LASIK - West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills

LASIK is an acronym for Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis, which simply means "to shape the cornea from within using a laser." LASIK is a laser procedure that can reshape the surface of the eye in order to reduce the amount of refractive error. Here at Century City Eye, we perform LASIK for patients in West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and from all over the world.

What conditions can LASIK correct?
Why has LASIK grown so popular?
How is LASIK performed?
Who can benefit from LASIK?
What is PRK?
Patient Testimonials

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What Conditions Can LASIK Correct?

The cornea is the outer window of your eye. It plays a major role in focusing light rays that enter your eye onto your retina. The retina then converts the light rays into pictures.

Occasionally, conditions in the eye cause light rays to focus imprecisely on the retina.

Three types of refractive errors can occur:

Nearsightedness, or myopia, results when the cornea is too curved or the eye is too long. This causes light to focus in front of the retina. Distance vision will be blurry.
Farsightedness, or hyperopia, happens when the cornea is too flat compared to the length of the eye. This causes light to focus at a point beyond the retina, resulting in blurred near vision. This may also result in blurred distant vision.
Presbyopia is the condition that occurs to all eyes as they age. The eye's natural lens becomes less flexible over time and thus loses its ability to quickly adjust between near and far vision. Presbyopia causes people to lose their near vision, requiring them to wear reading glasses.
Astigmatism stems from the cornea being shaped like a football. A single ray of light focuses on more than one point on the retina. This will result in blurry and distorted vision. Astigmatism often occurs along with nearsightedness or farsightedness.

These conditions are known as refractive errors. Previously, the only solution was glasses or contact lenses. Today, LASIK enables us to safely and quickly correct these errors by reshaping the cornea. This will cause light rays to focus precisely on the retina. LASIK performed at our office near West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills can eliminate your need for glasses and contact lenses!

CK®, or conductive keratoplasty, is a non-laser alternative to LASIK that can effectively treat farsightedness and presbyopia.

If you are suffering from any of these conditions and are considering LASIK, or CK®, contact Century City Eye, located in the Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles areas.

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Why Has LASIK Grown So Popular?

To understand why LASIK has become so popular, all you have to do is imagine what your life would be like without your glasses or contact lenses:

No more groping for your glasses when you wake up.
No more endless ritual of putting in, taking out, and cleaning contacts.
Whether driving your car or a golf ball, you wouldn't need help to see.
Imagine how you'd see the world and how the world would see you without glasses or contacts.
LASIK is turning that dream into reality for people all over the world by eliminating a lifetime of dependence on glasses and contacts. And, amazingly, LASIK does so in minutes, without pain and at a surprisingly modest cost. If you would like to learn more about LASIK in the West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills areas, contact Century City Eye today.

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How is LASIK Performed?

LASIK is an outpatient procedure performed at our office near West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills that usually takes less than three to five minutes per eye to perform. Before the surgery, your doctor may use VISX WaveScan™ technology to create a custom map of your cornea. This map will result in laser treatment that is specifically designed for your eye. Unlike older generations of LASIK, WaveScan™ technology means that patients experience fewer "higher order aberrations" such as halos and glare around lights at night.

The LASIK technique itself uses two specific instruments, an Excimer laser and an automated microkeratome, to reshape the cornea so it will better focus the light that enters the eye. An Excimer laser is an extremely precise laser that is mainly computer controlled. An automated microkeratome is also a precise instrument that will be used to separate the thin layers of the cornea. Often, only 50 microns of tissue (about the thickness of a human hair) are removed during LASIK to achieve the proper amount of correction.

LASIK is quick and painless. In fact, you remain awake and comfortable throughout the procedure. Here's what you can expect during your LASIK experience:

Step 1. After your eye is numbed with an eye-drop anesthetic, an eyelid protector is positioned to hold your eyelid open.

Step 2. A small suction ring is placed around your cornea to serve as a platform for the microkeratome.

Step 3. The microkeratome creates a thin, protective flap of corneal tissue. The corneal flap is then folded back.

Step 4. While you look at a target, the Excimer laser reshapes the corneal tissue as programmed by computer. All you hear is a clicking sound as the laser precisely remolds your cornea. The cornea is made flatter if you are nearsighted, steeper if you are farsighted, and more spherical to correct astigmatism.

Step 5. The corneal flap is put back in its original position and allowed to dry for a few minutes.

Step 6. You will be given additional eye drops and a clear protective shield will be placed over your eyes. Initially, your vision will be somewhat blurry. Therefore, we recommend that you have someone drive you home. Simply relax for the rest of the day.

If you would like to learn more, contact our office in the West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills areas.

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Who Can Benefit from LASIK?

If glasses or contact lenses interfere with your lifestyle or self-image, you're probably a good candidate for LASIK.

You need to be over 18 years of age with healthy corneas. Free screening tests are performed at the initial consultation. It's best if you haven't had a significant increase in your glasses or contact lens prescription in the last 12 months. People with certain medical conditions and women who are pregnant or nursing may need to wait before having LASIK.

LASIK can help you realize your dream of clear, crisp vision without glasses or contact lenses. Contact Century City Eye for a LASIK consultation.

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What is PRK?

PRK, or photo-refractive keratectomy, is another method of reshaping the cornea using the Excimer laser. PRK differs from LASIK in that no corneal flap is created; rather, the laser reshaping is performed directly on the surface of the cornea.

Although visual results are similar, most surgeons and patients prefer LASIK to PRK. This is because eyes undergoing PRK tend to have significant pain and a longer healing period than those undergoing LASIK.

LASIK Testimonials - West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills

"My life after LASIK surgery is better in all facets. My eyesight prior to surgery was so bad for everything. My life is so much easier now without the struggle of eyeglasses. Many thanks to Century City Eye Laser Center, I can even go snorkeling now!"

"I had been putting up with glasses and contact lenses for years. I had done extensive research on LASIK before finally deciding on Century City Eye Laser Center. I can't believe it! It is truly a new world without those glasses and contact lenses. I guess that I've been a pretty good advertisement since my patients continually ask me, "Where are your glasses?" I gladly tell them "Thanks to Century City Eye, they're long gone!"

"I heard about LASIK a couple of years ago when a friend of mine had it done a year and a half ago. He raved about it and said how great it was and told me I have to do this. I did my research and finally decided to have LASIK. I was looking forward to my surgery the day it happened. I wasn't nervous; I was confident it was going to work. I arrived, got ready, went into the surgery, and everything went smoothly. I woke up the next morning and saw perfectly. I mean absolutely not a problem, probably 20 /20 maybe 20/25 the first day. But as far as I'm concerned it was perfect, I could see everything and I was absolutely overwhelmed thanks to everyone at Century City Eye Laser Center."

"I started wearing glasses when I was in seventh grade when I was twelve years old, and I wore them until I was thirty two. I wore contacts when I was eighteen until I was thirty two when I had my surgery. I feel like I bought myself an extra twenty years in terms of vision. The miracle of LASIK affects me everyday, from morning to night. I can't believe I waited so long, but it has been well worth the wait. Century City Eye Laser Center made great vision without glasses or contact lenses possible. It's the greatest thing I've ever done for myself."

LASIK can help you realize your dream of clear, crisp vision without glasses or contact lenses. Contact Century City Eye for a LASIK consultation.

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