Dr. Paul Cutarelli

Alternatives to LASIK Eye Surgery

Dr. Paul Cutarelli feels it is of vital importance for his patients to be well acquainted with the LASIK eye surgery procedure and its alternatives in order to make an informed decision regarding the future of their vision. Dr. Cutarelli emphasizes that any form of refractive surgery is a purely elective procedure, not considered a medical necessity. His patients can choose whether or not having LASIK or any alternative is in their best interest.

Dr. Paul Cutarelli explains that there are other options for correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. They all have their appropriate applications. The key is finding a surgeon that doesn’t a personal agenda and is qualified to evaluate patients for all of the options, working with the patient to find the best fit. Dr. Cutarelli has performed over 60,000 refractive surgical procedures, a clear product of his extensive training and experience, as well as his great concern for each of his patients.

• Glasses/Contacts: Dr. Paul Cutarelli reminds us that the easiest, safest and most common alternatives to any refractive surgery are eyeglasses and contact lenses. But even those have their drawbacks, including interfering with lifestyle choices and the hassles of daily care.
• PRK: Dr. Paul Cutarelli considers photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), as an important alternative to LASIK. It doesn’t require cutting a flap into the cornea, the eye’s front clear covering. With PRK, a laser reshapes the cornea’s surface. Dr. Cutarelli explains that the modern version is wavefront-guided PRK, using the same computer software developed to improve LASIK. This software maps out tiny irregularities in the cornea, providing a three-dimensional map that customizes treatment and minimizes side effects in both LASIK and PRK. Dr. Cutarelli says people with thin corneas or corneal irregularities can be better PRK candidates. PRK takes a few weeks of healing before sharper vision emerges.
• CK: Dr. Paul Cutarelli utilizes conductive keratoplasty (CK) to correct farsightedness or astigmatism by beaming radiofrequency waves onto the cornea to reshape the edge.
• Implantable Contact Lens: Dr. Paul Cutarelli explains that the procedure for implanting ICL’s (implantable contact lenses) are nearly the same as routine cataract operations, one of the most common surgical procedures in the world. A tiny hard plastic lens is implanted through a small incision in the eye, and placed in front of the natural lens. People with severe nearsightedness, who do not qualify for LASIK or PRK, may be excellent candidates for ICL implantation. ICL’s refocus light entering the eye for improved distance vision. Because the natural lens stays in place, patients retain the same accommodation they had before surgery.
• Phakic IOL: Dr. Paul Cutarelli uses refractive lens exchange to replace a patient’s own lens with an artificial one. This is essentially cataract surgery offered to patients who are not good candidates for LASIK, often because of extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness. Dr. Cutarelli offers options that include multi-focal type lenses that can allow for both distance and reading vision.
• Intacs: Dr. Paul Cutarelli suggests corneal rings called Intacs for patients with mild nearsightedness. Intacs are transparent crescents about the thickness of a contact lens implanted to form a ring around the cornea’s edge. Intacs flatten the cornea without permanently affecting tissue.

Dr. Paul Cutarelli offers a free, no-hassel, no-obligation LASIK consultation to help you decide which vision correction method is best for you. We invite you to contact our office and make your appointment today!

Cutarelli Vision – Denver LASIK
7887 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 180
Denver, Colorado 80111
303-486-2020

Visit Dr. Cutarelli’s website: LASIK Denver

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