What is LASIK?

LASIK is a painless, highly successful laser procedure that can reduce and usually eliminate your need for glasses or contact lenses in just minutes.  LASIK can be used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and the age-related need for reading glasses known as presbyopia.  At One to One LASIK San Diego, we specialize in advanced “no-blade” LASIK using the Ziemer femtosecond flap-making laser and the Wavelight Allegretto excimer laser which offers wavefront-optimized and topography-linked technologies for the most highly customized LASIK treatment available anywhere.  The Wavelight Allegretto is the only laser system that specifically delivers treatment in a way that preserves the most normal curvature characteristics of the cornea. This greatly reduces the risk of unwanted side effects such as poor night vision, glare, and halos.

Who will be doing my procedure at One to One LASIK San Diego.

LASIK expert, Dr. Angelique Pillar has performed thousands of vision-correcting procedures including LASIK, PRK, cataract surgery, corneal transplant surgery and implantable contact lens surgery and has special expertise in the newest technological advances. Raised in the Bay Area, she is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Medical School and completed her Ophthalmology training at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She pursued  advanced fellowship training in corneal and refractive surgery at the world famous Cleveland Clinic and then then returned to Baltimore, joining a prestigious eye surgery private practice while also serving as Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland.

Beyond her unique surgical skills, what sets Dr. Pillar apart is her award-winning teaching ability. She takes great pride in listening to her patients carefully and educating them thoroughly about their eye problems and treatment choices – a perfect fit with this practice’s longstanding “One-to-One” philosophy of highly personalized and compassionate care.

Dr. Pillar’s unique surgical skill and patient-centered focus has caught the attention of optometrists and primary care physicians throughout San Diego County who regularly refer their patients to Dr. Pillar for eye surgery.

One to One LASIK has repeatedly been voted “Top Doctor” in annual surveys of San Diego physicians conducted by San Diego Magazine.  One to One LASIK has also won the online ‘Patient Choice Award” every year since it was established, putting it among the top 1% of practices nationwide. One to One LASIK has an A+ rating with the Better Busines Bureau and page after page of 5-star reviews on Yelp.

How does LASIK work?  

LASIK laser vision correction works by using computer-controlled, painless laser light to change the shape of the cornea – the clear front window of the eye. The eye works much like a camera. Light enters the eye through the cornea and the cornea helps focus that light onto the back of the eye.  If that cornea has just the right shape, the light will fall in focus precisely on the retina which works like the film in a camera – and the images you are looking at will be in crisp focus.

Who can be helped by LASIK laser vision correction at One to One LASIK San Diego?

If you are nearsighted, your cornea is too curved to focus light properly.  If you are farsighted, your cornea is too flat to focus light properly.  And if you have astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football than a basketball and needs to be rounded out to focus light properly.  If you need glasses to read  (called presbyopia), the reading muscle in your eye has become too weak and LASIK can change the shape of the cornea to provide the eye with more focusing power up-close.

Does LASIK hurt? 

No. LASIK is an essentially pain free procedure that takes only minutes to perform and which is done in an office-like outpatient laser center and not in an operating room.  During the procedure, your eyes will be numbed with a drop of anesthetic so you won’t feel any pain.  You’ll usually be given a small dose of a sedative like Valium or Xanax in advance to help relax you and take the edge off.

What is it like to go through LASIK?

You may feel some touching around the eye and you may feel a little pressure for a few moments. You’ll lay down under the laser machine and Dr. Feldman will talk you through each and every step of the procedure. You’ll know just what to expect before it happens.   First, Dr. Pillar makes what is called the LASIK flap which is a thin layer of tissue much like separating one layer of an onion skin.  Many doctors still use a metal blade to create the LASIK flap but Dr. Pillar uses an all-laser technique that involves no metal blade.  Instead, Dr. Pillar  uses a computer-controlled laser light called the advanced Ziemer femtosecond laser to create the flap.  This femtosecond laser by creating millions of bubbles in a single, precise layer just under the surface of the cornea.  The bubbles expand, pushing the tissue apart to form a separation plane. The tissue above this separation plane is what constitutes the flap. This technique is sometimes called z-LASIK and is much more advanced and much safer than using a metal blade to make the LASIK flap.  One to One LASIK was among the first in San Diego to offer this advanced all-laser LASIK technology.  Painlessly, the LASIK flap is lifted up and laid out of the way and a second computer-controller laser machine called an excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea very precisely to help the eye to focus clearly.  For most cases, it takes only a few seconds of laser light to re-shape the cornea.  The flap is then laid back into its original position and seals itself into place within seconds, without any stitches. The whole process takes about 5 minutes per eye.  You are usually in the laser center for about an hour.

Does One to One LASIK charge extra for the most advanced LASIK technologies like Ziemer  bladeless flap-making, Wavefront Optimization, or Contoura topography-linked treatment?

No. At One to One LASIK, we believe every patient deserves only the best technology available to treat their particular vision problem.  Unlike other centers that will quote a price and then raise that price for the most advanced technology upgrades, One to One LASIK includes all of the upgrades that can help you in one very competitive price.  We don’t think choosing LASIK should be like buying a car where, if you can’t afford leather seats, you have to settle for cloth seats!  We believe there is only one way to do LASIK – and that’s the best way, with every appropriate technological bell and whistle!

How soon can I come in to One to One LASIK San Diego for a complimentary LASIK consultation?

We can almost always offer you a complimentary LASIK consultation with Dr. Pillar on the same day you call or the next day.  We can also schedule farther in advance if you prefer. Simply call 858.273.0200 right now and say “I’d like to schedule a LASIK consultation.”

What if I am not a good LASIK candidate? 

Thanks to advances in technology, more people than ever are excellent candidates for LASIK. However, if you are not a good candidate, Dr. Pillar will discuss other treatment options that you can consider to achieve your best possible vision.