Reporter learns Boling's techniques

Editor's note: This is part two in a series of articles following Truth Reporter Bridget Levitz through the LASIK procedure at Boling Vision Center. She'll be sharing her experience from her consultation with the eye doctor to the days following her eye surgery.

By Bridget Levitz

Truth Staff

ELKHART -- I don't know what it is about waiting rooms, but they make me nervous. Maybe it's the flipping through magazines to pass the time or the constant urge to check the clock, wondering all the while -- when will they call my name?

I was waiting to meet with staff at Boling Vision Center to determine whether I'm a good candidate for refractive surgery and to learn more about the LASIK procedure.

Once my name was called, the consultation began with a brief video explaining the process. Staff member Kathy Boling spent more than an hour and a half answering my questions and doing a few quick tests to make sure chances were high for successful LASIK results.

I'm nearsighted, which means I can see things up close just fine. But if you ask me to pick out a family member from across the street without glasses or contacts -- I'll probably be waving at a stranger. My left eye is at -3.50 diopters and my right is at -2.25 diopters. A diopter indicates the level of correction needed for me to see clearly.

I also have a slight astigmatism in my left eye, meaning it's shaped more like a football instead of a basketball. This results in different focal points in the eye and can create ghosts or shadows around images.

Fortunately, LASIK can treat patients who are nearsighted, farsighted, with astigmatism or without and even those who need reading glasses.

"Vision is like a fingerprint," Kathy explained. The technology used at Boling since 2005 captures the eye's unique imperfections and offers 25 times the precision than any other method. Only 200 centers in the world offer this level of technology, according to Boling.

That technology is a combination of the CustomVue VISX machine, IntraLase and Wavescan. Here's a breakdown of those terms, and how they work together in the LASIK procedure.

* CustomVue VISX machine

In the past, eye measurements were taken while patients were standing. When they would lie down for the procedure, the eye would change location and a laser technician would then manually adjust the measurement, Kathy explained.

Now, the VISX machine uses Iris Registration to automatically take those measurements. It uses multiple reference points on the iris to ensure the LASIK treatment is performed on the correct area of the patient's eye.

Kathy shared another piece of information about the VISX laser. It tracks the tiniest motion of the eye instantaneously. So if my eyes move slightly, the LASIK surgery won't be messed up. It also will move with the eye if a patient is nervous and breathing heavier then usual. If there's too large a movement, it automatically shuts off.

* IntraLase

LASIK (Laser Assisted Insitu Keratomileusis) is a laser-assisted eye surgery that creates a flap in the cornea with a handheld oscillating metal blade called a microkeratome. A laser is used to reshape the underlying cornea to where it needs to be for better vision. This has always been the part of LASIK surgery that scares me most. For someone who's never had a broken limb or a cut bad enough to require stitches, the thought of my eye being cut was enough to endure the hassle of glasses and contacts.

But Boling uses IntraLase, an all-laser performed surgery -- a no-cutting procedure.

"Most complications that have occurred in LASIK procedures were related to how precisely that original flap was created," Kathy said.

IntraLase is a less-invasive approach, she said. The corneal flap is cut at the exact shape and thickness to maintain the natural curve of the eye.

* Wavescan

Wavesan allows doctors to make a more detailed map of the eye than previously was available. It measures imperfections in the eye 25 times more precisely than methods used for glasses and contact lenses. Because of this technology, doctors can reshape the cornea to more exact specifications.

"Two years ago, LASIK could correct a person's eyesight to the same level as seeing with contact lenses," Kathy said. "Now we can go beyond that."

I'm hopeful my vision can do just that.

I went ahead and scheduled my LASIK surgery for Sept. 8. I'm still nervous but I can't wait for the results. In preparation, Boling asked me to not wear contacts for two weeks. Contacts change the shape of the eye, so it's necessary to let them return to their normal shape before my eyes are measured for the procedure. I'll return to Boling Vision Center on Monday for all the pre-LASIK measurements.