Dr. Chynn : I have been to egypt , and although the doctors there are very good, their equipment is a few years behind the US; since the excimer laser that is the basis of this surgery was invented at Columbia University when I was a medical student there, and is based on an IBM patent, you would be getting surgery that is 1 generation more advanced than in egypt. For example, you would be getting a ”NO FLAP - NO CUT - ALL LASER LASEK” or “EPILASEK” by me, as I stopped doing the older, less safe, cutting LASIK procedure a few years ago (which I had myself 10 years ago). Please also see our website for details on this. www.parkavenuelaservision.com .

Sal C. :  I will be in the US for only 4 weeks. Will this be sufficient time to have the operation and get post-op checkups done?  I will return again for a week over Christmas and so can have another checkup done then.

I got LASEK surgery done almost two months ago. I’m still recovering, but I’d love to tell you all about my experience. I started wearing glasses at the age of 9, but quickly switched over to contacts, as I was figure skating and glasses have a tendency to fly off the face in spins and jumps. Contacts were not without problems, and even though I was a responsible child, I still got pinkeye 1-2 times a year. In addition, my vision deteriorated until my final prescription of -8.5 was achieved. Once I was in high school, I heard about LASIK being used to permanently correct a person’s vision. I knew that I wanted the surgery as soon as possible, but I wasn’t a candidate, as my vision was still changing. In addition, I had a number of conditions that didn’t make it desirable to choose LASIK (poor night vision, halos, dry eyes and a high prescription). I was really disappointed and thought I wouldn’t be able to get refractive surgery.

When my vision finally stabilized at age 23, I started more aggressively researching refractive surgery and looking to see if I could find a surgeon willing to treat me with the lowest risk of adverse side effects. LASIK was out of the question, PRK seemed to be too painful, but LASEK seemed to be the best choice, given my previous conditions. I then found Dr. Chynn’s website on a Google search and emailed Dr. Chynn. He responded back right away and answered my questions and concerns about my previous conditions. I decided to call into the office, and was invited to a seminar about 2 weeks later. The seminar was extremely informative, and we were able to see an actual procedure being done. Dr. Chynn explained everything that was going on in the OR, and we were able to ask the patient questions. The seminar gave me more information about LASEK than I was able to find on my own after a year of researching. I highly recommend going to one of Dr. Chynn’s seminars if you are even thinking about refractive surgery. I scheduled my free consultation a few weeks later, and it was determined that I wasn’t a good candidate for surgery yet. Dr. Schaefer (one of the other Dr’s at the office) wanted to treat my dry eyes and give my corneas and eyelids a rest from all the contact wear over the past 15 years. I stayed out of my contacts for over 2 months, got punctual plugs, and used artificial tears religiously.

By June, I was ready for surgery. I scheduled my surgery for June 12, a Thursday. My mom drove me into Manhattan, and was my coach for surgery. I remember very little after I had two Valium, but I do remember lots of antibiotic eye drops, and lots of numbing eye drops. I remember that it took all of my concentration to stare at the blinking red light while the laser took off bits of my eye. Dr. Chynn put in the protective contact lenses and before I knew it, the surgery was done and it was time for There was a very extensive regime of drops and medications that I needed to take. I used my gel tears every few hours, and went to see Dr. Chynn for my post op. He said that I was healing well and to continue doing what I was doing. I remained home recovering for the next 6 days, and I tried really hard to keep my eyes closed as much as possible, which was close to impossible. I finally got my bandage lenses off at day 7 and continued with my medication regime. I was able to go back to work on Wednesday, but it was really difficult for me to see the computer screen. Every day got a little better, and before I knew it, I was able to see just as well as I did wearing contacts. At this point, I’m seeing 20/20, and my night vision is even better now than it was before surgery. I only see halos when I’m tired, and my eyes are still a little dry, but they are getting better every day.

Thanks,
Kathleen

Erin :  My inurance is through Cigna.

Dr. Chynn : I am a Cigna insurance provider, so bring in your card when you come in for your free consultation as we can bill them for part of your cost.

Erin : I use Soft Daily Disposable contact lenses.

Dr. Chynn : You are smart as this type of lens damages your eyes the least.

Erin : My Contact Lens Prescription is  -4.75

Dr. Chynn : This is an average Rx; your laser time will be only 30 seconds per eye !

Erin : I am mainly seeking laser correction because my eyes became sensitive to contacts about a year ago. I have been wearing my glasses since. Sometimes I wear contacts for a special occassion for a few hours. After a while they start to bother me. My eye doctor told me I was a good candidate for laser. Assuming Dr. Chynn thinks I can have the procedure, I would like to have it done before my wedding.

Dr. Chynn : Yes, it is common to start not tolerating contacts after many years (Contact Lens Intolerance), which is why people decide to get this done, and we can do this for you after we confirm you are a good candidate. Hopefully this will be before your wedding so you will see great and look beautiful for that!

Erin :     I hope I would be a good candidate in order to have the surgery. I find it hard to believe that I could actually wake up and be able to see that well. It worries me that I may see halos at night like some people I know who have had this procedure. Either way they are still extremely happy with their outcome. The 1 in a million chance of going blind is of course the most worrisome.

Dr. Chynn : The people with halos either would have had a cutting LASIK procedure or didn’t have Customvue; since you will have a noncutting procedure with customvue, you will not have halos at night.

Also, the risk of going blind is dependent on your taking your antibiotic drops afterwards so you don’t get an infection and your steroid drop so you don’t scar — the OR risk is essentially 0 in our noncutting procedures!

Erin :  I’m near-sighted with Astigmatism and I have sensitivity to contacts.

Dr. Chynn : I was also near-sighted with Astigmatism before my laser a DECADE ago!

Erin :  I think most of my questions will be your basic pre-operative and post-operative procedure questions. These would be mainly on what I can and can’t do before and just after the surgery ?

Dr. Chynn : Its simple and easy to follow. First, you can’t wear eye make-up for a few days before and after, and second, you can’t swim for 7-10 days after the procedure or surgery.

Erin : What kind of financing options can you offer me ?

Dr. Chynn : We offer 0%  financing for 18 months , and you can pay the same Dollars per month that you are now wasting on glasses, contacts, and solutions. The bottomline is, that you can afford it.

I just wanted to thank you again for the surgery, every day I am seeing clearer and must admit I don’t think it has really sunk in yet that I can actually see without glasses or contacts!

Every morning, I wake up it’s a lovely surprise to see what time it is and all that wonderful stuff.

Please send my thanks also to Dr. Almeida and Dr. Puri.

“See” you in September. Warm Regards & Many Thanks,

Before I walked in Dr. Chynn’s office, my eyesight was completely dependent on my wearing glasses. I hated the look and feel of wearing them, and contact lenses really irritated my eyes. I went to several Doctors and all wanted to operate on both eyes. I then went to Dr. Chynn and he performed no-flap LASEK on my right eye only. He explained that my left eye did not really need to be lasered because I was a good candidate for natural monovision. Not only did he get me to see 20/20, he was honest enough to advise me to do what’s best for me. Dr. Chynn is so capable and honest that I had my fiancé go to him to get lasered as well. How’s that for trust?

I was recommended by my fiancé, Bobby to see Dr. Chynn about my poor eyesight. I wore corrective lenses ever since I can remember, and I had eventually developed a resistance to contact lenses due to my prolonged use. My fiancé, Bobby kept telling me how amazing Dr. Chynn was and that he was the most ethical Lasik doctor he ever met. Dr. Chynn performed no-flap, all laser LASEK on my eyes, and I was able to see 20/20 within a few weeks. Dr. Chynn’s staff was also amazing as they gave me all the support and expert advice I could have asked for.

I truly recommend Dr. Chynn.

By combining CUSTOMVUE WAVEFRONT technology by VISX, the #1 laser company in the world, with a TRUE ADVANCED NO-CUT, NO-FLAP TECHNIQUE, Dr. Chynn and Park Avenue Laser are making, according to Dr. Chynn ”MOST OF OUR PATIENTS SEE BETTER THAN 20/20!:).  We are the ONLY center in New York City to do this, and thus the ONLY center that offers HIGH DEFINITION LASER VISION (TM).”

To take advantage of this offer (good until Dec. 31, 2008) please contact us via our website, www.ParkAvenueLaser.com, or call us toll-free at (888) I-WANT-2020 (888-492-6820).

Dr. Chynn addresses the Olympians of 2008, “Thanks for dedicating so many years towards your sport, towards perfection, and towards your Personal Best!  We at Park Avenue Laser Vision would like to reciprocate that with our similar dedication towards perfection, and towards giving you your personal best vision at www.PersonalBestVision.com!”

Many patients come to us because they are becoming “contact lens intolerant.” 

Typically, after wearing lenses for decades, the cornea does not get enough oxygen, and grows abnormal new blood vessels. Even the new contact lens materials, with higher DKs, which allow more oxygen to diffuse, still limit oxygen to your eye.

Also, contact lenses exacerbate symptoms of dryness and irritation.

According to Dr. Chynn, “After bladeless, no-cut, no-flap LASEK or epi-LASEK, our patients report relief since they get rid of their contacts!”
The abnormal blood vessels also typically regress, since the cornea now gets the normal amount of oxygen.
Symptoms of dryness are relieved because our non-cutting procedure does not cut into any corneal nerves.
We also insert dissolving collagen punctal plugs in 99% of our patients to temporarily block outflow and increase tear retention.

LASEK and epi-LASEK are safer than the cutting LASIK and i-LASIK and intraLase procedures. So safe, that, statistically, they are actually SAFER THAN LONG-TERM CONTACT LENS WEAR.

In other words, every year you wear contacts you assume a small risk of losing vision from overwear, infections, etc.
This risk accumulates year after year, and never goes away, for as long as you wear contacts!

Whereas with LASEK or epiLASEK, you take the (small) risk all at once but then you start saving risk each and every year, as after 1 month your risk is essentially none.

Dr. Chynn will be willing to do another round of the raffle as soon as he gets a nod from his accountants and lawyers. 

Yesterday’s NY Times Political blog featured Dr. Emil Chynn’s fundraising raffle for Barack Obama. Dr. Chynn hatched the idea of selling raffle tickets and then performing LASEK vision correction surgery for a lucky winner. Apparently, there is some question about whether this valuable prize violates campaign contribution rules. However, Dr. Chynn did get his attorney’s approval before announcing the raffle, so perhaps this is a tempest in a teapot.

Anyone interested in entering the raffle can go to www.seeyourwayclearly.com, or to www.ParkAvenueLaserVision.com after August 18.

Check out the NY Times Political Blog posting here!