The prospect of surgery can be troubling. Face it; you’re relying on someone you do not know to perform a delicate medical procedure on an equally delicate part of your body—your eyes. You have questions. Will I see better? Is the operation safe? How experienced is the doctor performing it? You are concerned, and you should be. Surgery should not be taken lightly. It helps to know what goes on, the expertise of the people doing the surgeries, and how safe they are.

How well-trained are eye surgeons?

Eye or ophthalmic surgeons are trained at the highest levels. All eye surgeons are ophthalmologists. They must have a college degree, four years of medical school, a one-year internship, and at least three years of ophthalmology residency in eye surgery, after which they must pass a stringent licensing examination.

Let’s Amplify

In residency, doctors learn and perfect their clinical knowledge and clinical skills. Each specialty requires a certain length of time a graduated medical doctor must put into perfecting their clinical knowledge and skills. After completing a residency program, the physician can begin working in their field. In this case, eye surgery.
Within the field of Ophthalmic surgery, there are several sub-specialties.

• Pediatric
• Glaucoma
• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Retina/uveitis
• Anterior segment/cornea
• Oculoplastic/orbit
• Ocular oncology

Types of Eye Surgery

• Blepharoplasty repairs droopy eyelids. The doctor makes a small incision, removes skin and muscle, and repositions fat.
• Cataract surgery removes a clouded lens and implants a clear artificial lens in its place.
• Corneal transplant/Endothelial keratoplasty. The donor cornea, cut to fit, is placed in the opening. The surgeon then uses stitches (sutures) to affix the new cornea in place.
• Glaucoma surgeries. The surgeon removes a circular piece of the damaged cornea from the center of the eye and replaces it with a donated cornea.
• LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis). The most popular surgery used to redirect light to the retina and correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
• Retina repair. One method of retinal detachment repair is pneumatic retinopexy. In this procedure, a gas bubble is injected into the eye. The bubble presses against the detached retina and pushes it back into place. A laser or cryotherapy is then used to reattach the retina in place.
• Eye muscle surgery is used to fix children’s “lazy eyes.” It involves making a small incision in the clear covering of the white of the eye through which the muscle is reattached.

Get Your Sight Right, New York

Dr. Craig Beyer comes to the New York area as one of the first 10 doctors in the country authorized to perform LASIK surgery by the FDA. He has personally performed over 15,000 surgeries. His experience in the range of corrective surgeries and advanced eye care has been noted by top Ophthalmology Publications nationwide.
If you live in New York or the surrounding areas and need to discuss eye surgery options, call 877-274-1797 to schedule a free consultation.

Ophthalmic eye surgeons are physicians specially trained in surgical techniques that correct refractive (light) errors, glaucoma, and cataracts. As medical doctors, eye surgeons are also qualified to diagnose and treat diseases and medical conditions that impact vision. Areas of expertise cover a wide range of vision issues that often overlap with those treated by other specialists in the medical field. The specialty requires a minimum of four years of post-graduate training in ophthalmology, three of which focus on ophthalmic eye surgery.

Selecting an Ophthalmic Eye Surgeon

Ophthalmic eye surgeons can choose to specialize in a wide range of sub-fields. Patients with certain eye problems would be wise to select an ophthalmic surgeon known for their expertise in the particle field.

• Pediatric surgery Glaucoma surgery
• Glaucoma surgery
• Retinal diseases and issues
• Corneal issues and diseases
• Plastic surgery
• Neurology
• Reconstructive surgery
• Cataract and refractive surgery

Eye surgeons typically divide their time between diagnostic office visits and the operating room. As medical doctors (MDs), they often interact with other doctors in treating systemic diseases, such as diabetes and other conditions that impact vision.

Be Advised

Take these items into consideration.

• Treatments by eye surgeons can be expensive
• Appointments are difficult to get
• A referral is often required

It is advisable to check with your health insurance to see whether a particular surgical treatment is covered.

Cataracts and Glaucoma

These days the most common eye surgeries involve the treatment of cataracts and glaucoma. With the first, a cloudy film grows over the eye lens and generally occurs with age. The second, a more serious condition, involves damage to or anomaly in the nerve connecting the eye to the brain. The condition is usually traceable to family history.

Laser Eye Surgery

LASIX surgery uses lasers to correct the common vision issues of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It has garnered its fair share of headlines. However, there are a variety of laser surgery techniques that eye surgeons have at their disposal, depending upon the vision problem or deficiency.

• Advanced Surface Ablation uses the Zeiss excimer laser Advanced Surface Ablation program to reshape the cornea.
• Laser Blended Vision is designed to correct distance and reading vision issues in patients over 45.
• Small Incision Lenticule Extraction is a new blade-free, single laser technique.
• Photo Therapeutic Keratectomy uses the excimer laser to polish the corneal surface and remove irregular tissue.
• Yttrium Aluminum Garnet provides fast, effective, and painless treatment for posterior capsule opacity (PCO), also known as ‘secondary cataracts.’
• Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty lowers intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma.
• Pan Retinal Photocoagulation prevents further visual loss in patients with advanced diabetic eye disease or other degenerative eye conditions.

Get Your Sight Right, New York

Dr. Craig Beyer comes to the New York area as one of the first 10 doctors in the country authorized to perform LASIK surgery by the FDA. He has personally performed over 15,000 surgeries. His experience in all corrective surgeries and knowledge of advanced eye care has been noted by top Ophthalmology Publications nationwide.
If you live in New York or the surrounding areas and are considering LASIX surgery, experiencing eye issues, or need professional advice on contacts versus glasses, call us now at 877-274-1797 to schedule a free consultation.