Jones Angell and His Laser Sharp Vision.

If you don’t recognize him by sight, you are likely familiar with Jones Angell’s voice. He is the play by play voice for Carolina Athletics. This spring he decided to undergo LASIK vision correction with Dr. Bryan here at COA. Jones filled us in on the issues that convinced him to opt for refractive surgery and allowed us to follow him through the process. Thanks Jones!

“The biggest challenge for me came with my profession.  As a broadcaster, I need to be able to see things well from a great distance and having to wear contacts/glasses sometimes made that a challenge.  I look forward to being able to see the field and court clearly even from far away.”

Jones and Jeannette at the WaveScan

Before undergoing the procedure, Jeannette took WaveScan images (or a 3D analysis) of Jones’s corneas. After that, Tracy went over his post op instructions and answered any remaining questions while checking his blood pressure and prepping him for LASIK.

Tracy preps Jones

Meanwhile Polly and Casey prepped the laser room.

Polly and Casey prep the laser room while Dr. Bryan administers a numbing drop.

Once Jones came into the laser room Dr. Bryan took a look at Jones’s corneas at the slit lamp to make sure his axis was correctly marked for his astigmatic correction.

Dr. Bryan marks the axis for astigmatic correction.

Once everything was set and a time out was done to be sure everyone was on the same page, it was go time. “I was a little nervous at the beginning of the procedure,” said Jones, “but Dr. Bryan and his team did a tremendous job of keeping the atmosphere positive yet professional while also making sure I was informed of the progress of the procedure the entire time.”

Undergoing the procedure.  Jeremiah and Chad, techs from Sightpath assist.

If you are feeling a bit nervous, Dr. Bryan’s Laser Gator can help you get all of your nervous energy out by allowing you to squeeze him tightly.

Holding onto our Laser Gator.

Looking at the clock on the wall.  Right after surgery most patients are stunned to realize they can already see the numbers on the clock.

Now Jones gets to look forward to life independent of glasses or contact lenses. “I would always have problems with my contacts losing focus so having the consistency of my new vision has been tremendous. I have been in glasses the last several months so getting to wear sunglasses again has been great!”

Jones and Dr. Bryan.

For a first person account of what the procedure feels like, check out Laura’s blog post from a few months back.

Laura's LASIK Experience

Jones took the leap, and now he is living without the limitation of glasses or contact lenses.
Call us at 919-945-3937 to schedule your free consultation. Start living your life without limitations.

The Cat(aract) Came Back. What May Cause Blurred Vision After Cataract Surgery and how a Laser Can Help.

The other day a patient was sitting in a chair a year after cataract surgery in both eyes.  She read 20/20 minus a few letters in the right eye and was exclaiming how fantastic her vision was; she never had this kind of vision as a youth.  Then she changed over to check the left eye and she was struck by how blurred the letters appeared when compared with the vision in her right eye.  Her vision tested at around 20/40 in the left.  Troubled she asked the question, “Did my cataract come back?”

The first thing she needed to be clarified on is what a cataract really is.  A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye.  It can be a congenital condition, effects of certain medications, trauma, or the aging process.  Once a cataract has become significant enough that it affects a person’s daily life or hinders a person from enjoying their hobbies due to poor vision, it is time to consider cataract surgery. 

 

photo credit: imgarcade.com  

 

Today, cataract surgery is accomplished very quickly with a speedy recovery period and minimal discomfort.  The lens of the eye sits in a thin bag inside the interior of the eye called the capsule.  An incision is made in the cornea either by hand or by laser, the surgeon then opens the capsule, breaks apart the hardened lens and replaces this with a clear artificial lens inside the capsule.  There are a variety of options out there and you should speak with your Ophthalmologist’s office for more insight into these options.   These artificial lenses cannot develop cataracts. 

 

What then could cause the patient’s blurred vision?  In a small percentage of patients, the cells that are left inside the posterior portion of the capsule begin to multiply causing an opacity that will blur vision.  This condition is sometimes referred to as an “after cataract”.   Luckily, a laser procedure is done to break apart this clouding and restore cleared vision.

Photo credit: OpthoBook

(Image is lens and capsule seen from side view.)

If you thought cataract surgery was fast and painless get ready for the ease of a YAG laser procedure.  A numbing drop is instilled about a half hour prior to the procedure as well as a dilating drop so the laser can enter through the pupil of the eye.  A second numbing drop is administered, the patient places their head in the laser machine and after just a few seconds and a few zaps the cells are obliterated. 

 

Directly after the procedure intraocular pressure is checked to ensure it has not spiked and the patient is sent home.  Vision generally clears within the next couple of days.