What is Advanced Surface Ablation?
Looking to have vision correction surgery in the Rochester Hills or Troy area? Well we have great news! Advanced surface ablation (ASA) isn’t your parents’ vision correction surgery from 30 years ago! Historically, older versions of ASA (previously known as PRK) used older laser technology that provided less precise treatments that resulted in higher enhancement rates and side effects such as nighttime glare and halos. With additional research and development over the past 30 years into modern lasers, the safety and effectiveness of ASA has never been better. Keep reading to learn more about ASA, and whether it might be your best option for getting out of glasses and contacts!
What is Custom ASA?
With Contoura Custom ASA treatments, your laser treatment is designed to be custom fit to your eye’s unique fingerprint. This results in the best vision possible with the least side effects. Not everyone is a candidate for custom treatments, but the standard ASA treatment also has outstanding visual results. Whether you are a candidate for Contoura or Standard ASA, at Clear Vision Center our surgeon will recommend the procedure that has the greatest chance of overall success for you.
What is the PRK/ASA Consultation Like?
Your vision correction journey will begin with an initial consultation followed by a more detailed examination of your eyes health, including pictures of your eye’s unique “fingerprint”. Unlike most other laser centers, at Clear Vision Center we include a personal consultation and examination by your actual board-certified surgeon, Josh Vrabec MD, to ensure you are a great candidate for laser vision correction. We will discuss your goals, the procedure, recovery, restrictions, and provide detailed pricing information at that visit. If you are ready, we will schedule the date of your procedure.
What is the PRK/ASA Procedure Like?
On your vision correction day, you will need someone to drive you to our office. Once you arrive, you may choose to take a relaxation medication (Valium) to help calm any nerves (which is normal!). You’ll relax in one of our comfortable, reclining massage chairs and enjoy music in our private waiting area. Once relaxed, you will move to the laser room and will get numbing eye drops to ensure you feel nothing during the procedure. You will be laying flat on the laser bed, where we first use a solution to carefully rinse the eye. We then apply the laser treatment (typically less than 10 seconds) to obtain the desired vision correction. A few more drops are placed, followed by a temporary contact lens for comfort. We repeat the process on your other eye, and you are done! The entire PRK/ASA procedure typically takes just 15-20 minutes.
Top 10 Reasons to Have ASA/PRK at the Clear Vision Center:
- Complimentary screening and consultation with an experienced surgeon
- Dr Josh Vrabec is a highly experienced, board-certified surgeon, and has been recognized as a charter Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgeons
- Modern, on-site procedure suite
- Personalized care & custom approach
- Practice-owned laser, custom calibrated for one surgeon
- Custom Contoura ASA/PRK treatments included, if a candidate
- All post-procedure eye drops and followup visits included
- Enhancements for 2 years included
- Transparent, all-inclusive pricing
- Not a ASA candidate? We also specialize in other vision-correction options: LASIK, EVO ICL, SMILE, Custom Lens Replacement (CLR)
Take our Quiz to learn more about your vision correction options. Or click below to schedule your laser vision consultation.
Am I a Candidate for ASA/PRK?
Every potential candidate for vision correction undergoes a detailed screening where we look at factors such as the shape of the eye, your current prescription, as well as your personality, profession and vision goals. The best candidates for ASA are between 20-49 with mild-to-moderate degrees of near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism. If you are over 49 or have a condition where laser vision correction isn’t an option for you, we may recommend a different procedure. Over 80% of those who see us for a consultation are a candidate for vision correction, but we have to make sure you meet the criteria for a great outcome with the lowest possible risks. Our standard process is to recommend to each unique person the procedure that fits them best, and do not match the same procedure to everyone in a “cookie cutter” approach.
Is ASA/PRK Safe?
The short answer is yes! Over 800,000 laser vision procedures are safely performed each year worldwide, but as with any procedure, it does carry some risks. Overall, modern laser vision correction has greater than 99% safety and efficacy as published in numerous scientific journals, making it the safest surgical procedure in the history of modern medicine. While complications can occur with any medical procedure, the vast majority of laser vision complications can be avoided through detailed screening, having a skilled and experienced surgeon and staff, and using modern laser technology.
Safety is Our Top Priority
At the Clear Vision Center, we go beyond the standard-of-care with our screening process to ensure that only the best candidates qualify for laser vision correction. While we would love if everyone wanting vision correction could qualify for laser vision correction, the truth is that some people have thin corneas or other conditions that make laser vision correction high risk. And with two decades of laser vision correction experience including over 5000 vision-correcting procedures personally performed, you can trust that with the Clear Vision Center and Dr Vrabec you have a compassionate, skilled, and experienced surgeon and team by your side for the entire process: from initial consultation all the way to your final post-procedure appointment.
What are the Side Effects of ASA/PRK?
With ASA/PRK, there are some common side effects immediately after the procedure such as dryness of the eyes, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and eye redness. The first few days after ASA may be uncomfortable and vision may be blurry few a few weeks as the eye heals itself. Complications of ASA are extremely rare, but we will review them with you in detial at your consultation so you can make an informed decision about the procedure. At Clear Vision Center, we are committed to only offering laser vision correction to the best candidates, and ~20% of our consultations do not qualify for laser vision correction. If this is the case, we will discuss other vision correction options, or perhaps not recommend surgery at all (yes, we’re okay with that!).
Is Custom ASA Right for Me?
During your initial consultation, we will be able to determine if you are a candidate for Custom ASA. Custom ASA is 99% safe and effective in the properly selected patient, but some patients are not a candidate for the procedure due to thin corneas, dry eyes, or occupational concerns. Alternative laser vision procedures such as LASIK or small incision lenticle extraction (SMILE) are alternative laser procedures that have similar excellent results. In addition, there are safe and effective lens-based vision correction procedures such as the EVO ICL or Custom Lens Replacement (CLR) which avoid treating the cornea altogether to achieve similar, and in some cases superior visual results for high myopia and/or presbyopia.