LASIK Helps Professionals In The Workplace
by Bernard Milstein, M.D.; The Eye Clinic of Texas

From restaurant owners to family doctors to police officers, more professionals are opting to undergo LASIK laser vision correction to not only improve their lives, but make their on-the-job tasks easier to perform.

For over 40 years, Frank Petronella, owner of Brothers Petronella Seafood Restaurant in Houston, suffered from poor vision and succumbed to embarrassing glasses and difficult-to-handle contact lenses.

“Before the surgery, I couldn’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen because the heat would irritate my contact lenses,” Petronella said. “I had difficulty reading the menu.”

In 1988, Glenn Orsak, M.D., a family medicine doctor at Pearland Family Medicine, suffered an eye injury that resulted in astigmatism. While the injury caused only slight damage to his vision, Orsak was used to reading with 20/10 vision. He compensated by wearing eyeglasses.

“In the clinic, I always had to put goggles over my glasses, and often times, they wouldn’t fit,” Orsak said. “My ears and nose would get tired of having to support the glasses, so I would take them off, but would then have to strain my eyes to read. I use electronic patient records, and had difficulty reading my computer screen.”

Since he was in seventh grade, Eric Leland, a police officer with the League City Police Department, suffered with poor vision. He found that his glasses were becoming a large nuisance while patrolling the city, especially if it involved a physical altercation with a suspect. If he was wearing his contact lenses, and it started raining, it made it difficult to see, as well.

“When working a 12-hour shift, your eyes get tired,” Leland said. “I constantly had to switch back and forth between my glasses and contact lenses. It was a nuisance.”

All three gentlemen came to The Eye Clinic of Texas to undergo a type of laser vision correction surgery known as laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK. The procedure uses a cool-beamed excimer laser and an automated microkeratome to reshape the cornea. The entire procedure takes approximately 10 minutes and the patient experiences little or no discomfort. Vision is usually restored to 20/20 within 12 hours.

These men experienced tremendous results.

“For the first time in many years, I was able to return to the kitchen and do the actual cooking,” Petronella said. “This is from a man who couldn’t read the dashboard while sitting in the driver’s seat. It’s amazing.”

Leland’s vision was restored to 20/15.

“I feel so much freedom as a result of having the procedure,” Leland said. “When I am on the job, there aren’t any worries about breaking my glasses or one of my lenses falling out.”

Orsak, whose vision was actually quite good before the surgery, had the procedure performed using the new Alcon LADARVision System. This system, which uses technology derived from NASA’s Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative, is equipped with an eye-tracking system that maintains accurate placement of the laser beam during surgery. It is perfect for candidates who are dealing with astigmatism.

“I saw immediate results and my vision continued to improve each day,” Orsak said. “Today, I am back to seeing 20/10. When I am in the clinic, I don’t have to clean my glasses constantly and can read my electronic medical records more clearly. My vision is so normal now that it is hard to remember that I ever had a vision problem. The procedure was so simple and yet had such a profound impact on my life, especially on the job.”

In addition, Orsak mentioned the cost-benefit of having LASIK was enough of an incentive for him to have the procedure performed. On average, he spent $700-800 each year on eyecare accessories, such as new prescription glasses, contact lenses, cleaning solution and more. In the two years since having the surgery, he has saved $1,500. The average LASIK procedure costs approximately $2,000-2,250.

While these are just a few examples of how LASIK has helped professionals on the job, more and more people are able to enjoy the benefits of LASIK since more insurance companies are covering the procedure each day. Furthermore, many companies are now allowing employees to use their flexible spending accounts to pay for LASIK.

In selecting a LASIK provider, it is very important to look at his/her history and how long the physicians have been performing the procedure. Not everyone is a candidate for LASIK, so it is important that people find an accomplished surgeon whom they can trust.

My colleague, Daniel Gold, M.D., and I were two of 15 physicians in the country, and the only two from Texas, to participate in the clinical trials of laser vision correction surgery in 1991. Since then, we have performed thousands of laser vision correction surgeries.

So, if you are a professional that is tired of dealing with the hassles of eyeglasses or contact lenses while on the job, find out if you are a candidate for LASIK. It could make your life, and your job, a lot more manageable.

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