Advancing Your Health

An intraocular lens, or IOL, is the artificial lens often used to replace the eye’s natural lens when it has been damaged by a cataract. With the advancement of IOLs, Emory Eye Center patients undergoing cataract surgery have many more options and the potential to see without glasses after surgery. There are two basic types of IOLs: the monofocal lens and the multifocal lens. Monofocal lenses may provide spectacle-free vision at a single focal length, either distance, intermediate, or near, while multifocal lenses have multiple focal lengths and therefore may enable you to see near and distance without the dependence on spectacles. Patients with a significant degree of astigmatism may benefit from toric lenses, which are monofocal IOLs that help correct astigmatism. Before you have eye surgery, your surgeon will take measurements to help [...]

Think you can’t have LASIK surgery? Think again! If you’ve been told in the past that you couldn’t have LASIK surgery, it’s time to come to Emory Vision. During the last five years, LASIK technology has made a huge leap forward—and you may find that you’re now the perfect candidate. I’d like to take a moment to address two reasons you may have been told you can’t have LASIK. #1- If you wear gas permeable contacts, LASIK is not for you (UNTRUE!) Gas permeable lenses change the shape of your cornea to correct your vision. In fact, many eye doctors prescribe them to correct astigmatism. What you may not know, is that LASIK can actually be a way to treat the condition of astigmatism permanently. What does this mean for you? It may be time for LASIK surgery! To find out, just take a three-week break from your gas permeable [...]

Most patients who have had LASIK surgery tell me, “I can’t believe the procedure was so fast and painless!” During our initial consultations, many patients express concern about pain during and after LASIK. The great news is that during surgery most patients do not feel anything other than slight pressure on the eye and perhaps some mild discomfort. In preparation for your LASIK surgery, we’ll administer some anesthetic eye drops that numb your eyes. As a result, you will only feel some pressure while the laser reshapes your cornea. Some patients may experience a slight feeling of discomfort from the instrument we use to keep your eye open during the procedure – since our natural inclination is to blink. However, because the surgery only takes a few minutes, this discomfort is very brief. During the recovery period, you may experience some mild stinging or dryness. This is part of the [...]

Throughout the years, I have heard countless stories from patients who say that having LASIK surgery enhanced their career. Some jobs simply require good vision, like being a pilot, athlete, photographer, surgeon, and many more. For patients who work in these fields – or who want to – LASIK surgery can be a necessity. Improved vision may mean the difference between getting the job you want or not. It can also have a marked impact on your performance. I always enjoy seeing the smile on a patient’s face who no longer has to constantly wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. As you know, eyeglasses can fog up, get dirty, or fall off, causing safety hazards. Contact lenses can fall out, shift in the eye, or make some tasks extremely dangerous. If you have one of the jobs I mentioned above, LASIK [...]

Our patients choose LASIK surgery for many reasons. While each patient is unique, we hear the same benefits mentioned time and again. Besides improved vision, I’d like to share with you the top five benefits we hear mentioned most frequently: Immediate Results – As soon as your surgery is complete, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in vision, and it will continue to improve while you heal. Read about one of our patient’s excitement over saying “Goodbye to Glasses”! Quick Procedure – The procedure is fast, typically 15 minutes or so. In fact, most people are surprised at how brief the surgery actually lasts. Want proof? Watch a live LASIK procedure here. Cost Savings – LASIK is a great solution to many vision problems, which means no more need to update your glasses every few years or replace contact lenses every month. The cost savings keep adding [...]

From scuba diving to water skiing or swimming at the pool, LASIK surgery can make a world of difference in how you enjoy water sports during the hot summer months. Imagine how much better the experience will be with clear vision! Just remember you’ll have to ease into the fun immediately after having LASIK. Swimming can be dangerous to your healing eyes in the weeks following the surgery. Keep in mind that the corneal flap needs time to heal. Though you will feel fine and your vision will be improved, be sure to take extra precautions for at least the first two weeks after LASIK. Oceans, rivers and lakes contain countless microscopic organisms that could easily slip under your unhealed corneal flap and cause infection or other complications.  Swimming pools contain their own microorganisms, along with chlorine and other harsh chemicals, and present a level of danger. If you have [...]

My wife and I share our anniversary date with my parents. It’s a happy coincidence, and one of the consequences is that each year, we all head out for a celebratory dinner at our favorite restaurant in Atlanta. The chef puts together a five-hour meal for us that involves many, many courses with paired wine tastings. It’s an extravagant, incomparable way to spend an evening. And one of the pleasures of it is to have a great chef expose us to new exotic foods, unusual preparations, and wonderful wines. We always make a guessing game of which herbs or spices are flavoring a dish. And each year, we get a rundown of what’s included in the meal. The dining room is lovely, but darkish. And with the fine, elegant print, the menu turned out to be a challenge for everyone to read this weekend, even with glasses. Well, everyone except [...]

When Dr. Maria Woodward opted to have Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) surgery on April 1st of this year, she entered the doors of Emory Vision as a patient, rather than as a physician. When I asked her to describe the experience, she replied, "One word: surreal." Dr. Woodward's description is understandable, especially when you consider how accustomed she is to being on the other side of the operating table. However, she knew that she was in incredibly capable hands with Dr. Randleman, who performed her surgery. But before I continue with her story, I'll explain some differences and similarities between LASIK and PRK. PRK corrects vision through the reshaping of the surface of the cornea, which involves the removal of the epithelium, the outer layer of cells that cover the cornea. After the laser reshapes the corneal surface, a new epithelium grows back over the treated area, which usually [...]

In this post I’d like to introduce you to a very gifted physician on the Emory Vision team. John Kim, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Emory University. His areas of expertise include refractive surgery, the management of corneal and external eye diseases, and cataract surgery. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Kim received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and served as chief resident while completing his ophthalmology residency training at the Eye and Ear Institute of the University of Pittsburgh. Following four years in private practice, he completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at the Cincinnati Eye Institute. Dr. Kim is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of [...]

I’d like to introduce you to three Emory employees from the Faculty Staff Assistance Program at Emory Healthcare who experienced LASIK here at Emory Vision. It began with Eddie Gammill, who had his surgery here with us a few years ago and was so thrilled with his results that he proceeded to tell all of his coworkers about his experience.  Eye health is of particular importance to Eddie, not only because he’s the Manager of Wellness Programs for Emory’s Faculty Assistance Program, but also because of his family history—his grandmother was blind. Eddie felt that LASIK surgery was an incredible opportunity. When interviewed for this blog post, he made a point to say, “I wish I hadn’t waited so long. LASIK surgery is truly one of the greatest things I’ve ever done for myself.” It didn’t take long for Eddie’s enthusiasm to move Robin Huskey (his co-worker and [...]