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While deciding to have laser vision correction is a big decision, choosing your eye surgeon is the most important part of the process. You rely on your eyes for virtually every task throughout your life. Therefore, you need a LASIK eye surgeon with the experience and skill to improve your vision safely and effectively. Your chosen surgeon is directly responsible for your LASIK results and handling any post-operative concerns. 

Other staff may assist the LASIK surgeon during your procedure. However, the surgeon is in charge of all aspects of the process, including determining if LASIK is the right option for you and confirming the measurements that guide the laser during the procedure. The surgeon is also the one who will provide follow-up care and handle your questions and concerns. 

For prospective patients who are worried about the pain of a LASIK procedure, the good news is that there isn’t any. The state-of-the-art fraxel laser used by skilled Toronto area ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein is in touch with the cornea for 40 seconds or less, and its concentrated energy is cool to the touch.

Top Doctor, Superior Comfort

Dr. Stein has performed thousands of laser vision correction surgeries, and is a recognized pioneer in the field — teaching, publishing and innovating on all aspects of the procedure. He magnifies the comfort of the experience by discussing each element of the surgery in depth, answering every question and working to understand the goals and expectations of each patient.

It’s no surprise that LASIK vision correction at Bochner Eye Institute would be a thoroughly comfortable and satisfying experience. After all, Dr. Stein’s practice was named Toronto’s Top Choice Winner for Laser Vision Correction this year. That adds an extra layer of reassurance to an already discomfort-free procedure.

Blade-Free Precision

Your first clue that there is nothing to fear from LASIK is that there is absolutely no blade involved. In addition, a local anesthetic will ensure maximum comfort as the precise fraxel laser briefly reshapes the cornea. There may be a mild sensation of pressure, and a short-lived blurring and dimming of vision. Patients often compare the short session to the experience of a typical contact lens fitting.

Quick Recovery

Any discomfort you notice won’t be in the surgical chair, but in the hours after a procedure. Very mild discomfort is common during recovery, but healing happens quickly, with your vision coming into focus with new clarity within a day.

Temporary sensations may include itchiness, warmth or a feeling of some debris in the eye. In the end, the most uncomfortable aspect of these minor side effects is that you must refrain from rubbing your eyes in response. This can take some self-control, but it is one of the keys to successful, complication-free healing.

To schedule an appointment to discuss LASIK with premier Toronto area ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein, please call or email Bochner Eye Institute today.

Most of us make decisions by weighing pros and cons. That’s what makes the decision to try LASIK vision correction so straightforward — there simply aren’t very many downsides to consider.

Your decision will depend mostly on your own personal preferences, as there are few limiting factors that would make LASIK impractical for the average adult. Here, experienced Toronto area ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein offers his perspective on the key benefits of LASIK, and whether this remarkable technology is right for you.

New Freedom

If you’ve ever imagined life without lenses, you are probably a good candidate for LASIK. Laser vision correction gives you freedom from the bulky frames that may have limited your choices of sporting activities and lowered your confidence in social situations. It also frees up the time you spent on the care, disinfection and replacement of contact lenses; and eliminates the discomfort you may have occasionally felt with them.

LASIK works by reshaping your cornea, and thereby adjusting the way light focuses on your retina. Over time your cornea can change shape, or you may have been born with a corneal imperfection. This can result in nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. By restoring optimal contours to your cornea, the advanced LASIK instrument refocuses your eyesight, adding new sharpness, vibrancy and detail to the world around you.

Making the Choice

Although any time is a great time for clear vision, the best outcomes can be expected in patients whose eyes have fully matured. This usually happens some time before our late 20s. Choosing LASIK at this point will help ensure that your results are permanent and your surgery will never need to be redone.

Apart from age, there are very few factors that could rule out LASIK for most patients. If you were born with corneas that are very thin, you may not be a good candidate for LASIK. That is because there may not be enough corneal surface for a surgeon to work with when cutting and reshaping the cornea with the surgical laser. Patients in this specific group may still achieve wonderful results with PRK, a similar vision correction procedure. PRK may also be the better choice for patients who had earlier eye surgeries, including cataract removal, refractive lens exchange (RLE) or radial keratotomy.

To schedule an appointment to discuss LASIK with premier Toronto area ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein, please call or email Bochner Eye Institute today.

Is there a best time to consider LASIK? When it comes to your age, there are times in your life when laser vision correction is the most appropriate. But in general, there has never been a better time for most adults to liberate themselves from lenses, prescriptions and the significant costs of eyewear.

Below, experienced Toronto ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein of Bochner Eye Institute discusses the key variables you’ll want to consider to ensure your new lens-free life is perfectly timed.

Vision Through the Ages

In our early to mid-20s, our eyes continue to change before settling on a more stable range of vision. That is why LASIK is not recommended for persons under 18 — and why patients under 30 should also consider waiting if their prescription has changed within the past year. If LASIK is performed while your vision is still maturing, you may need a revision at a later date. 

Otherwise, you are an excellent candidate for LASIK if you are in good health, have a stable prescription, and do not suffer from an eye condition that could affect an ophthalmologist’s ability to reshape the cornea.

If the eye’s lens is clear, LASIK can be an appropriate choice for seniors, as well. If cataracts have begun to develop, however, a better option may be cataract surgery with implantation of an advanced IOL lens. New varieties of these lenses now offer trifocal vision and feature an artificial lens that will remain clear for life.

Time to Discover LASIK

Once you choose laser vision correction, there’s no time like the present to start benefiting from the technology. LASIK provides a high-definition view of the world with a whole new dimension in clarity. After the simple and convenient procedure, your field of vision is wide open, without the visual intrusion of eyewear. You’ll enjoy the convenience and freedom of unlimited peripheral vision, unframed by frames.

Freedom from lenses also means substantial cost savings. With today’s economic uncertainties, many of us have decided that now is a smart time to reduce our personal expenses. LASIK savings begin immediately and grow over the years. Prescription lenses with frames can cost hundreds of dollars. If your prescription changes frequently, or if you simply have a habit of misplacing or cracking your glasses, the expense will be substantial.

Costs for contact lenses add up quickly, too. Depending on the recommended frequency of disposal, you may pay up to several hundred dollars each year for fresh lenses. Contacts that correct for astigmatism will be more expensive. During your regular eye exam, you will also pay extra for an additional contact lens fitting. LASIK eliminates all of these future expenses.

To learn more about LASIK, please call or email Bochner Eye Institute today.

Case

A 28 year-old male was referred because of sterile infiltrates and peripheral pannus formation of 1-2 mm of both corneas. He was a long-term soft contact lens wearer, frequently slept in his lenses, and did not use a disinfectant. We instructed him to discontinue his contact lenses and prescribed a course of a topical steroid. The corneal infiltrates gradually resolved.

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If you need vision correction, the thought of laser eye surgery may be intimidating. You might worry about the procedure’s cost or the risks involved, and these factors may lead you to believe that contacts are the better solution.

However, there are notable downsides to wearing contact lenses, and LASIK offers several advantages, including the convenience and freedom of no longer needing to rely on a vision correction device.

Below, Dr. Raymond Stein of Bochner Eye Institute talks more about why LASIK is a better solution than contacts. (more…)

After making the decision to have laser vision correction, the most important choice you will make is the surgeon you select to perform your procedure. The search for the right surgeon can be overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. To help guide you in the right direction, leading LASIK surgeon Raymond Stein of Bochner Eye Institute shares his thoughts on choosing a LASIK provider. (more…)

Do you struggle with the challenges of a refractive error and the restrictions of glasses or contact lenses, yet find yourself on the fence about having LASIK?

Bochner Eye Institute understands that the idea of having laser eye surgery to improve vision makes some people uncomfortable. However, we want you to know the truth about LASIK: the short, virtually painless procedure can give you the freedom and joy of clear, crisp vision and a glasses- and contacts-free lifestyle!

If you need more motivation to consider your options, read on as we share five reasons to consider having LASIK in 2019. (more…)

Maintaining realistic expectations of LASIK outcomes is crucial to ensuring the overall experience is successful. It is reasonable to expect that vision will be clearer and crisper after surgery than before. However, it is not realistic to expect to be completely free of glasses or contacts forever. Read on as the team at Bochner Eye Institute clarifies what this means. (more…)