Differences Between Optometrists and Ophthalmologists

Many people think all eye doctors the same. They use the terms Optometrist and Ophthalmologist interchangeably. The truth is that these are two very different types of eye care professionals.

Optometrists

Optometrists have earned a Doctor of Optometry Degree (OD). Optometrists have completed a four-year Bachelor’s Degree, plus four years of post-graduate professional training in optometry school. Their main focus is to provide primary eye care, including vision checks, eye disease diagnosis and overall eye health review. They prescribe corrective lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, and they can prescribe some medications. Optometrists often work closely with ophthalmologists to provide pre- and post-op care for eye surgery patients.

Ophthalmologists

Ophthalmologists are Medical Doctors (MDs) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) who have achieved a Bachelor’s Degree, four years of medical school encompassing care for the whole body, internships, at least three years of hospital-based residency and additional years of training in eye disease treatment and eye surgery. Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat eye diseases, perform eye surgery, perform eye exams and write prescriptions for medications or corrective lenses.

Certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration, are managed and corrected by ophthalmologists. Eye surgeries such as LASIK or Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Lens (IOL) implants should only be done by an eye surgeon who is highly experienced and using the latest technologies.

Frequent eye exams, even if you aren’t experiencing any vision problems, can provide early detection – and treatment – of developing issues.

Visit the website of ophthalmologist Dr. Spivack at Spivack Western Slope to schedule a Vision Consultation in Glenwood Springs. Visit spivackwesternslopelasik.com or call 970-945-2020 today.

LASIK vs. Contact Lenses

Many people are unaware that wearing contacts every day may be a bigger risk than having their vision corrected with LASIK.

The fact is, if you have to wear contact lenses, hard contact lenses will give you the best vision, but they are a real nuisance, uncomfortable, prone to slipping, and easily broken. Soft contacts on the other hand are more comfortable, but due to their composition and design it can be more difficult to correct astigmatism.

Possible Complications of Contact Lenses

With prolonged usage, especially in adverse environmental conditions, contact lenses can lead to:

• Cornea redness or inflammation
• Corneal infections
• Corneal abrasions
• Corneal ulcers
• Corneal swelling
• Dry eye

LASIK eye surgery may eliminate or reduce the need for corrective lenses. As with any type of surgical procedure, there are potential risks of LASIK surgery, including:

• Dry eye syndrome
• Visual symptoms, such as halos, glare, starbursts or double vision
• Vision loss

Cost of LASIK

The average one-time cost of LASIK ranges from $1,600 per eye for non-customized LASIK to $2,500 per eye for customized wavefront-guided procedures. When these costs are compared to the ongoing expenses of contacts and glasses, LASIK often makes sense financially. Over any 10 year period the average vision impaired person will spend around $12,000 on:

• New eyeglass prescriptions
• New frames and lenses
• Replacement lenses or an endless stream of replacement contacts
• Cleaning and sterilizing solutions

Not every person has the right eye conditions to support a LASIK procedure. If you are tired of wearing contacts or glasses and want to explore the LASIK option, the only way to determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK is by scheduling a LASIK Consultation. Contact Spivack Western Slope LASIK today at 970-945-2020 or spivackwesternslopelasik.com to start on the path!

Facts About LASIK Recovery

LASIK eye surgery is amazing technology that can correct a person’s nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism (the refractive errors that cause people to need prescription lenses). You can live your whole life with these refractive errors, find out you are an excellent candidate for LASIK and have the procedure done in just minutes per eye – effectively erasing the vision problems.

For most patients, the recovery period for LASIK is faster than you might think. In fact, you may be able to return to work or other normal activities the day after your procedure.

      LASIK recovery steps may include:

•  Wearing dark sunglasses when you leave the office 
• Wearing a protective eye shield the first few nights to prevent rubbing while you sleep 
• Taking eye drops to moisten your eyes 
• Taking antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication 
• Resting at home for a few hours following your procedure, limiting  reading or television watching 
• Taking over-the-counter pain medications, if needed (although most patients do not experience any pain or discomfort during or after the procedure) 
• Taking a bath instead of a shower for the first 24 hours after the procedure 
• Avoiding rubbing your eyes 
• Avoiding eye makeup for several days 
• Avoiding areas that are dusty or smoky for several days 
• Avoiding alcohol consumption for 48 hours after surgery 
• Returning to your LASIK provider for a post-op appointment the day after your procedure

Because your eyes will need to relax, you cannot drive yourself home after LASIK, but you should be able to drive yourself to your post-op appointment the following day. The post-op appointment will identify any complications, such as infection, so it is important to keep your scheduled appointment to ensure your LASIK is successful.

      As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with LASIK, including:

• Mild, moderate or severe dry eye 
• Vision problems, such as halos, glare, starbursts and double vision 
• Need for glasses or contacts after surgery 
• Loss of vision

With or without LASIK surgery, many people develop presbyopia (or the need for reading glasses) as they grow older.

To learn more about LASIK recovery and all the facts about LASIK, contact Dr.Spivack at Spivack Western Slope to schedule a LASIK consultation by calling 970-945-2020. 

Financing LASIK

Nearsightedness. Farsightedness. Astigmatism. These are the refractive errors that cause people to need corrective lenses. The hassles of keeping track of glasses and contacts and buying new lenses and contact solutions should be enough to encourage everyone to consider LASIK eye surgery. However, what stops many glasses-wearers in their tracks is the cost of LASIK.

In 2011, the average cost of LASIK in the United States was $2,146 per eye. Of course, fees for LASIK vary greatly from surgeon to surgeon depending on where you have the surgery performed and what types of technologies are used. But generally people can expect to pay approximately $3,000-$5,000 for top-notch LASIK vision correction in both eyes.

The good news is that financing is usually available for LASIK. Most reputable LASIK surgeons team up with financing companies like CareCredit® to help their patients afford LASIK through 0% interest or low-interest monthly payment plans over a specified number of months or even years. The monthly payment amount can be set to meet your budget. Often the LASIK practice will help you fill out and submit all of the necessary forms.

Using Flex Plans for LASIK

If your employer offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you may be able to set aside pre-tax dollars to use for your LASIK procedure. Make sure you know the limits of your specific plan: Most FSAs require you to use the money within a specific timeframe. Also, make sure you are a definite candidate for LASIK surgery before signing up through your FSA. If you find out you cannot have LASIK surgery, and you have put money into your Flex Account for that specific procedure, you will probably lose that money.

When you consider how much you spend every year on glasses, contacts and related items, LASIK eye surgery may actually be a money-saver. You have to decide: What is your visual freedom worth?

Dr. Spivack at Spivack Western Slope can determine if LASIK can give you 20/20 vision and discuss your financing options. To schedule your LASIK consultation, call 970-945-2020.

Can You Be Too Young for LASIK?

The short answer to the question, “Can you be too young for LASIK?” is: Yes.

There are reasons why you still see so many children wearing glasses today, even when LASIK is performed on more than 700,000 people each year. LASIK is a refractive surgery that treats eyesight imperfections that cause myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. LASIK technology reshapes the cornea to allow light to focus properly on the retina. The result is clearer vision, even 20/20 or better vision, for many patients.

So why wouldn’t you want to have LASIK performed as soon as possible?

We all know that children are constantly growing and changing, and their eyes are no exception. In fact, some people have refractive instability into their early 20s. This means that their vision correction needs may be frequently fluctuating. One qualification of being a good candidate for LASIK is having stable vision, without prescription changes, for at least two years. Most children simply do not have that stability.

So what is the right age for LASIK? The Food and Drug Administration has stated the minimum LASIK age requirement is 18 years old, but there can be rare circumstances where the procedure is recommended earlier. The determination for LASIK for any age individual can only be made after a comprehensive LASIK Evaluation by a qualified doctor.

Spivack Western Slope offers LASIK Evaluations at our Glenwood Springs office. To learn more, call 970-945-2020.