Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) Questions and Answers

Question:

I am nearsighted (-1.25;-1.25) and I would like to find out how to prevent worsening of my eye-sight (I am willing to try anything) or perhaps even try to make it better. I have heard of some methods developed by William Bates - could you please give me some more information on that. I am also interested in laser surgery - are there any conditions for patients who want to be operated? Regards. Jernej Kos

Answer:

Dear Jernej Kos, The laser treatment is a permanent correction of your near sightedness and your best option. If you would like to schedule a consultation, call Annette at 714-879-737

Question:

My wife is considering traveling from Seattle to Vancouver, BC for lasik surgery. Do you know of any specific resources where I can find statistics on the safety and effectiveness of the procedure in Canada versus the US? Do doctors in Canada have to have the same qualifications as doctors in the US?

Answer:

You have entered an area where it will be hard to compare apples to apples so to speak. Inportant things to ask about are experience ( more than 300 cases done), size of the optical zone of treatment( I have seen 5.5 mm patients from Canada. We use 6.5 in the USA...smaller is likely to produce more haloes at night.). In the USA, the FDA dictates what type of eyes we can operate on. There is nothing regulated in Canada, so many patients who are pushing the limit would be operated there, while here in the USA, they would not be considered good candidates. Some doctors in Canada have done LASIK for years, as have some in the USA. Others there and here have just started, and have limited experience. That is why you need to ask those questions. One more point for your wife: you will have no legal recourse as a USA citizen in Canada if the issue of Malpractice arises. My advice for my patients is to consider this, and the fact that they will have to return to Canada for enhancements, complication management, and possibly followup care. What do those trips cost in terms of time off of work, mileage, hotels, etc. Go to www.isrs.org for a site with good information. Thanks

Question:

My wife is considering traveling from Seattle to Vancouver, BC for lasik surgery. Do you know of any specific resources where I can find statistics on the safety and effectiveness of the procedure in Canada versus the US? Do doctors in Canada have to have the same qualifications as doctors in the US?

Answer:

You have entered an area where it will be hard to compare apples to apples so to speak. Inportant things to ask about are experience ( more than 300 cases done), size of the optical zone of treatment( I have seen 5.5 mm patients from Canada. We use 6.5 in the USA...smaller is likely to produce more haloes at night.). In the USA, the FDA dictates what type of eyes we can operate on. There is nothing regulated in Canada, so many patients who are pushing the limit would be operated there, while here in the USA, they would not be considered good candidates. Some doctors in Canada have done LASIK for years, as have some in the USA. Others there and here have just started, and have limited experience. That is why you need to ask those questions. One more point for your wife: you will have no legal recourse as a USA citizen in Canada if the issue of Malpractice arises. My advise for my patients is to consider this, and the fact that they will have to return to Canada for enhancements, complication management, at possibly followup care. What do those trips cost in terms of time off of work, mileage, hotels, etc. Go to www.isrg.org for a site with good information. Thanks

Question:

MY BOTTOM TEETH ARE DISLOCATING FROM MY BONE DUE TO BONE LOSE SAYS MY DENTIST HE SUGJESTS CUTTING MY GUMS DOWN TO GIVE MW ANOTHER FIVE YEARS BEFORE I SHOULD HAVE FOUR BOTTOM FRONT TEETH REMOVED WILL THIS WORK? HOW DOES IT WORK? AND ABOUT HOW LONG DOES THIS PROCEDURE TAKE? AND HOW LONG TO RECOVER? THANK YOU

Answer:

Go now and make an appointment with someone else for a second opinion regarding your teeth. You did not state your age, or if you have any medical problems, or illness which could have contributed to this problem. I have no idea what type of "bone loss" you have, how much is gone, how stable the teeth are, or aren't, and I have not examined your mouth, nor seen your xrays. But if it were me, and some dentist said he wanted to cut my gums away so I can keep my teeth, maybe for 5 years, i would wonder why. If he's so sure you're going to loose them why does he need to take several thousand dollars out of your pocket first. If they're really that bad, don't do it. Have them extracted, and replace them with either a bridge or partial denture. If another dentist says they're not that bad then you know the first guy just wanted your money. I have yet to see a patient that was even remotely happy after gum surgery, and I've been in practice over 20 years! GOOD LUCK!

Question:

Dear sir or dam: Hello,I am a student from Auburn University.After one year study here my eyes got deeper near sight.This problem affected my study and life very much.I found your center can do the eyes laser correction surgery,I am very interested about that.Could you please give me some information about that?Here I have some questions: 1.Could youplease tell me the price of treating both eyes?For I am a student,the price is very important to me. 2.How long will the whole process take?I could select one quarter break(at most 10 days) to go there. Thank you for your kind help. Have a nice day!

Answer:

It is best for us to go over all the details over the telephone. You can call us toll-free at 800-444-5241. We look forward to speaking to you. Sincerely, Andrew Caster, MD

Question:

Why do the prices fluctuate so much in PRK and Lasik? Why is it so much cheaper in Canada? Are they less qualified? I heard people pay as little as $1,000 and are satisfied. Do you know how I could find a good Dr. at the lowest price?

Answer:

Prices vary in this surgery, just like they vary for everything else in life. And, in general, when you get the lowest price, you generally don't get the best quality. There are lots of quality decisions that each doctor and laser center must make -- do we buy the expensive drops, or the cheap ones? the expensive drapes, or the cheap ones? Since it is impossible to undo the surgery if you are not happy, I would suggest shopping for quality, not price.

Question:

I had the LASIK procedure performed in November. After 2 weeks, I had double vision in my left eye and was told I had an obliteration that needed to be corrected. I had a second surgery on the left eye. My dr. tells me the obliteration is corrected and my vision is 20/40 in the left eye, but I have triple vision. He told me that this was due to the amount of reconstructive work which was performed and that the surface of the cornea is irregular, but will heal itself with time -- usually 3-6 months. Does this sound accurate?

Answer:

It may be, but is dependent upon topography. This is clearly an irregular result, but all you can do is wait for the present.

Question:

How long before surgery should a person not wear soft contact lenses?

Answer:

We recommend to our patients that they should be out of their soft contact lenses for a total of 2 weeks before surgery is done. After 1 week, we perform a complete eye examination and then wait 1 week to repeat the exam to assure stability. Assuming that all is stable we then proceed with the surgery.

Question:

Is the over 40 need reading glasses problem. can it be corrected by this laser surgery??

Answer:

Dear Curtis, The reading problem can sometimes be corrected with Lasik. You would need to have an eye exam (usually free) with the surgeon of your choice before it can be decided for sure if you could be treated. Sincerely, Alexandra Chebil M.D. The Lasik Center, Irvine CA (800)841-3717

Question:

My wife is very near-sighted (-18) she has had both retina' re-attached and has significant thining of the retina. Her vision w/contacts is quite good,about 20/20, but when she needs to wear glasses it is a problem. It is very difficult to fit her w/glasses because of the required correction. The laser procedure sounds as if it may improve her ability to wear glasses (at least more normal ones). My concern is what potential negative issue may we be looking at because of the severity of her vision problem? She is 40 yrs old and her eyes are quite healthy, as is the rest of her. The retina surgury was about three years ago & she has had no difficulty since then.

Answer:

Your question is a good one, the -18.00 prescription is beyond the range of laser correction, which has it's maximum at -12 to -13 diopters. If she were treated, her residual correction would be approximately -6.00 diopters, a vast improvement over her current situation; but still fairly near sighted. One other option would be cataract extraction with a lens implant, if there was any trace of cataract formation (not uncommon after retinal surgery). A new lens implant would allow her to correct all of her nearsightedness. Lens implants (without cataract surgery) are still being investigated, but may be available in 2 years time. Please contact the office if you wish to schedule a consultation. Our phone number is 1-800-824-1073.

Question:

1. Can Lasik correct all nearsighted vision problems - I don't remember what my sight is but I currently wear contacts with a -10.5 and -8.5 - So my vision is pretty bad! Can Lasik correct it - or will I still have to wear "less thick" glasses? 2. After the surgery if my vision is not fully corrected-can I still wear contact lens? 3. Is it always a given that I will need to wear reading glasses after the surgery? I currently don't need them and I am 50 years old.

Answer:

The LASIK procedure can correct your full prescription. The next step is to actually perform measurements in the office. You could wear contacts after LASIK, but you should not need to do so. Reading glasses are needed, unless you elect to have the monovision option. Come by the office and we can show you this option. Please call Pam for a complimentary consultation at 1-800-824-1073.

Question:

I've been wearing glasses since 1992 and I hate them. Please tell if there's any way that I would be able to see in the future after performing surgery. How much my dioptries will rise and what is the cause(i have-3.00 and i am 23 years old)

Answer:

Your eyes should be stabilizing very soon, if they have not done so already. Your prescription is certainly in the range for laser correction. My advice is to come by the office for a free consultation and we will review the procedure in detail. Please call 1-800-824-1073 to set up an appointment time.

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