Glasses and contacts can be a pain, but local Opthamologist Dr.

Monday, May 14, 2001

Glasses and contacts can be a pain, but local Opthamologist Dr. William Waugh says corrective laser surgery could be a painless way to better vision.

&uot;I can see better every day,&uot; said Mary Hacker, one of Waugh’s first laser eye surgery patients.

About 95 percent of the surgery’s effects are visible the first day after surgery, Waugh said. Their vision usually stabilizes within the first week.

The surgery is not painful, and only takes about 15 minutes. It is performed on the surface of the eye, Waugh said. The surgeon peels the patent’s cornea back, trims it with the laser and lays it back in place. It is a very delicate process.

&uot;Every fire of the laser is one-fourth of a micron, and a micron is a thoustandth of a millimeter,&uot; he said. &uot;You could use it to carve your name on a human hair.&uot;

The cornea doesn’t require any stitches – it heals itself in a matter of minutes, he said. Tears act as an antibiotic to help prevent infection, but Waugh also prescribes eye drops.

The reattached cornea is flatter, correcting nearsightedness and some astigmatism, Waugh said

The healing process is pretty painless too, Waugh said. Patients can’t rub their eyes immediately after surgery, and must avoid hot-tubs and swimming pools for about a week. But they don’t have any pain and can usually see well enough to drive the next day.

&uot;Normally, we do it on Thursday, people take Friday off and then they can go back to work after the weekend,&uot; he said.

Waugh has been an optical surgeon for 24 years, and has operated on more than 10,000 sets of eyes, but he spent months studying reports of possible complications before deciding to offer corrective laser surgery.

&uot;I felt really comfortable in that respect, that I could deal with any problems that could present themselves,&uot; he said.

With a price tag of $1,400-$1,500 per eye, laser surgery may not be for everyone. Very few insurance companies cover the surgery, and Waugh won’t operate on just anyone anyway.

Waugh’s patients come in for a free consultation for information on the surgery. If they are still interested, they undergo a series of tests to make sure surgery is appropriate for them.

The surgery is not suitable for people with extreme astigmatism, or with connective tissue disease, Waugh said. People who are pregnant or have a history of corneal or some viral infections, or other corneal problems may also be ineligible.

The laser can be used to correct farsightedness, but Waugh won’t do the surgery because he says it is not the best method. He hopes to offer conductive keratoplasty for farsighted patients by the end of the year.

&uot;It’s really nice to be able to bring this technology to Albert Lea,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s something that was a dream five years ago.&uot;