Our corneal specialists at the Cizik Eye Clinic perform refractive surgery, a general term for procedures that correct visual perception or focus to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contacts. Recovery from these types of surgeries is typically fast with little discomfort. Mild pain medicine and eye drops can help with any dry eyes or pain following surgery.
These procedures include:
LASIK is an outpatient surgery procedure that corrects nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. A laser is used to reshape the cornea — the clear, round dome at the front of the eye — to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye. The ophthalmologist creates a thin flap in the cornea using either a blade or laser. The surgeon folds back the flap and removes corneal tissue under the flap with a laser. The flap is then laid back into its original position to heal.
For nearsighted patients, LASIK is used to flatten a cornea that is too steep. For farsighted patients, LASIK is used to make the cornea steeper. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by reshaping an irregular cornea.
LASEK eye surgery is used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Like other types of laser refractive surgery, LASEK works by reshaping the cornea with an excimer laser, allowing light entering the eye to be properly focus on the retina for clearer vision. The corneal epithelium is separated from the underlying stromal layer, and the surgeon pushes the ultra-thin epithelial “flap” to the side, exposing the corneal stroma for laser reshaping.
LASEK avoids the complications that come with creating and reattaching the flap in the cornea. Patients also report fewer cases of dry eyes, as compared to LASIK. It tends to take a little longer to visually recover after LASEK.
Photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, is a type of laser eye surgery developed before LASIK to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. A laser that delivers a cool pulsing beam of ultraviolet light is used to remove the thin outer layer of the cornea. It will naturally grow back a few days after the surgery. PRK does have a longer recovery time because the outer layer of the cornea needs to grow back to cover the eye’s surface.
Your Cizik Eye Clinic doctor will discuss the best option to correct your vision and the specific recovery process that will follow.
The Cizik Eye Clinic opened in 2007 and is located on the 18th and 19th floors of medical plaza building at 6400 Fannin Street. It includes dozens of exam areas, multiple operating rooms, and laser suites equipped with the most sophisticated equipment available for patient care.
People travel from across the country and the world for treatment at the Cizik Eye Clinic, in part because our affiliation with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth provides unmatched resources and expertise. Our friendly staff works diligently to make your visit pleasant and efficient, as we maximize patient flow through everything from routine eye exams to the most advanced eye surgeries.
Our physicians are faculty members at McGovern Medical School and are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or are board eligible. At the Cizik Eye Clinic, we understand that the eye is a small part of a whole patient who deserves top-notch, comprehensive care in a cutting-edge facility.
At Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, we offer patients access to highly specialized eye and vision care. To ask us a question, schedule an appointment, or learn more about us, please call (713) 486-9400, or click below to send us a message. In the event of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.