Eye(s) Of The Tiger

When golfing sensation Tiger Woods decided to correct his near-sightedness, he put his eyes in the hands of Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Mark E. Whitten. Whitten is the chief refractive surgeon at the Whitten Laser Eye Associates in Bethesda, Maryland. In layman terms, he's the man at the control of the LASIK computer who reshapes corneas with a laser beam. LASIK is the common term for a procedure known as Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis.
Here's what happens to patients like Tiger Woods or Corey Greenberg who elect to go under the light.

First, anesthetic drops are used to numb both eyes and an eyelid holder is placed to prevent the patient from blinking. Using the laser, a thin protective layer of cornea is lifted up and folded back. Patients can expect to feel a little pressure during this part of the procedure but no discomfort. Next, the laser removes microscopic layers of tissue and the inner part of the cornea is reshaped. The patient looks directly at a light while this is happening. If nearsightedness is the problem, the cornea is made flatter. If farsightedness is being treated, the cornea is made steeper. For astigmatism, the cornea is made more spherical. The flap is folded back into place and adheres to the cornea without stitches. In most cases, the patient sits up and can see clearly after the 10-minute procedure. Post surgical care is minor, an over-the-counter pain reliever for a burning sensation in the eyes that lasts up to 4 hours after the LASIK procedure. The biggest hardship is fighting the urge to rub your eyes for at least a week after the surgery. A normal side effect is the "halo" around bright lights which Whitten says dissipates after a few weeks.

Tiger Woods is one of 435,000 people who had LASIK surgery last year. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery estimates that 750,000 will have laser eye surgery this year. Woods reportedly was so nearsighted that Dr. Whitten said he had "counting fingers" vision: "he could only count fingers about a foot away from his face". Whitten reports that Woods can now see 20/15, which means if Woods was 20 feet from an eye chart, he could read it as if he was 15 feet away. Woods says that for him the surgery was a success. "The hole looks bigger, the breaks (in the greens) are accentuated more". Dr. Whitten says this supports the theory that contact lenses fool the brain. Lenses tend to "minimize" the world you see making everything appear smaller. After the surgery, the brain is actually "seeing" more and the world looks 7% to 10% larger.

Dr. Whitten says that overall the procedure is "relatively safe". He tells patients that significant complications occur less than 1% of the time. Complications may include infection, hazy vision, reduced vision (even with corrective lenses) and problems with the cornea flap. Whitten himself has had LASIK surgery done on his own eyes and believes the results far out weigh the risks. The best advice before doing any surgical procedure, however, is to research the medical team and get several opinions before undergoing any treatment.

Woods was so happy with his results that he became a spokesperson for TLC Laser Eye Centers, a group of 9000 doctors nationwide. Mark Whitten is the Regional Medical Director of TLC in the greater metropolitan Washington D.C. area and serves on its Medical Advisory Board. TLC is the first group to offer free re-treatments for patients needing further eyecare. They report that this only happens in about 5% of their patients. As for cost, depending the geographic location of the patient, LASIK surgery runs between $1900 and $2700 per eye.

For more information on Dr. Whitten and his group, check out his website at www.Whittenlasereye.com.

Lasik Resources:
The Lasik Institute - www.lasikinstitute.org

American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery - www.ascrs.org

American Academy of Ophthalmology - www.aao.org

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