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REGISTER STAFF WRITER
AmyAnn Pearson had made up her mind.
After relying on glasses and
contact lenses for more than half of her life, the mother of two from Urbandale wanted to
be free of it all.
"I had been thinking
about Lasik for years," said Pearson, 36. The procedure improves
vision by using a laser to permanently change the shape of the
cornea - the clear, front part of the eye that helps to focus light onto
the retina.
But when she visited Des Moines
ophthalmologist Dr. S. Ejaz Husain in
September, he suggested a procedure called "advanced surface
ablation" instead.
The technique - which, unlike
Lasik, does not require a "flap" to be made in the cornea - is
just one of two major developments in the field of laser vision
correction, said Husain, with Associated
Ophthalmologists PC in Des
Moines.
The other involves giving
patients more customized treatments, which in some cases, physicians say,
may give patients better vision than they had with glasses or contacts.
Husain and other physicians are
giving patients more individualized care with what's called "wavefront-guided" surgery.
This gives doctors a more
detailed map, or "fingerprint," of the unique characteristics
of a patient's eyes.
"It's really a
combination of the two that has really made a big difference," Husain said.
While Lasik remains a safe and
viable option for many patients, Husain said
the results of pairing advanced surface ablation and customized
treatment "may be slightly better."
The flap-free procedure, like
the one done in Pearson's case, involves removing the surface cells on
the cornea before reshaping the cornea with a laser. This is a no
incision, blade-less all laser vision correction procedure.
It also entails a slightly
longer recovery time and a little more discomfort, Husain
said.
The advanced surface
ablation is best for patients with thin corneas, dry eyes or certain
occupations like firefighting, law enforcement or those in the armed
forces, Husain said. "The baby boomer
population really suffers from dry eyes."
The custom treatments, which Husain uses on all of his patients, are about 25
times more precise than the standard methods, he said. They've also been
shown to reduce some problems like glare and "halos" associated
with night vision.
Before Pearson's Jan. 19
operation, her vision was 20/600; people are considered to be legally
blind in the United
States when their corrected vision is
20/200 or worse.
Her corrected vision now is
20/15 - better than "normal," or 20/20, vision.
"It's awesome to get out
of bed and see" without having to put on glasses, said Pearson, who
paid about $4,300 for the surgery, which was not covered by insurance.
"It's an amazing feeling."
It took her about five days to
recover from the surgery. She had to keep her eyes shut as much as
possible for the three days following the operation to facilitate the
healing.
About three months later,
Pearson is excited about the upcoming summer. She's looking forward to
spending time with her 4-year-old and 7-year-old at the pool and playing
outside without the worry of losing a contact lens.
"It's fantastic,"
she said. "It was totally worth it."
Reporter Dawn Sagario can be reached at (515) 284-8351 or
dsagario@dmreg.com
PHOTOS BY: JUSTIN HAYWORTH/THE
REGISTER
- After relying on glasses and
contact lenses for more than half of her life, AmyAnn
Pearson, 36, wanted to be free of it all. So she decided to have advanced
surface ablation. Prior to the operation, Pearson's vision was 20/600;
her corrected vision now is now 20/15, better than normal vision.
- AmyAnn
Pearson tries to take the basketball away from her son, Jack, 7, during a
game of horse.
- After having a laser
procedure called advanced surface ablation, AmyAnn
Pearson loves playing outside with her children, Jack, 7, and Grace, 4,
without contacts or glasses worries. "It's awesome to get out of bed
and see" without having to put on glasses, she said. "It's an
amazing feeling."
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