Health Information: Flippin Eyecare Center Services

RK | ALK | PRK | LASIK | Corneal Ring | Ortho-K

We offer consultation , pre and post op care for Radial Keratotomy and Photorefractive Keratectomy.

You may not have heard of OrthoKeratology, a non surgical method of improving your vision. This option uses specially designed Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses (RGP) to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision.
Basically, an individual requires spectacles (glasses) to see when their cornea is too flat, too steep or out of round in relation to the other elements or parts of the eye. The cornea makes up about two-thirds of the eye's total power to focus the light precisely on the retina (receiving screen) which is located in the back of the eye.

RK - Radial Keratotomy..........surgery for treating mild to moderate levels of nearsightedness (myopia)
RK surgery is performed by making a series of microscopic, spoke-like incisions in the peripheral portion of the cornea, avoiding the very center. Following surgery,the central cornea is flatter than before, allowing light rays to be focused nearer to the retina. This results in a reduction of myopia. RK is a brief, outpatient procedure done under topical anesthesia (eyedrops). A small dose of medicine may be given to help you relax during the procedure. Following the surgery you may experience some discomfort such as light sensitivity or feeling like something is in your eye for the first few weeks. Although results are not instantaneous, most RK patients experience a remarkable improvement in vision by the next morning. You may also experience some mild fluctuation of vision while your eye heals.

ALK - Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty........surgery for treating severe nearsightedness (myopia) and mild to moderate farsightedness (hyperopia)

This procedure involves creating a corneal flap by making an incision across the front surface of the cornea. For nearsighted patients, a second refractive cut is then made. This smaller, thinner disc is discarded and the flap is replaced, resulting in a flatter corneal curvature. The farsighted procedure involves making a single deep cut that results in a central bulging of the remaining cornea. When the flap is replaced, it results in a steepening of the corneal curvature, thus reducing the patient's hyperopia. With both procedures, the cap usually requires no suturing. Depending on the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness, some patients may experience a dramatic improvement on the first postoperative day. Other patients may require a longer period until vision becomes sharper.

PRK - Photorefractive Keratectomy .......surgery for treating mild to severe nearsightedness (myopia) by using the eximer laser

PRK is a type of refractive surgery that uses the eximer laser to reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses. PRK uses the eximer laser to deliver ultraviolet light to the eye which removes small amounts of tissue from the center of the cornea. The goal of this procedure is to reduce nearsightedness by resculpting the cornea, flattening its center and changing the way the light is focused on the back of the eye.

LASIK - Laser Augmented In-situ Keratomileusis .......surgery for treating mild to severe nearsightedness (myopia) by using the eximer laser

LASIK is performed in a manner similar to ALK except for the second pass. In LASIK an excimer laser is used to remove the second disk of tissue. LASIK dramatically reduces recovery time (versus PRK) and decreases the chance of many of the procedural risks (compared to ALK). The procedure itself takes only a few minutes to complete and involves minimal discomfort. LASIK requires more technical skill and training than other laser procedures.

Corneal Ring

Intacs,
formerly know as Intrastromal Corneal Ring, consists of clear, ultra-thin polymers that reshape the cornea when placed in the eye and outside of the central optical zone. The Intacs treatment does not require cutting or removing tissue from the optical zone like other surgical procedures.

Ortho-K ......nonsurgical treatment using contact lenses.

More information is available on this site.

Searcy Eye Care Center
Howard F. Flippin, O.D.
Patricia Westfall, O.D.
James Hertzog, O.D.
410 West Race Avenue
Searcy, AR 72143
(501) 268-3577

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