When considering vision correction (refractive surgery) choices, as with many important decisions in life, it is important to consider the past, assess the present, and plan for the future. It is also important to recognize that patients have unique eyes, lifestyles, and vision goals, and, therefore, patients deserve individual attention and individual vision correction plans tailored to their unique needs.
At Herschel LASIK, our philosophy is simple: Dr. Herschel will personally provide you with one-on-one care and individual attention. We will give you the best possible vision, not just for today, but throughout your lifetime. We will provide you a wonderful vision care experience from start to finish. This is the core of what we do.
Five things are needed to make this philosophy a reality:
- A warm, approachable surgeon who cares personally about you
- An experienced and expert surgeon, who recognizes that you are unique and provides expert, personal one-on-one care and whose goal is to give you the best possible vision today, tomorrow, and into the future.
- Attention to detail
- Advanced diagnostic technologies
- Advanced surgical technologies that give patients choices
We use only advanced, premium diagnostics and surgical technologies at Herschel LASIK, so fulfilling the technology requirements are straightforward for us. In contrast, finding the right surgeon with the experience, expertise, and attention to detail to review patient vision histories, perform comprehensive vision diagnostics, and perform advanced surgical procedures is more difficult. Lastly, finding a warm, approachable surgeon who cares personally about every one of his patients may be the most difficult of all! Our practice is well known for its caring and compassion, and it is often mentioned in online posts. You may enjoy some of our patients’ stories: Jessica, Justin, Robbi, Marci, Bpink, Jeffrey, and Nakoma.
The optimal surgeon has more than 25 years of experience and specialty training in refractive surgery (vision correction), cornea (the part of the eye where vision correction procedures are performed), and ophthalmic pathology (training to see and diagnose deviations from healthy, normal eye conditions). The ideal surgeon is also warm and caring and provides personalized care for his patients from start to finish. As far as we know, Dr. Herschel is the only active vision correction surgeon in Central Florida with this unique combination of training; experience; and caring, one-on-one, personalized approach. But our patients are the experts here, and they really do their research. See what Matt, Dave, Nick, Omar, and Adam found out!
In preparation for your vision correction experience, you will have a complete vision history and an extensive diagnostic work-up. This is the right time to determine if you have any unusual or non-routine eye conditions and to address them. As the surgeon examining your eyes, Dr. Herschel’s specialty training in ophthalmic pathology is ideal. See Dan Springer’s Google review for an amazing story!
Dr. Herschel will assess your corneas to determine how healthy they are and whether treatment is needed before surgery. Corneal damage from contact lens use or dry eye is common, and many patients are treated for these conditions prior to their surgery. Dr. Herschel’s specialty training in cornea makes him the ideal surgeon to assess and treat your corneas.
During your consultation, Dr. Herschel will learn about your lifestyle and your vision goals. Then, together, you will discuss the choices available to you for your vision correction procedure and decide which one is best for you. In addition to eye health, lifestyle, and vision goals, age is an important factor in choices about vision correction. Check out your age group below to find out what to expect.
Young Adults (18-early 40s)
Young adults may have nearsightedness, astigmatism, farsightedness, or a combination, and they likely have had stable vision for several years. This gives them many options including glasses, contact lenses, and vision correction procedures. This age group also has the greatest cost-benefit over time from a surgical procedure. Couple that benefits with active lifestyles, quick recovery, and the proven safety and efficacy of vision correction procedures, and many young adults are opting for surgical vision correction.
The most common vision correction procedures for this age group include all-laser LASIK, PRK, and Visian® ICL (for high myopia).
Adults (mid-40s to mid-60s)
Adults likely have had stable vision for many years and then one day find their near vision to be blurry. Readers, bifocals, progressives, and multifocal contact lenses are solutions to help with the blurred vision problem. Presbyopia, which is part of the natural aging process, causes the blurred near vision. Early-stage cataracts may also contribute. But many people in this age bracket have never had to contend with glasses or contact lenses, and they find them to be a big bother, constantly losing them or forgetting them. Advances in vision correction technologies have made new solutions available to these adults.
The most common vision correction procedures for this age group include LASIK and PRK; monovision (blended vision); corneal inlays for presbyopia; and Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) with premium lenses including toric, multifocal, and aspheric IOLs.
Older Adults (mid 60s+)
Older adults eventually experience vision changes that result from cataracts or the hardening of the lens in the eye. Solutions include bifocals or progressives that enable the wearer to see clearly at various distances. Eventually, vision will become clouded or hazy, requiring the removal of the cataract. There has never been a better time for older adults who are developing or have developed cataracts. Advances in technology have made new options available to older adults to reduce or eliminate dependence on glasses for both near and distance vision.
The most common vision correction procedures for this age group include Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) (pre-cataract or clear lens is removed) and Refractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (ReLACS) (cataract is removed). In both these procedures, the original lenses are replaced with premium lenses that restore near and distance vision and reduce or eliminate dependence on glasses or contacts.
