Eye Care

At LaserVue Eye Center, we pair state-of-the-art technology with patient-centered care to provide routine eye exams, contact lens fitting and evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of eye infections and diseases, and full range of ophthalmic and optical services. Below are some of the most common eye conditions and procedures we provide treatments for to our patients:

Astigmatism
A condition in which the surface of the cornea is not spherical, but is irregularly shaped like the back of a spoon. An astigmatic cornea causes light images to focus on two separate points in the eye, creating a distorted image. Symptoms range from visual discomfort in mild cases, to severe blurring, ghosting, and distortion similar to a reflection in a fun-house mirror.

Blepharitis
A chronic or long term inflammation of the eyelids and eyelashes, affecting people of all ages. Among the most common causes are poor eyelid hygiene; excess oil produced by the glands in the eyelids; a bacterial infection; or an allergic reaction.

Cataract
Also known as nuclear sclerosis. Cataracts are an opacity or clouding of the natural crystalline lens that may prevent a clear image from forming on the retina. Cataracts occur naturally and can be induced by trauma. The cataractous lens may require surgical removal if visual loss becomes significant, with lost optical power replaced with an intraocular lens.

Clear Lens Exchange (CLE)
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE), also known as Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), is essentially cataract surgery without the cataract. The crystalline lens is removed from the eye and replaced with a clear plastic intraocular lens (IOL). The new IOL will be of a power to correct refractive error. Cataract surgery is performed when the crystalline lens has become cloudy. RLE is performed for purely refractive purposes.

Computer Vision Syndrome
Those who spend more than two hours each day in front of a computer screen may experience some degree of computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS include headaches, loss of focus, burning and tired eyes, double/blurry vision, or neck and shoulder pains.

Conductive Keratoplasty
A refractive surgery procedure for hyperopia and astigmatism that uses a probe to apply high frequency radio waves into the corneal tissue, causing shrinkage. This controlled shrinkage will reshape the cornea to accommodate refractive error.

Conjunctivitis
Inflammation of the conjunctiva. May be caused by bacteria, virus, allergens, or chemical or ultraviolet light exposure.

Corneal Abrasion
A scratch or similar trauma to the outer surface of the cornea.

Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy damages the tiny blood vessels that supply the retina. In the early stages of this disease-called non-proliferative or "background" retinopathy, the retinal vessels weaken and develop bulges that may leak blood or fluid into the surrounding tissue.

Dry Eye
The term dry eye is used to describe a variety of ocular disorders with diverse etiopathogenesis but similar symptoms: discomfort, a feeling of dryness, burning or stinging, grittiness, foreign body sensation and photophobia.

Flashes & Floaters
Floaters are more likely to develop as we age and are more common in people who are very nearsighted, have diabetes, or who have had a cataract operation. There are other, more serious causes of floaters, including infection, inflammation (uveitis), hemorrhaging, retinal tears, and injury to the eye, which require immediate medical attention.

Glaucoma
A disease characterized by increased pressure within the eyeball. If not diagnosed and treated, glaucoma may lead to optic nerve damage, loss of visual field, gradual vision impairment, and sometimes blindness.

Hyperopia
Also known as farsightedness. Hyperopia occurs when the eyeball is too short from front to back, or the eye's focusing mechanism is too weak, causing light rays to be focused behind, rather than on, the retina. People with hyperopia have difficulty seeing objects close up. This refractive abnormality requires a plus (positive or convex) lens for correction.

Intraocular Lens
A man-made silicone or plastic lens used to replace the natural crystalline lens of the eye. Used in cataract surgery, Phakic Intraocular Lens (P-IOL) implantation, or Refractive Lens Exchange.

Keratitis
Inflammation of the cornea. May be caused by bacteria, virus, fungus, hypoxia, or other microorganisms.
Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis
An advanced laser procedure which corrects refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) by changing the shape of the cornea. After altering the corneal curvature, the corneal flap is replaced and adheres without stitches. LASIK with IntraLASE or All-Laser LASIK is performed with the corneal flap created by a femtosecond laser rather than with a mechanical microkeratome.

Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older. It is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision. You need central vision to see objects clearly and to do tasks such as reading and driving.
AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. It does not hurt, but it causes cells in the macula to die. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. Regular comprehensive eye exams can detect macular degeneration before the disease causes vision loss. Treatment can slow vision loss. It does not restore vision.

Myopia
Also known as nearsightedness. Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long from front to back, or the eye's focusing mechanism is too strong, causing light rays to be focused in front, rather than on, the retina. People with myopia have difficulty seeing objects far away. This refractive error requires a minus (negative or concave) lens for correction. N

Ocular Allergies
Ocular allergy is a common condition affecting approximately 17 to 20% of the population, and its incidence is increasing. The conjunctiva is exposed to many environmental allergens and is often the location of first contact with an allergen. For this reason, the management of ocular allergies is a very important aspect of many vision care practices.

Ocular Inflammation
Inflammation of the middle layer of the eye (uvea), which can occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Some causes include injury to the eye, infection of the eye with virus, autoimmune disorders, gout, etc. The patient may experience redness of the eye, discomfort in the affected eye, sensitivity to light (photophobia), blurred vision, and/or floaters. Proper treatment of the underlying cause of inflammation reduces the risk of potential complications, such as glaucoma or macular edema.

Ocular Migraines
People with ocular migraines can experience a variety of visual symptoms. Classically, you will see a small, enlarging blind spot (scotoma) in your central vision with bright, flickering lights (scintillations) or a shimmering zig-zag line (metamorphopsia) inside the blind spot. The blind spot usually enlarges and may move across your field of vision. This entire migraine phenomenon can resolve within only a few minutes, but usually lasts as long as about 20-30 minutes.
Ocular migraines generally are considered harmless. They are typically painless, cause no permanent visual or brain damage, and usually do not require treatment. Nevertheless, always consult your eye doctor when you have unusual vision symptoms, because it's possible that you may have another condition requiring immediate attention and treatment.

Presbyopia
Part of the normal process of aging. As a person becomes older, we begin to lose the flexibility of the natural crystalline lens of the eye and weakness of the muscles. Most people do not begin to experience the effects of presbyopia until they are in their mid-40’s. This loss of flexibility limits the ability of the eye to change its point of focus from distance to near.

Photorefractive Keratectomy
Abbreviated as PRK. A surgical procedure using an excimer laser to reshape the central cornea to a flattened shape for people who are myopic and a more curved surface for people who are hyperopic.

Ptosis
Ptosis is also called "drooping eyelid." It is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves which control those muscles, or laxity of the skin of the upper eyelids.
Drooping eyelid can be caused by the normal aging process, a congenital abnormality (present before birth), or the result of an injury or disease.

Retinal Disorders
The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of your eye that senses light and sends images to your brain. In the center of this nerve tissue is the macula. It provides the sharp, central vision needed for reading, driving and seeing fine detail. Retinal disorders affect this vital tissue. They can affect your vision, and some can be serious enough to cause blindness and examples include retinal holes, tears, and detachments.

Strabismus
More commonly known as crossed-eyes, is a vision condition in which a person cannot align both eyes simultaneously under normal conditions. One or both of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down. An eye turn may be constant; when the eye turns all of the time. Strabismus may be intermittent; turning only some of the time, such as, under stressful situations or when ill.

Sty
A sty (hordeolum) is a red, painful lump on the edge or inside of your eyelid that may look like a boil or a pimple. Usually a sty is filled with pus. As it swells in size, the sty may make it difficult for you to see clearly because you can't fully open your eye.
More than one sty can occur at a time, leading to a generalized inflammation of your eyelid — a condition known as blepharitis. Fortunately, most sties disappear in just a few days. In the meantime, you can sometimes relieve the pain or discomfort of a sty with simple self-care treatments. You may want to see your doctor if a sty interferes with your vision, appears frequently with successive infections, does not disappear on its own, or does not respond to self-care.