SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE, THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> JULIE: LAST WEEK WE TOLD
YOU ABOUT A NEW STUDY THAT
FOUND PEOPLE WHO WEAR GLASSES
ARE LESS LIKELY TO CATCH
COVID-19. BUT IF YOUR GLASSES
WEARER HE YOU KNOW, THEY CAN
BE ANNOYING TO WEAR WITH A
MASK AND STICKING THEIR
FINGERS INTO YOUR EYES OF THE
CONTACTS IN ISN’T EXACTLY
COVID FRIENDLY EITHER. AND THE
FOGGING UP THE GLASSES. SO
MANY PATIENTS ARE EXPLORING
OTHER OPTIONS TO FIX OR VISION
INCLUDING LASER PROCEDURES
CLICKORLANDO DOT COMS IN FOR
MORNING ANCHOR AND HEALTH
REPORTER KIRSTIN O’CONNOR TO
ASK A DOCTOR ABOUT THOSE
OPTIONS ASK A DOCTOR IS
SPONSORED BY CAN BE PRIMARY
CARE FOR
>> WELL, IT SEEMS MORE PEOPLE
ARE EXPLORING THE WORLD OF
LASER VISION CORRECTION. SO I
TALKED TO DOCTOR JEFFREY ROBIN
FROM MAGRUDER LASER VISION IN
ORLANDO.
>> CANDACE: ABOUT THE INFLUX
OF PATIENTS HE’S HAD ASKING
ABOUT THE PROCEDURES SINCE THE
START OF THE PANDEMIC.
>> EVERY DAY. WE SEE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN WEARING GLASSES
OR CONTACTS FOR YEARS FOR
DECADES AND NOW WE’RE IN WITH
THE MASK AND THEY’RE IN THEIR
GLASSES. A LOT OF PATIENTS, A
LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WEARING
CONTACTS. BUT THEY’VE BEEN
WORKING FROM HOME FOR SEVERAL
MONTHS NOW AND THEY’RE NOT
PUTTING THEIR CONTACT LENSES
IN BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO
WORRY ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK
THEIR PARENTS SERVICE WORKING
FROM HOME. AND SO THEY’RE
WEARING THEIR GLASSES ALL THE
TIME. AND YOU’RE EXACTLY
RIGHT. THEY STEP OUTSIDE OF
THEIR PUT THEIR MASK ON. THEY
FOG UP. AND I WOULD SAY WE
HEAR THAT EVERY DAY FROM
PATIENTS AS THEIR MOTIVATION
FINALLY PROMPTED THEM TO KIND
OF GET OFF THE COUCH GO ON
COMPUTER OR GIVE US A CALL,
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO COME IN
FOR FREE CONSULTATION.
>> JULIE: DOCTOR ROBIN SAYS
THIS INCREASED INTEREST COMES
AT THE SAME TIME, A NEWER
PROCEDURE KNOWN AS SMILE IS
GAINING POPULARITY IN THE U.S.
AND THAT’S IN ADDITION TO
LASIK AND P R K WHICH HAVE
BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS. ALL 3
PROCEDURES DO THE SAME THING
TO HELP NEAR SIGHTED. PEOPLE.
ACCORDING TO DOCTOR ROBIN. BUT
LIKE NEW VERSIONS OF SOFTWARE.
HE SAYS THERE’S IMPROVEMENTS
WITH EACH NEW PROCEDURE.
>> SO SMILE. WHICH STANDS FOR
SMALL INCISION LENTICULAR
EXTRACTION. BASICALLY IT’S A
BIG MOUTHFUL THAT BASICALLY
MEANS GET MY SHARE THAT WE’RE
GOING TO TAKE A PIECE OF
TISSUE OUT OF THE DEEPER LAYER
OF THE CORNEA. SO BASIC. THE
TISSUE WE MOVIL’S WITH THE
LASER HERE AND SMILE. THE
LASER DOESN’T REMOVE ANY TO
SHOOT IT CUTS ESSENTIALLY A
CONTACT LENS SHAPE DISK IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE CORNEA AND THEN
MAKES A VERY SMALL TUNNEL
INCISION TO ALLOW US ACCESS TO
GO IN WITH VERY FINE
INSTRUMENTATION FREE UP THAT
CONTACT LENS SHAPE THIS AND
PULL IT OUT AND THEN THE
CORNEA THEN CHANGES SHAPE. BY
REMOVING THAT AND SO IT’S JUST
ONE WAYS ARE LASIK INVOLVES 2
LASERS. THERE’S NO FLAT. SO
YOU CAN SCRATCH OR CORNY IF
YOU WANT. I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND
IT, BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
DISTURB THE FLAP AND THE SMILE
INCISION LOOKS LIKE THIS. IT’S
VERY, VERY TIGHT NUMBER JUST
SAW WITH THE LASIK FLAP WHEN
ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND THE
CORNEA. THIS IS JUST A VERY
TINY INCISION HEELS VERY
QUICKLY IN THE NEXT DAY OR 2
PEOPLE CAN SWIM THAT COULD PUT
ON THEIR EYE MAKEUP. IT’S A
VERY FAST FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY
AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT THAT FLAT LONG TERM.
>> JULIE: I DOCTOR ROBIN IF HE
SEES SMILE EVER FULLY
REPLACING THE OTHER 2
PROCEDURES. HE SAID NO,
BECAUSE SOME PATIENTS ARE
BETTER SUITED FOR ANOTHER
OPTION.
>> SOME PEOPLE ARE GREAT
CANDIDATES FOR LASIK AND MIGHT
NOT BE AS GREAT FOR SMILE.
SOME ARE ACTUALLY GREAT
CANDIDATES FOR P R K BUT NOT
GREAT CANDIDATES FOR LASIK OR
SMILE. SO WE STILL DO MOST OF
OUR CASES WITH LASIK. BUT
WE’RE DOING MORE AND MORE
CASES WITH SMILE AND WE STILL
DO ABOUT 10% OR SO OF OUR
PROCEDURES WITH P R K BECAUSE
SOME CORNEAS ARE JUST NOT GOOD
SAFETY WISE FOR A BASIC OR
SMILE. SO WE OFFER FREE
CONSULTATIONS AND WITH TIME WE
DO. TESTING AND WE LOOK AT THE
PATIENT, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT
THEIR KNEES. AND WE TEMP TO
DETERMINE AT THAT POINT WHICH
IS THE BEST OF WHICH OF THE 3
PROCEDURES, RATHER IS BEST FOR
THEM AND WE DON’T CHARGE ANY
DIFFERENT FOR ANY OF THE ON
THE SAME RANGE. AND SO
PATIENTS ARE FORCED TO
CLINICAL DECISIONS AS FAR AS
WHAT’S CERTAIN IS BEST FOR
THEM BASED ON PRICE.
>> BRIDGETT: NOW, AGAIN,
EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. HE SAYS
SOME PATIENTS COULD EVEN NEED
ONE PROCEDURE IN ONE EYE AND A
DIFFERENT ONE FOR THE OTHER,
DEPENDING ON THE EXTRAS IN
LONG-TERM COVERAGE. THEY
CHOOSE. ROBIN SAYS THE
PROCEDURES WILL COST YOU ABOUT
2500 PER EYE. IF YOU’RE
CONSIDERING LASER VISION
CORRECTION OR YOU JUST WANT TO
KNOW IF YOU’RE A CANDIDATE FOR