(ATLANTA, GA) Dr. Farooq Ashraf of the Atlanta Vision Institute was interviewed Monday on the vision institute’s blog about what presbyopia is and how it can be treated. Ashraf decided to hold this interview, in which he discusses the specifics of the eye condition, after having discussed monovision LASIK as a treatment for the condition earlier in the month. Following the blog, he received many questions from his patients about what presbyopia is.

“Presbyopia is really just a term used to refer to the decreased ability to focus on near objects that comes with age. It actually begins when we are born, but does not become noticeable until between the ages of forty and fifty,” said the ophthalmologist and LASIK surgeon in his interview Monday. “We often correct this change in vision with monovision contact lenses or monovision LASIK surgery.” More information about these treatments can be found on the Atlanta Vision Institute’s blog.

Presbyopia is the change in vision that occurs in adults at or around the age of forty that causes difficulty in reading and focusing on close objects. This condition can be corrected with reading glasses, bifocals, progressive lenses and now monovision LASIK surgery. The exact cause of presbyopia is unknown, but it is widely believed that the vision loss associated with the condition is caused by a loss of elasticity of the crystalline lenses, changes in the lenses’ curvature or weakness of the ciliary muscles in the eyes. Symptoms of presbyopia include difficulty reading fine print, eyestrain when reading and momentarily blurred vision during the transition between viewing something up-close and then focusing at a distance.

Dr. Ashraf is the founder of the Atlanta Vision Institute and a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery, as well as other treatments for astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts and other eye conditions. He obtained his advanced training in ocular surgery Johns Hopkins University and has performed over 40,000 LASIK procedures. He has practices in both Atlanta and Dubai. For more information, visit www.atlanta2020.com.

The photo above was taken on Saturday during the filming of our commercial (airing date TBD) and shows one of our patients giving her testimonial on LASIK surgery. This patient came to the Atlanta Vision Institute for a consultation after learning she had Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC) is essentially a type of allergic reaction to a foreign object in the eye; for this particular patient, it was her contact lenses. GPC affects roughly 20% of contact lens wearers. People who have been diagnosed with GPC have typically experienced symptoms like swollen, uncomfortable red eyes and the inability to wear contact lenses. There have been studies linking GPC with improper contact use, such as not cleaning the lenses frequently or leaving the same pair in the eyes for too long. The patient in the photo above tried wearing daily disposable contact lenses to reduce her symptoms, but the high expense resulted in her wanting the freedom of seeing clearly without the need for contacts or glasses. Dr. Ashraf performed LASIK on her and in the commercial we filmed on Saturday, she stated that she could see clearly and regrets not getting the surgery sooner. In cases like this, LASIK is a great alternative because it gives people the freedom to avoid putting foreign objects in their eyes. If you have trouble wearing contact lenses or have been diagnosed with GPC by your eye doctor, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ashraf to see if you’re a candidate for LASIK surgery.

On Saturday May 11th, Comcast‘s camera crew came to the Atlanta Vision Institute to film our upcoming commercial about LASIK. We had many patients who were kind enough to participate in the commercial and discuss their LASIK surgery experience with Dr. Ashraf. Each patient described how she found Dr. Ashraf and what the whole experience was like. One patient said she was looking for the best LASIK surgeon and found Dr. Ashraf after asking her mom, a Registered Nurse at Northside Hospital, for recommendations and the doctors she worked with told her about Dr. Ashraf. Another patient said she found Dr. Ashraf by Googling “best LASIK Surgeon” and seeing his website as the first one to pop up; after having her first consultation with Dr. Ashraf, she said she was very impressed with how inviting and warm he was and also the staff of the Atlanta Vision Institute, and she further pursued the process of getting LASIK. When asked about what made them decide to get LASIK, each patient had a different response. One patient said that she developed an allergic reaction to contact lenses and felt insecure wearing her glasses, so LASIK was the best alternative. Another patient said that she had perfect eyesight until age 40 when her vision precipitously dropped and she wasn’t able to wear contact lenses for very long and didn’t like wearing her glasses. Overall, all the patients went into detail about how contact lenses and eyeglasses weren’t fit for them and they wished they had done LASIK sooner because of the freedom that it’s given them from having to worry about visual aids of any kind. Stay tuned for our upcoming commercial that will be featured by Comcast!

The cost of LASIK surgery varies from practice to practice, but here are some tips to keep in mind while researching the costs of LASIK:

• LASIK surgery costs are calculated per eye, so when you are asking about a quote, make sure that you specify that you need LASIK in one or both eyes so that the quote you receive is accurate. When researching the cost of LASIK online, unless otherwise specified, the costs you find are probably quoted per eye, so you should double the cost if you are planning on getting LASIK in each eye.
• Cost varies based on technique and technology. Procedures that use state-of-the-art technology are generally more expensive until that technology becomes more common. As it does, the technology gets less expensive.

At the Atlanta Vision Institute, we use the iFS™ Advanced Femtosecond Laser. This laser provides high quality results, but causes less tissue inflammation than other pieces of equipment. We were one of the first practices in the country to use this technology.  To learn more about our technology, visit our iFS™ Advanced Femtosecond Laser information page, or give us a call today.

photo credit: Monkey Business / photoxpress

We have been seeing lots of reports about LASIK surgery for baseball players lately, and it is not difficult to see why. During the season, professional athletes spend a lot of time on dusty fields and are constantly visiting cities with different climates and allergens. These can both lead to intense eye irritation, especially for those who wear contact lenses. Because of the irritation that occurs when contacts lenses get dirty or dry out mid-game, they might not be the best option for players, as we have seen lately.

At the Atlanta Vision Institute, we encourage people with active lifestyles to look into LASIK because of these reasons. If you are personally familiar with the annoyances of leading an active lifestyle with contact lenses, visit our Atlanta LASIK Surgery page or give us a call to find out more about the procedure and if it is right for you.

photo credit:  James Steidl / photoxpress

(ATLANTA, GA) Dr. Farooq Ashraf of the Atlanta Vision Institute has released information about treating presbyopia with monovision LASIK surgery as opposed to prescribing monovision contact lenses in patients with this vision condition. Dr. Ashraf has said that achieving monovision—a treatment option that involves focusing the eyes in different ways—through LASIK surgery may be a much more appealing option for patients that are uncomfortable with wearing contacts or are frustrated by the constant use of reading glasses. “We are excited to offer this option to our patients,” Ashraf said Monday. “We believe that it is a great option for people who don’t want to deal with glasses or don’t like the feel of contact lenses.”

Presbyopia is the change in vision that often occurs in adults at around the age of 40 that causes difficulty in reading and focusing on close objects. This condition can be corrected with reading glasses, bifocals, progressive lenses, and now monovision LASIK surgery.

Monovision is the practice of correcting one eye for clear close-up vision and the other eye for clear distance vision if needed. This practice is successful in many patients because of the way our eyes work. Everyone has a dominant and a non-dominant eye. When we look at distant objects, we are mostly using our dominant eye. Because we primarily use our dominant eye for distance vision, if our non-dominant eye is corrected for near vision, there is only a negligible effect on our distance vision. Many people’s eyes and brain adapt well to this in about a week or two. This correction can now be done with LASIK instead of contact lenses.

Dr. Ashraf is the founder of the Atlanta Vision Institute and a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery, as well as other treatments for astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye conditions. He obtained his advanced training in ocular surgery Johns Hopkins University and has performed over 40,000 LASIK procedures. For more information, visit www.atlanta2020.com.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), the sun’s harmful Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause serious damage to our eyes. Of the three types of UV radiation, UV-A and UV-B are the harmful ones, and can cause damage to the eyes, like photokeratitis.

Photokeratitis is like getting a sunburn on your eyes. It basically feels like you have something stuck on your eyes. It can be extremely uncomfortable, but usually does not cause any long-term damage.

Serious harm caused by UV-A and UV-B radiation, according to the AOA, is retina damage and an increased likelihood to develop cataracts. To avoid these dangers, simply follow this important eye care tip: buy high quality sunglasses labeled to block out 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation.

photo credit: Yuri Arcurs / photoxpress

(ATLANTA, GA) Dr. Farooq Ashraf of the Atlanta Vision Institute has been named the best LASIK surgeon in Atlanta by America Top 10. Ashraf’s profile listing cites his thousands of personally performed LASIK surgeries and extensive experience with the excimer laser as his distinguishing qualities that make him, according to America Top 10, the best LASIK surgeons in Atlanta. About this recognition, Ashraf had this to say: “It is such an honor to be named the best LASIK surgeon in Atlanta. Everyone at the Atlanta Vision Institute works so hard to personally ensure the success of each of our patients to the very best of our ability, and being recognized for doing so is wonderful.”

America Top 10 is a website that compiles lists of the Top 10 businesses and professionals in specific industries, categorized by city and state. The Top 10 lists—like the Top 10 LASIK Surgeons in Atlanta, for example—are compiled and rated by the curator and founder of the site as well as members of the site’s online community. The site is relatively new and growing fast; the curators of the site are constantly seeking to add new categories and locations and are very willing to update lists based on other customers’ experiences. In addition to business top 10 lists, the site also offers pop culture lists like Top Movies in Theaters, Top Music CD Releases, Top DVD Releases, and Top Book Releases.

Dr. Farooq Ashraf is an ophthalmologist and top LASIK Surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the founder of the Atlanta Vision Institute in Georgia and the Atlanta Vision Clinic in Dubai, and has personally performed over 40,000 LASIK surgeries. He obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio and his advanced training in corneal and refractive surgery at Johns Hopkins University. For more information about Dr. Ashraf and LASIK surgery, please visit www.atlanta2020.com.

You’re not alone. Many people have difficulty putting in contact lenses and wearing them for long periods of time. “Contact lenses are essentially plastic that sit against your eyes and inhibit them from breathing,” says board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Ashraf. “The plastic can irritate the eye and lead to infections and even allergies.” Contact lenses are a hassle because they require being replaced by fresh contact lenses frequently and the appropriate cleansing procedures. With contact lenses, it’s really important to not leave them in for too long and take them out every night, specifically before going to sleep. This can become inconvenient, especially if you’re traveling. Buying new cleaning solution, cases, and contact lenses can also become expensive. LASIK surgery is the ideal solution to wearing contact lenses because it’s a one-time, short outpatient procedure that takes place in Dr. Ashraf’s office. After the surgery is over, patients are able to see clearly without the need for contacts or glasses. This cuts back on the added expense of contacts and visual aids in general. It’s also a benefit because patients are able to see clearly without an unnatural plastic substance.

photocredit: [dusk / photoxpress]

No doubt most people are relieved that spring is finally here, but for eye allergy sufferers, it might not be the best news. Here are some tips for preventing and treating your allergies so that you can enjoy the warmth and the weather without itchy, watery eyes:

• Prevention is always the best option. The best thing to do is to determine what you are allergic to and avoid it.
• Using high quality air filters can help keep allergens out of the air in your house, stopping allergies before they strike.
• Over-the-counter treatments, like eye drops, can relieve minor symptoms if avoidance is not an option, or if you do not know what causes your allergies.
• Prescription treatments can be very effective for treating more severe or persistent symptoms.

photo credit: Graça Victoria / photoxpress