Gailey Eye Clinic
LASIK in Peoria - Bloomington, Illinois
Poor vision interferes with many everyday activities. Glasses and contacts can be bothersome or may not fix the problem. The solution is laser vision correction surgery. Clear vision occurs when light rays pass through the cornea, pupil, and lens and focus directly upon the retina. If the cornea is not round or is too steep or too flat in relation to the length of the eye, light rays focus either in front of or behind the retina resulting in "refractive errors" such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Laser Vision Correction (LVC) is a term for several procedures designed to treat these vision abnormalities and grant you the perfect vision you desire.
Since the late 1970's, advances in technology and surgical technique have made refractive and Laser Vision Correction surgery more predictable and safer than ever before. Laser Vision Correction is done on an outpatient basis with most people returning to their normal activities within one to three days. Driving may even be possible after this short time. Dr. Lockhart at Gailey Eye Clinic can aid you in the decision of which procedure or combination of procedures is best suited for your particular eyes.
Photo-Refractive Keratectomy, (PRK) is another method of surgically reshaping your cornea using the excimer laser. Ultraviolet light and high-energy pulses lasting only billionths of a second disrupt the molecular bonds between the corneal cells with accuracy up to 0.25 microns. The excimer laser is unique in that it emits a "cold" or non-thermal light beam. This makes it ideal for corneal surgery because it eliminates the possibility of thermal damage to surrounding tissue. With computer-controlled precision, the excimer laser represents an important new tool for treating refractive errors.
In less than a minute, the excimer removes microscopic amounts of corneal tissue from the surface of the cornea, making the central zone flatter. The flattened cornea is then able to focus light more directly and your vision is clearer.
Before you can proceed on the path to better vision, you need to find out more about your refractive error. The Gailey Eye Clinic offers personal consultations to all who want to learn more about laser vision correction. They will listen to your personal goals and give you professional advice about how to proceed with vision correction surgery. The next step may be clearer vision.
