At Huntsville Laser Center, we offer a complete range of eye care procedures to make sure your eyes receive the most technologically advanced, safe, and appropriate vision improvement procedure. We specialize in matching your needs with our superior technology to give you the clear, sharp vision you have always wanted. As Dr. Mitchell says, "Vision surgery is life-changing!" And he should know… he's had LASIK surgery himself.
iLASIK
Imagine waking up every day and being able to see clearly without fumbling for your glasses… slipping on a pair of stylish non-prescription sunglasses… taking a catnap on the couch without worrying about your lenses… going for a swim and still being able to see… the list goes on and on. These may sound like small conveniences, but to people who wear glasses or contacts, they are exciting possibilities for an improved lifestyle. And now, with LASIK surgery, it can all happen for you.
LASIK is one of the most common and safest eye surgery procedures available. In fact, Dr. William Mitchell has performed well over 7,000 LASIK procedures. The basic concept of LASIK is to employ a precise laser to reshape the cornea, thereby improving your eye's ability to focus properly. Although there are a number of different technical variations to LASIK, the procedure follows the same general pattern. First, you will see Dr. Mitchell for a consultation, where your eye shape will be measured and your vision correction needs will be determined. If you are a candidate for the LASIK procedure (and most people are), your vision correction appointment will be scheduled.
On the day of your procedure, you should have a companion with you to take you home after the surgery. Your eyes will first be treated with drops to prevent you from feeling any sensations, and gently held open with a special device. Next, Dr. Mitchell will carefully create a flap in your cornea to access the corneal tissue beneath. Then, he will use a precise, FDA-regulated excimer laser to remove small particles of tissue, precisely shaping your cornea until your vision is corrected.
Dr. Mitchell then places the flap back down over the cornea, where it naturally seals itself together without any stitches or staples. The LASIK procedure is safe, fast, and painless. Best of all, most patients experience corrected vision immediately, or within 24 hours. As time goes by, many patients report that their vision gets better and better.
In most cases, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism can be effectively treated with LASIK surgery. It is important to select an experienced surgeon for this procedure – a successful outcome is more likely with thorough preparation and appropriate follow-up care. Dr. Mitchell will spend time with you to understand your vision needs, make sure LASIK is appropriate for your situation, and monitor you after the procedure. Please contact Huntsville Laser Center today for your free screening and to find out more about how LASIK can help you see better tomorrow!
Custom LASIK
While all LASIK procedures are tailored to each patient's specific vision needs, some people may benefit from the further refinements and enhancements that are available with custom LASIK. Prior to traditional LASIK surgery, a device called a corneal topographer is used to measure the size, shape, and vision irregularities of the cornea. Custom LASIK employs extremely sophisticated wave measurement technology, which produces a detailed, 3-dimensional analysis of the cornea and its vision aberrations. This highly accurate information is then used to program the laser that reshapes the cornea during the custom LASIK procedure.
People who may benefit from custom LASIK technology are those who have unusual vision defects, whose vision has proven difficult to correct in the past, or who have had a previous unsuccessful LASIK treatment. Custom LASIK offers these patients a strong chance of achieving 20/20 or better vision, and reducing other visual problems such as glare and sensitivity.
At your free screening, Dr. Mitchell will help you understand the difference between traditional and custom LASIK, and give you the information you need to decide which procedure is right for you. Please contact us today to schedule a free screening with Dr. Mitchell.
Monovision LASIK
LASIK technology allows your surgeon tremendous flexibility in treating vision problems throughout the lifespan of your eyes. Monovision is one method Dr. Mitchell uses to help people with presbyopia maintain and improve their vision capabilities.
Presbyopia is the term for slow degeneration of the eye muscles, which causes difficulty with near vision starting at around age 40. The concept of monovision is to correct each eye to a different point on the vision spectrum. Generally, one eye will be corrected for distance vision, and one eye for near vision. Patients treated in this manner learn to rely on each eye for different visual tasks, as opposed to traditional "binocular" vision treatments, in which both eyes share the workload at all points in the spectrum.
The monovision LASIK surgery is the same as traditional LASIK surgery in that a flap will be cut in the eye, and the cornea will be reshaped using a safe and accurate excimer laser. The only difference is that each eye will be purposely corrected to a different point in the vision spectrum. Using this technique, presbyopic patients in their 40s and beyond can maintain their visual acuity without having to rely on bifocal lenses.
PRK
PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is another method of treating vision problems such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. Similar to LASIK, PRK treatment involves reshaping the cornea of the eye with an excimer laser. The major difference between LASIK and PRK is that during PRK, the exterior surface of the cornea is reshaped, while during LASIK, a flap is cut and the interior surface of the cornea is reshaped.
There are benefits to both types of laser surgery. Since PRK treats the surface of the eye, the healing period is slower, and vision correction can take a few days or months to become fully apparent. However, the risk of complications is extremely rare, and is even lower than with LASIK.
Dr. Mitchell can help you understand if PRK or LASIK are options to improve your vision. Please contact Huntsville Laser Center for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Treatment of Severe Nearsightedness with the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL
In the past, many patients with severe myopia (nearsightedness) were disappointed because they were not eligible for LASIK surgery to treat the condition. Now there is another option! The Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is a surgically implanted lens that works in conjunction with your eye's natural function to produce clearer, better vision.
Verisyse™ is the first FDA-approved intraocular lens for treatment of myopia. Verisyse™ is a proven, successful treatment with over 150,000 procedures worldwide during the last two decades. The term "phakic" means that none of your own natural eye tissue is removed, thus your eye maintains its ability to switch between focusing on objects near and far. And should the need ever arise, Verisyse™ can be removed, with no change to the shape of your eye. Verisyse™ even works for people with nearsightedness of up to minus 20 diopters!
During the Verisyse™ implantation procedure, Dr. Mitchell will make a small incision to the cornea of your eye. The Verisyse™ lens, made to your exact correction needs, will be inserted beneath the corneal flap and held in place with tiny, dissolvable stitches. After the procedure, you will need to wear a protective shield for a short time. The surgery takes only about 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Soon you will be able to enjoy the freedom, comfort, and confidence of your new, improved vision!
Verisyse™ is an excellent option for many patients whose extreme nearsightedness previously made them ineligible for corrective eye surgery. Please contact Huntsville Laser Center today to meet with Dr. Mitchell and find out if Verisyse™ can work for you!
Clear Lens Exchange with Crystalens® and ReSTOR®
For many years, patients undergoing cataract removal surgery were fitted with implantable lenses to maintain the eye's ability to focus. However, many of these lenses were monofocal, meaning that they allowed the eyes to focus on one segment of the vision spectrum – usually at a distance. Glasses were still required for near and middle vision tasks, such as reading.
Advanced developments in vision technology are starting to make the old monofocal lenses obsolete. A new generation of accommodating lenses, including Crystalens® and ReSTOR®, is rapidly becoming the IOL of choice for people undergoing cataract removal surgery today. Accommodating lenses work with the eye's natural ability to focus at near, middle, and far distances, without the need for additional correction such as glasses and bifocals.
Accommodating lenses are not just for today's cataract patients. If you had monofocal IOLs placed after your cataract surgery, and still need glasses to see clearly, you may be a candidate for lens exchange. Dr. Mitchell can remove your old IOLs (even ones inserted by another doctor) and replace them with new, accommodating lenses by Crystalens® or ReSTOR®. If you would like to get rid of your reading glasses or bifocals, consider a lens exchange procedure with Dr. Mitchell at Huntsville Laser Center. Call us today to schedule your free screening.
Feel free to give us a call or send an email about any questions you may have about our procedures
William Mitchell, MD
Come visit us at our new location!
3501 South Memorial Parkway
Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone / 256-704-3937
Toll Free / 877-704-EYES
Fax / 256-704-3940
