, while 97 percent had at least 20/40 vision after surgery.

Patients treated by Parker who had moderate to severe nearsightedness posted similar results, with 50 to 60 percent having 20/20 vision and 94 percent having 20/40 vision or better after the procedure.

"The numbers are getting better as it becomes more mainstream," Parker said. "My patients are either coming in after hearing about friends who had the surgery, or they're being referred by optometrists."

LASIK surgery is an expensive procedure at $2,300 per eye, but Parker said it's more economical than other vision correction modes.

For example, LASIK surgery to both eyes would cost approximately $4,300 and would be performed only once. On the other hand, caring for soft contact lens over a 10-year time period -- including costs for exams, cleaning solutions and two pairs of lenses per year -- would cost about $9,000.

Dr. Terry Cleaver of Cape Girardeau said he had LASIK surgery in March because he wanted to end his dependence on his glasses. Cleaver, who needed his glasses to "see the alarm clock next to the bed", said he experienced minimal discomfort from the procedure.

"I was totally dependent on my glasses and was not a good candidate for contact lenses because of the work I do," he said. "I educated myself about the procedure and felt like it was worth the risk."

Cleaver said there are some side effects to the surgery, including a halo effect in low light. However, he no longer wears glasses and is able to enjoy outdoor activities.