Boothe Eye Care

Dr. William Boothe’s Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Lasik

Lasik eye surgery is the most common form of refractive surgery performed. It is the process of restoring normal eyesight by removing the inner tissue of the cornea. In the next few paragraphs, Dr. William Boothe, the outstanding American eye surgeon from Plano, will acquaint you with his answers to some of the most popular questions patients ask him in his office.

Am I a good candidate?

Some people are sure that anyone can have this procedure done. But such thoughts are mistaken and not based in reality. There are several conditions that may disqualify you from undergoing the procedure. For example, some medications you are taking can interfere with the surgery, recovery after Lasik and can cause complications. Lasik is not suitable for all types of vision problems. If you are thinking of this vision correction surgery, firstly you should talk to Dr. William Boothe to determine whether this laser procedure is right for you.

Is it possible to operate both eyes at one time?

Yes, you can have your Lasik procedure performed on both eyes simultaneously. On the other hand, if PRK surgery is performed, it is better to wait a week or two between eyes for this type of surgery as it takes longer for clear, comfortable vision after this procedure.

Is it painful?

There is commonly no pain during surgery because anaesthetic drops are used by Dr. William Boothe to numb the eye. Some patients report little pain and only minor discomfort during healing period, but most report no pain at all.

How long does Lasik last?

The laser application itself lasts about thirty to ninety seconds. The whole procedure takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

How soon can you drive after surgery?

Your eyesight will probably be a little fuzzy at first, so have someone drive you home right away after surgery. Patients generally see clearly enough to drive within 24 hours after the procedure.

When can you come back to work?

The patient can usually go back to work the day after the procedure, but Dr. William Boothe says that an extra day or two of rest will be more beneficial to your eyes.

Are there any side effects / complications that happen often?

Patients complaints often include dry eyes following laser vision correction, but this side effect usually disappears in the first weeks after surgery. Other people may see halos or rings around lights at night. This problem also fades over time. A very small number of patients (less than 1% in U.S. clinical studies) may experience worsening of their vision.

Is it expensive?

Compared to the long-term cost of eyeglasses, contact lens, and lens care over the course of 10 years, Lasik surgery pays for itself. The Boothe Eye Care and Laser Center in Dallas offers budget payment plans to accommodate almost any household situation.

There are many stories about complications after laser eye surgeries, such as eye injuries, impossibility to become pregnant, to look at the sun, to do sport etc. Dr. Boothe believes these are urban myths that are groundless and are not related to how Lasik is actually performed. The current methods of Lasik are very safe if the right approach is used. The treatment needs to be tailored to each patient’s eye condition, explains Boothe. Patients can return to ordinary active life within two or three days, or return to sports within one to two weeks. The Durability of the cornea is restored to normal condition in a couple of months.

It is also important to have a prophylactic laser treatment of dangerous retinal areas for nearsighted patient. The result of Lasik procedure is finally settled in three to six months and remains for life, in most cases.

Dr. William Boothe assures that ordinary ultraviolet radiation does not exert damaging influence on an operated eye: with the help of the Lasik technique, the surgeon preserves a corneal layer that serves as ultraviolet barrier. Thanks to the latest technologies it is possible to have the surgery at any time of the year.

Lasik surgery is aimed to restore patient’s vision in the best possible way. It is well known that the Boothe Laser Center, which is located in north of Dallas, offers state-of-the-art Lasik technology for over 10 years. Dr. William Boothe has already performed over 118,800 Lasik surgeries and over 71,900 IntraLasik procedures. At the center only high-level sanitary conditions are maintained and high-standard equipment is utilized. Dr. Boothe is committed to setting the standard for excellence in laser vision correction with a caring and friendly atmosphere.

Most female patients are very happy with the results of their Lasik procedure, but there are certain risks & complications that women can face with this laser surgery. Dr. William Boothe says that these risks are connected with hormonal changes in women and may occur due in certain circumstances, such as different stages of pregnancy, menopause, perimenopause, birth control medicines and hormone replacement therapy. All these factors are incompatible with Lasik surgery and it usually means that you will need to postpone the procedure or chose an alternative to Lasik.

Hormonal changes in women may be the cause of eye dryness, which boosts the risk of undesirable outcomes from Lasik. These changes can also affect your eyesight as they may temporary alter the shape of your cornea. Having Lasik done when you are experiencing hormonal fluctuations may lead to complications such as eyesight deterioration when your cornea returns to its original shape.

That is the reason that Dr. William Boothe created the following recommendations to female patients who are considering Lasik:

– Your eyesight must be stable for at least a year so that you are suitable for Lasik eye surgery.

– This procedure cannot be performed during pregnancy, period. The minimum period of time before or after pregnancy to wait before you can undergo the Lasik surgery is six months.

– Although it is acceptable to have this vision correction done while you are using medicines for birth control, you should not undergo Lasik if you have just started taking them or lately changed the type or dose of birth control pills you take.

– It is not recommended to have Lasik while using hormone replacement therapy due to assigned risk of eye dryness.

It is found that eye dryness is very common among women. Even if you already have dry eyes, you could still have this surgery. As a last resort an alternative procedure such as PRK is recommended by Dr. William Boothe for female patients certain eye problems. Please contact our office to learn more about available treatments and payment plans,

Nowadays, there is not more accurate, safe and common method than Lasik to correct common vision complaints, says Dr. Boothe. Whatever sophisticated types of surgery TV commercials offer you, they are all based on this technology . This surgical technique actually reduces all of the complications to almost zero. Lasik has more than 20 years of observatory evidence that shows how the procedure was improved with time and its current accuracy is very high; the procedure takes about 5-8 minutes. Any discomfort that is connected with postoperative reaction goes away rapidly.

During the Lasik surgery, Dr. William Boothe accurately makes a flap on the inner surface of cornea with the help of a tool such as microkeratome or femtosecond laser, and “rolls” the flap aside. Then he uses precise excimer laser to vaporize and remove tissue particles – this method allows to weaken the optical power of cornea in nearsighted eye, to strengthen it in farsighted eye, and do both of these things, but in different meridians for astigmatic patient’s eye. All this is done for achieving normal focus. It turns out that the laser beam changes the corneal shape very neatly and thus adjusts the cornea to its eye. Then Dr. William Boothe restores the corneal flap to its original position. After the procedure, even a bandage is not needed and you will be able to see clearly within a few hours.

The average age range of patients having Lasik is around 20 to 44, according to researchers as well as data from Dr. Boothe’s office. Older people who have more than 3 diopter of nearsightedness can also have this procedure. With hyperopia (farsightedness) vision starts to get worse in patients in their 30′s, they are more inclined to visit laser vision centers. But if the patient has farsightedness from birth and this refractive error is increased due to age changes of vision, it is also possible to restore vision in patients within the 50-60 age bracket. As for astigmatism, it can be treated at any age.

More answers concerning the Lasik procedure you can find at the main website of the Lasik center, at this address: BootheLaserCenter.com

Type 1 herpes simplex is a very common virus affecting the eye. Eye herpes (ocular herpes) caused by the virus will probably disappear within a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, there is a possibility it could lead to more serious complications that might damage your vision.

According to Dr. William Boothe, about seven in ten adults already carry herpes simplex virus type 1. The virus remains in the host’s body for life, but, as a rule, it does not cause any serious problems. Sometimes it may flare up, and as a result cold sores around lips and mouth may appear. But once the virus gets into your eyes, it can be uncomfortable and irritating. In the case of serious infection, eye herpes can scar the cornea, causing vision loss or even blindness. Symptoms of eye herpes can include pain, redness, irritation, scratchiness, tearing, swelling, light sensitivity and fuzzy vision.

Ocular herpes usually affects the front part of the eye called the cornea. If the infection involves only the outermost layer of cornea (the epithelium), then it can be treated without difficulty. From time to time, it affects the middle layer of cells in the cornea (the stroma) and can lead to serious problems. But in some people only the eyelid or the thin membranes on outside of eye whites (the conjunctiva) are involved with the infection.

Dr. Boothe says that the treatment of eye herpes usually includes the use of steroid and antiviral eye drops, and/or antiviral pills. More serious cases may require the involved area to be scraped off, possibly including a corneal transplant.

If you have type 1 herpes simplex virus you may not be a good candidate for Lasik or other refractive surgeries. Various stimuli can lead to herpes simplex virus recurrence, including trauma, cold, fever, intense sunlight, emotional stress, or hormonal changes. Refractive surgery may be considered by the body as trauma and following reaction may be unpredictable and inauspicious. Therefore, Dr. William Boothe suggests to see both your primary doctor and your eye surgeon before the operation, and to discuss all of the potential health problems.