Southern Eye Associates was the first center in
the tri-state area to offer LASIK utilizing the
scanning slit beam technology provided by the
Nidek EC-5000 laser. Dr. Cathy Schanzer is a board
certified ophthalmologist and has performed thousands
of LASIK procedures. Leading edge technology,
experienced surgeons, compassionate staff, in-office
surgical suite, sensitive pricing, and high patient
satisfaction are many reasons why Southern Eye
Associates is a prominent LASIK center in the
mid-south.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What is IntraLase Blade-Free
Method?
With the IntraLase method, pulses of laser light
create your corneal flap, which is then lifted
so the next step of LASIK -- the reshaping of
your cornea -- can be performed. Unlike mechanical
instruments, IntraLase technology is uniquely
able to program the dimensions of your flap
based on what's best for your eye. Then the
IntraLase laser creates your flap from below
the surface of the cornea, without ever cutting
it. How?
1. Ultra-fast pulses of laser light position
microscopic bubbles at a precise depth determined
by your doctor.
2. The laser light passes harmlessly through
your cornea to create rows of these bubbles
just beneath the surface as it moves back and
forth across your eye in a uniform pattern.
3. Next, the IntraLase laser stacks bubbles
around your corneal diameter to create the edges
of your flap. These bubbles are stacked at an
angle that is determined by your doctor and
is individualized to the way your eye is shaped.
4. The process takes only about 30 seconds from
start to finish. It's quiet, and it's comfortable.
5. Your doctor then gently lifts the flap to
allow for the second step of your LASIK treatment.
When treatment is complete, the flap easily
"locks" back into position and rapidly
begins to heal.
The IntraLase method has been used
successfully on over one million eyes, and we
trust this advanced technology to deliver exceptional
results. Our commitment is to provide you with
the ultimate in comfort, safety, and outstanding
vision. LASIK with IntraLase helps you achieve
all of this while it delivers the added assurance
of knowing you're being treated with the most
advanced technology there is.
How is LASIK performed?
LASIK is a vision correction procedure that
permanently changes the shape of the cornea
(the clear front portion of the eye) to redirect
light entering the eye and correctly focus it
on the back of the eye. After administration
of anesthetic eye drops, the procedure is performed
by folding back a thin layer of corneal tissue
and then reshaping the underlying layer of cornea
with the light from the excimer laser. After
the laser treatment, the corneal flap is replaced
where it will bond back to the underlying cornea
without the need for stitches.
The result of correcting the thin layers of
tissue causes the center of the cornea to flatten
in the case of myopia (nearsightedness), steepen
in the case of hyperopia (farsightedness), or
become more rounded in the case of astigmatism,
thus changing the focusing power of the cornea
without the need of glasses or contact lenses.
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Is the procedure painful?
LASIK is essentially painless. Before the procedure,
your eyes will be numbed with an anesthetic
eye drop. Some patients may experience a feeling
of light pressure from the lid speculum (the
instrument used to hold your eyelids open) or
from the instrument used to create the corneal
flap. Frequent use of artificial tears following
LASIK will help prevent the feeling of dry,
scratchy eyes and will also greatly aid in the
eye’s healing process.
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Will my vision be 20/20 after the procedure?
You will likely notice a significant improvement
in vision immediately following the procedure,
but your vision is likely to fluctuate for a
few days as the eyes heal. Your vision will
continue to clear during the first week following
LASIK. Although the goal of LASIK is to improve
vision to the point of not being dependent on
glasses or contacts, we cannot guarantee that
your vision will be 20/20. You can rest assured
that we will take extreme care during the measurement
process and will take every precaution to ensure
that your results are to your satisfaction.
What are the risks and side effects
of LASIK surgery?
Every surgery has risks as well as benefits.
LASIK has a 1% complication rate, and the vast
majority of these complications are treatable
or correctable with an additional LASIK procedure.
Some risks and side effects of LASIK include
over- or under-correction, increased sensitivity
to light, glare or halos around lights at night,
or dry eyes. You should be aware that there
is a risk of infection, which can result in
irregular scarring or loss of vision if not
treated correctly. Studies have shown that you
have a greater chance of being injured or killed
in a car accident than you have for losing vision
due to an infection after LASIK surgery. These
and other complications will be fully discussed
with you prior to your LASIK procedure.
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Will both eyes be done on the same day?
In most cases, both eyes are treated on the
same day. This will allow you to take the proper
medications for each eye at the same time, since
eye drops may be used for several weeks before
and after the procedure, and will reduce the
amount of office visits for your pre- and post-op
care.
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How long is the procedure?
Although the procedure itself generally lasts
under 15 minutes for both eyes, you should plan
to be at our office for at least one hour on
the day of surgery to account for pre-op preparations
and post-op evaluations.
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Will I ever need glasses again?
Although the goal of LASIK is to improve vision
to the point of not being dependent on glasses
or contacts, we cannot guarantee that your vision
will be 20/20 following the procedure. You should
understand that your eyes will continue to change
as you age, possibly causing you to develop
myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness)
over a length of time, though it is rare. Most
people will eventually develop presbyopia (the
loss of reading vision) sometime after the age
of 40 and will require the use of reading glasses.
LASIK cannot treat presbyopia. Additional treatments
or other procedures (such as CK for presbyopia)
are available to correct the above refractive
errors.
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Will my insurance cover LASIK surgery?
The majority of insurance carriers has deemed
LASIK as an elective surgery and will not cover
the cost of the procedure, although more insurance
companies have recently begun to cover LASIK
as a medical procedure. You will need to check
with your insurance carrier by calling their
customer service phone number to determine if
they will provide you full or partial reimbursement.
Southern Eye Associates also offers financing
through
ChaseHealthAdvance.
You can learn more about this financing option
by visiting
www.chasehealthadvance.com,
or by calling their toll-free number at (888)
519-6111. We also offer financing through
CareCredit.
Visit them at
www.carecredit.com or call them at (800) 365-8295.

How long has LASIK been available?
LASIK has been available since the early 1990’s,
but was not FDA approved to treat myopia (nearsightedness)
until 1995. Dr. Cathy Schanzer, our medical
director and chief surgeon, is a board-certified
ophthalmologist and has been performing LASIK
surgery since 1996. Dr. Schanzer receives patient referrals from
over 300 mid-south optometrists and has treated
many of the area’s doctors and their family
members as well.
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Are there certain restrictions following
the procedure?
Most patients are able to return to work two
to three days following their procedure. You
should be prepared to use eye drops for several
weeks before and after LASIK to prevent infection
and help the healing process. Frequent use of
artificial tears will greatly improve your vision
results. Your eyes may be more susceptible to
traumatic eye injury after LASIK, so protective
eyewear is recommended for all sports where
a direct blow to the eye may occur. You will
also be asked to wear a clear protective shield
over each eye when sleeping to help prevent
unconscious rubbing of the eyes which can lead
to a misplaced flap and other complications.
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Can I still wear contacts after LASIK?
Most patients will not require contact lenses
after the procedure. If the eyes have been under-
or over- corrected, they can usually be enhanced,
or fine-tuned, with another procedure. The nationwide
enhancement rate is about 5% whereas Southern
Eye’s rate is approximately 2%. If you
still wish to wear contact lenses following
surgery, you should be able to without any difficulty
(if you could before having the procedure).
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What equipment do you use for LASIK?
We are proud to offer one of the only IntraLase
100% blade-free LASIK methods in the Mid-south,
allowing a more precise, customized corneal
flap for each patient. Southern Eye Associates
was the first in the tri-state area to offer
LASIK using the scanning slit beam technology
provided by the NIDEK EC-5000 Excimer laser.
We utilize the NIDEK wavefront technology for
every patient, allowing us to deliver accurate,
individualized correction using a “fingerprint”
of your vision. We also utilize the Wavelight
Allegretto Excimer laser for rare cases of irregular
astigmatism.
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How much does it cost?
Southern Eye Associates has multiple LASIK promotions during the year. Please visit our Facebook page to view the current special:
www.facebook.com/memphislasik This includes your pre-operative and post-operative
care for six full months. We accept Visa, MasterCard,
Discover Card, and American Express credit cards.
Because LASIK is considered elective surgery
(cosmetic), most health insurance plans do not
cover it. However,
Southern Eye Associates also offers financing
through
ChaseHealthAdvance.
You can learn more about this financing option
by visiting
www.chasehealthadvance.com,
or by calling their toll-free number at (888)
519-6111. We also offer financing through
CareCredit. Visit them at
www.carecredit.com or call them at (800) 365-8295.
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