• Symptoms of Nearsightedness
• Treatment Options

Information about Nearsightedness

Patients with nearsightedness, or myopia, are unable to focus clearly on distant objects. Nearsightedness occurs when light enters the eye, but focuses in front of the retina rather than directly on it. This is typically the result of an eye that is too long or a cornea that is too steep.

Symptoms of Nearsightedness

• Difficulty seeing distant objects
• Squinting in order to see more clearly

Treatment Options

Nearsighted patients often wear glasses or contacts to help them see more clearly. However, with advancements in technology, there are now alternative treatment options available through refractive surgery. Refractive surgery options for the treatment of myopia include LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) and CLEAR™ (clear lens extraction and replacement) and more recently ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens). Residents of Tampa, Orlando, and surrounding cities often come to St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute to have these procedures performed by expert surgeon, Dr. Pit Gills.

• LASIK
• CLEAR™ - Clear Lens Extraction and Replacement
• PRK
• ICL

LASIK

LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is a procedure that permanently reshapes the cornea for clearer vision. Performed by Dr. Pit Gills at St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute in Florida, LASIK is ideal for patients who want to experience clear vision without the hassle of glasses or contacts. LASIK corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Before LASIK, Dr. Gills will administer anesthetic drops to numb the eye. A lid speculum will be used to hold the eye open and prevent the patient from blinking during the procedure. Dr. Gills will create a flap in the corneal tissue using a special instrument called a microkeratome. Patients may feel slight pressure as this flap is created.

Dr. Gills will then fold back the flap to reveal the underlying corneal tissue. As the patient stares directly at a target light, the laser will gently reshape the cornea. By removing tissue from the middle of the cornea, causing it to become flatter, nearsightedness will be corrected. This part of the procedure typically lasts less than a minute. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap will be returned to its original position where it bonds securely in place without the need for stitches.

Ideal candidates for LASIK are individuals over 21, who have had a stable prescription for at least a year. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gills to find out if you can benefit from LASIK. Take the first step towards clearer vision and contact Dr. Gills today.

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CLEAR™ - Clear Lens Extraction and Replacement

Offering another approach to refractive surgery, CLEAR™, which stands for clear lens extraction and replacement, brings residents from Tampa, Orlando, and other cities to our practice. Unlike refractive procedures that reshape the cornea, CLEAR™ replaces the eye’s natural lens with an intraocular lens.

Before surgery, Dr. Gills will numb the eye with anesthetic drops. Once the eye is numb, he will remove the natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL). A tiny incision is made in the edge of the cornea to insert the new lens. Once inserted, the intraocular lens will be able to increase the patient’s focusing power.

Patients over the age of 40 who are not good candidates for LASIK and who are interested in vision correction may be candidates for CLEAR™. Contact Dr. Pit Gills today to learn more about clear lens extraction and replacement, available to residents of Orlando, Tampa, and surrounding Florida cities from St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute.

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PRK

Photo-refractive keratectomy (PRK) was the first refractive procedure performed using an excimer laser, and is still performed today for the improvement of low to moderate nearsightedness. This procedure is much like LASIK; however, instead of creating a corneal flap, Dr. Gills completely removes the outer layer of the cornea to access underlying tissue. He then uses a laser to reshape the cornea, resulting in clearer distance vision.

PRK is associated with a longer healing time and more postoperative discomfort than LASIK surgery. Many patients report some discomfort during the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. However, results are similar to those achieved by LASIK.

PRK can be an ideal procedure for patients who are not good candidates for LASIK. To find out if PRK is right for you, contact Dr. Pit Gills at St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute today.

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Visian™ ICL

There is yet another exciting vision correction option for people with moderate to severe nearsighted: Visian™ ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens). Pit Gills, MD is pleased to offer this new lens in the Tampa Bay area.

The Visian™ ICL is a lens that is permanently implanted in the eye behind the iris and in front of the natural lens. It works by bending light rays so that they focus on the retina.

Unlike contact lenses, the Visian™ ICL will never dry out, become dirty, get lost, or need to be re-inserted in the eye each morning. It offers people who are not good candidates for laser vision correction the freedom from having to wear glasses and contact lenses.

If you are interested in hearing more about this and the many other vision correction options St. Luke’s offers, call for an appointment with cataract and refractive surgery specialist Pit Gills, MD.

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