FAQs

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Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. Cancellations are requested 48 hours prior to the appointment. We reserve the right to charge for missed or late canceled appointments. Excessive abuse of scheduled appointments may result in discharge from the practice.

Dry eye is a relatively common condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate the eye. These tears not only wet the front of the eye but are necessary to maintain the health of the eye and provide clear and stable vision. Patients may complain of foreign body sensation, irritation, grittiness, and burning of the eyes. They may also complain of fluctuations in vision, excess tearing, and or redness. Dry eye is often a multi factorial condition, factors that impact dryness: Age- As we get older dry eye is more common Contact lens wear- Soft contact lens wear may exacerbate and increase dry eye symptoms. In some cases dry eye may contraindicate contact lens wear. Medications- Antihistamines, decongestants, blood pressure medications and antidepressants may reduce the amount of tears on the front surface of the eye. Environmental conditions- Smoke, wind and dry conditions can impact dryness Gender- Women are more likely to suffer from dryness secondary to hormonal changes The diagnosis of dry eye is based on patient history and evaluation during an office visit. A treatment plan is derived for each patient based on the symptoms and signs obtained during an exam. To learn more about Restasis and Dry Eye please click here. Call today to set up an appointment with one of our experienced ophthalmologist or optometrists for a dry eye evaluation

Astigmatism is one of the most common vision problems. Astigmatism is not an eye disease. Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism is a type of refractive error – a condition related to the shape and size of the eye that causes blurred vision. In addition to blurred vision, uncorrected astigmatism can cause headaches, eyestrain and make objects at all distances appear distorted. How do you treat Astigmatism? Most cases of astigmatism can treated with glass or contact prescriptions. Also Lasik, PRK, and other refractive operations solve problems related to astigmatism.

Close to 20 million LASIK procedures have been performed in the United States alone with generally excellent patient outcomes. This is attributed to the procedure’s extremely low risk of complications through decades of research. With less than 1% of patients developing adverse reactions, LASIK surgery is unquestionably one of the safest elective procedures available today. Another significant factor behind patients’ increased confidence in LASIK surgery is the fact that it is one of the most studied elective surgeries today. Since 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been conducting LASIK surgery clinic trials and analyzing outcomes for over 9,000 patients. This opened the doors to bigger and better clinical research devoted to LASIK. So far, there are at least 7,000 peer-reviewed published studies proving that the procedure is both safe and effective. Best of all, based on numerous published studies on patient satisfaction and value, LASIK has the highest satisfaction rating among all types of cosmetic procedures (not just eye surgeries, but any type of surgery that is done for cosmetic reasons – i.e., not covered by insurance). In many of these published studies, over 99% of people who have had LASIK say they would do the procedure again or highly recommend it to others .

LASIK surgery is usually done on both eyes in a single session. It is both safe and practical to do this, because seeing clearly with only one eye may be difficult or uncomfortable for some patients. There are some cases, however, when a LASIK surgeon may recommend or accommodate requests to perform the procedure on each eye separately. On the other hand, there are specific scenarios where a LASIK surgeon may actually recommend a separate plan or procedure day for each eye; for example, when the patient has presbyopia and mild myopia in both eyes. In this case, performing the procedure on just one eye will produce a monovision effect, minimizing the need for post-surgery reading glasses. Another exception is when a patient only requires a LASIK enhancement on one eye following an initial LASIK procedure.

As mentioned previously, the first step in LASIK surgery is creating a corneal flap with a laser or an instrument known as a microkeratome. Thanks to anesthetic drops applied to the patient’s eyes right before the procedure, this process is not painful. Some pressure on the eye can be felt, but the sensation typically does not last for longer than a minute. After the procedure—usually by the time the patient gets home—the anesthesia may wear off. This can cause watery eyes, mild to moderate eye discomfort, or mild sensitivity to light. All of these post-LASIK symptoms should resolve within a few hours, sometimes with surgeon-prescribed analgesics. When discomfort becomes too bothersome or does not respond to medication, the LASIK eye doctor should be informed immediately.

LASIK eye surgery can take 10 to 20 minutes per eye, but the laser will only be used for a few seconds. Total time of surgery (for both eyes) is approximately 1 hour, and healing begins almost immediately. In most cases, results are noticed within the first 24 hours after the procedure.

Corneal reshaping in laser refractive surgery is irreversible, which means the resulting change in the corneal shape is permanent. However, as age is a continuous process, patients will still develop some level of visual impairment later in life, as all people naturally do. These changes, including presbyopia (inability to see clearly up close without the use of reading glasses) and cataracts (cloudiness of the eye’s natural lens), are changes that occur gradually with age to other parts of the eye and are unavoidable for all people. Nonetheless, any vision problems that occur after LASIK can be addressed with additional procedures.

The best candidates for LASIK surgery are young patients who have astigmatism, myopia, or hyperopia, and in addition have no other ocular conditions. The refractive surgeon will decide to perform the procedure after assessing a patient based on such factors as age, current prescription, vision stability, and results of advanced eye tests. LASIK surgery may not be recommended for certain patients, including: Pregnant or breastfeeding women People with certain medical conditions like high eye pressure, persistent dry eyes, and autoimmune diseases Those diagnosed with severe myopia (in this case, lens implants are often recommended) People with anatomical factors that can make surgery challenging like excessively large pupils or abnormally thin and irregular corneas

LASIK is an outpatient procedure, so patients are allowed to go home once surgery is over. For good measure, surgeons advise rest at least for the remainder of the day. During this brief recovery period, the patient may experience: Unstable vision Eye dryness Glare Halos at night These are all part of the healing process and normally go away after a while, usually with basic eye drops prescribed by the ophthalmologist.

As any surgical procedure, LASIK comes with side effects and risks, including under-correction or over-correction, loss of best corrected visual acuity, flap-healing issues, and infection. In cases involving flap complications specifically, corrections can be done within the same eye surgery session. When problems happen because of post-LASIK eyesight regression as a result of “over-healing,” the ophthalmologist can correct the problem as soon as the patient’s residual refractive error has stabilized. In other cases, complications can result simply from the patient’s unpredictable response to laser eye surgery. However, it is also important to note that poor choice of an eye surgeon or eye care center is a common reason behind some unsuccessful LASIK procedures. By conducting due diligence before choosing a LASIK specialist, such issues can be avoided.

Many people can be free of their eyeglasses and contact lenses permanently after their first LASIK or PRK (photorefractive keratectomy)procedure. However, this will still depend on two key factors: prescription strength/stability and age. People with weaker prescriptions or prescriptions that have not changed for at least a year are less likely to need eyeglasses or contact lenses again after laser eye surgery. Those who had laser eye surgery at a young age may also find themselves requiring eyeglasses or contact lenses when entering their forties, but not necessarily because of a “diminishing” LASIK effect. Rather, it is due to age-related long-sightedness (presbyopia), which develops as the eye’s normally soft and flexible lens hardens and prevents the eye from focusing properly on close objects. The good news is this can be easily addressed through techniques like blended vision or refractive lens exchange, ideally by the same surgeon. This is one of the reasons to choose an eye care center that provides LASIK plus a wide range of other eye care options like Hill Vision Services.

Following cataract surgery, vision should improve immediately. However, it may take a few weeks to reach its full potential. During this time, you may experience blurred or hazy vision, glare or halos around lights, dry eyes, and light sensitivity. Regular follow-up visits with Hill Vision Services are essential to monitor your progress and ensure optimal results.

Special UV-protective glasses must be worn immediately following surgery during all waking hours. The sunglass lenses offer extra security against ultraviolet rays, minimizing glare. It is acceptable to remove the eyewear while sleeping and temporarily during activities like showering, facial cleansing, or applying eye drops, as long as you avoid direct sunlight exposure.

Wearing UV-blocking glasses is important following cataract surgery because it helps protect your eyes from potential damage caused by ultraviolet light exposure. Hill Vision Services provides unique sunglasses and instructions on promoting healing after the procedure.

You should wear UV-blocking glasses for at least four weeks following your cataract surgery to protect your eyes from potential damage caused by ultraviolet light exposure. Your eye doctor will provide further instructions on when and how often you should use them.

If your UV-blocking glasses break, contact Hill Vision Services immediately. They will provide you with a new pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet light exposure.

Taking precautions following cataract surgery is vital to ensure the best possible results. You must keep your eyes clean, use eye drops as instructed, and avoid rubbing your eyes or swimming during the first few weeks after surgery. In addition, you should always wear UV-blocking sunglasses outdoors and watch for any signs of infection. Hill Vision Services will provide further instructions on what to do/not do following surgery.

The duration of each treatment is approximately 90 seconds. The first light treatment occurs around 2 to 3 weeks after the cataract surgery. A total of 3 to 5 treatments are necessary after the cataract surgery, with each treatment spaced about three days apart.

After each light treatment, you may experience mild discomfort or redness in the treated area. Additionally, your vision may be blurred for a few hours following the treatment. It is essential to follow all instructions provided by Hill Vision Services and avoid rubbing your eyes to reduce potential side effects.