Posted on January 29, 2014

January 29 is National Puzzle Day. When was the last time you sat down to tackle a puzzle with your family or friends? This is a great way to slow down your hectic pace, actually talk to loved ones and enjoy the little things in life. However, if you are forced to wear glasses in order to see the tiny puzzle pieces, this activity might create more distress than enjoyment.

People who are farsighted have trouble seeing things up-close without vision aids like contacts or glasses. Staring at puzzle pieces can make your eyes feel dry when you’re wearing contacts. And let’s face it, the weight of glasses on your nose is just plain uncomfortable after a while.

If you are farsighted and would love to see puzzle pieces more clearly, maybe you should consider LASIKvision correction. LASIK is a procedure that slightly alters the shape of your cornea so light will reflect properly on the back of the eye (retina). In farsighted people, the eye is too short, the cornea not curved enough or the lens is positioned farther back than normal. This causes light to focus behind the retina so it’s harder to focus on close objects.

LASIK can’t give every patient 20/20 (or better) vision, but it might put the puzzle pieces together for your eyes. You need to schedule a free LASIK Consultation with Colorado Ophthalmology Associates to find out. Contact our doctors in Denver, Colorado and Lakewood, Colorado today at 303-320-1777 or coloradoophthalmology.com to schedule your free Consultation. Or take our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation to find out if you might be a good candidate for LASIK. The puzzles are waiting! Call today!

 

Posted on January 9, 2014

What are your dreams? Most of us have one or more personal aspirations. The Dream Come True Foundation has designated January 13, 2014 as National Make Your Dream Come True Day. So, rather than listing nebulous New Year’s resolutions this year, use January 13 to actually take steps to make those dreams a reality.

Improving vision is often a dream for individuals who have to wear glasses or contacts. When you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, seeing the world clearly without the aid of vision correction devices may seem like an unobtainable goal.

However, at Colorado Ophthalmology Associates, we have helped thousands of people achieve their dream of 20/20 vision and visual freedom through LASIK vision correction. The problem is that many people leave LASIK in the “dream” category, without ever truly investigating if they can afford LASIK and if the procedure will work for their eyes.

January 13 is the perfect day to schedule a free LASIK Consultation and really take that first step. Our doctors offer free LASIK Consultations to determine your LASIK candidacy, discuss LASIK financingoptions and answer all of your questions about LASIK.

Contact us today to make your vision dream a reality! Call 303-320-1777 or visit coloradoophthalmology.com.

Posted on January 2, 2014

Welcome to 2014! We all make resolutions this time of year (to lose weight, stop smoking, get a better job), but despite our good intentions of putting ourselves first, our resolutions often get buried under other responsibilities.

This year, make a conscious effort to move your own happiness up the priority list. Are you tired of the hassles of glasses and/or contact lenses? Do you wish that you could actually see your alarm clock when you first wake up in the morning? If you haven’t looked into LASIK vision correction yet, maybe now is the time to find out if the procedure is right for you.

More than 14 million Americans have had LASIK. That’s an astounding number of people who chose to simplify their lives by correcting the shape of their corneas to minimize or completely correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

Imagine how much more you could enjoy everything that 2014 has in store if you didn’t have to worry about:

Losing your contacts
Breaking your glasses
Buying cleaning solutions
Taking your contacts out at night
No ophthalmologist can guarantee you 20/20 vision after LASIK. But if you choose a surgeon who has a great track record of success, uses advanced LASIK technologies and offers a comprehensive evaluation to ensure your eyes are right for the procedure, the odds of great vision are in your favor.

Don’t just assume that awesome vision is unobtainable. Contact Colorado Ophthalmology Associates in Denver today to schedule a free LASIK Consultation and find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK. You can also ask about LASIK financing. Call today at 303-320-1777 or schedule an appointment online at coloradoophthalmology.com.

Posted on December 26, 2013

Astigmatism is a common refractive error, which means that the eye does not focus light properly on the retina (the back of the eye). This condition causes light to focus on areas in front of and/or behind the retina, making vision blurry or distorted at all distances.

Astigmatism occurs when you have an irregularly-shaped cornea. LASIK vision correction can often correct the “football” shaped cornea of astigmatism into more of a “basketball” shape, thereby allowing light to properly focus on the retina and provide clear vision.

LASIK is not the best option for all patients with astigmatism. For example, if your corneas are too thin to support the procedure or if you have a medical condition that may interfere with healing, an alternative to LASIK (such as PRK) might be more appropriate.

Advances in LASIK technology have made this popular procedure a viable option for more patients than ever before. To find out if you might be a good candidate for LASIK, contact Colorado Ophthalmology Associates in Denver to schedule your free LASIK Consultation at 303-320-1777 or coloradoophthalmology.com.

 

Posted by on December 18, 2013

The shortest day of the year is almost here. December 21st is the Winter Solstice; it’s the first day of winter and a great time to step back from all of the craziness of holiday preparations and just enjoy the simpler things in life.

Here are a few suggestions we have for unwinding:

Make a homemade craft for a loved one
Enjoy the beauty of the season: take a hike, watch the sun set, build a snowman
Light candles in your home, build a fire in the fireplace
Sip hot chocolate and read a book
Have a simple dinner party (or go out to dinner) with family and friends
Reflect on what you wish for the upcoming year
While you are reflecting, if “improving your vision” tops your list of wishes, take a moment out of your Winter Solstice celebration to schedule a free LASIK consultation. Even though this day falls on a Saturday, you can still schedule an appointment online at our website: coloradoophthalmology.com.

LASIK vision correction helps people reduce or eliminate their need for glasses. Our doctors have helped numerous patients correct their refractive errors and live a clearer life. The procedure isn’t for everyone, which is why the free LASIK consultation is so important.

Enjoy the 2013 Winter Solstice! And, if you wear glasses or contacts, let our doctors show you how much more enjoyable your winter can be with LASIK.

Posted on December 11, 2013

If you have been considering LASIK, but you’re confused about some of the claims being made, you might be falling victim to some common LASIK myths. In this blog, we will provide the reality behind five common LASIK myths.

#1 – Anyone can have LASIK.

This simply isn’t true. Certain vision conditions and even your overall health may cause you to be a poor candidate for LASIK. You must have a full LASIK examination by a trained ophthalmologist to determine:

• The thickness of your cornea (if it is too thin, LASIK is not recommended)
• Prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome
• Prevalence of eye disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
• Your current medical health

If a surgeon tells you that anyone can have LASIK, go somewhere else!

#2 – You’ll never need glasses again after LASIK.

Regardless of whether or not you have LASIK, a condition called presbyopia can “sneak up” on you when you reach your mid-40s. Caused by the stiffening of the eye lens, the eyes begin to have problems focusing on near objects. This is an age-related problem that happens to virtually everyone, and you may need reading glasses later in life to read up-close or in dimly-lit situations.

#3 – If you have astigmatism, you can’t have LASIK.

When you have a cornea that is shaped more like a football than a basketball, advanced LASIK technologies can be used to change the shape of the cornea to create the optimal shape and improve vision. Of course, every patient is unique. You can find out if your particular degree of astigmatism can be corrected by having a full eye exam.

#4 – LASIK is expensive. It’s cheaper to wear glasses.

When you look at the total cost of LASIK, it may seem like an unobtainable luxury. However, studies have shown that in the long run people may spend less on LASIK than on the continued maintenance of eyeglasses and contact lenses…and these are expenses that never end. When you weigh that number against the one-time cost of LASIK, and the fact that excellent LASIK financing options exist, the procedure looks much more affordable.

#5 – If I can’t have LASIK, I can’t get my vision corrected.

There are actually alternatives to LASIK for people who aren’t candidates for LASIK. PRK or ASA procedures do not require that a corneal flap be created, so those with thin corneas are sometimes candidates for this option. Alternatively, Refractive Lens Exchange is a procedure in which the natural lens of the eye is replaced with an artificial Intraocular Lens (IOL) to correct vision. There are other options as well, and your doctor should discuss those with you.

Don’t write off LASIK without knowing all of the facts. Schedule your free LASIK Consultation at Colorado Ophthalmology Associates in Denver today at 303-320-1777 or coloradoophthalmology.com to learn more.

 

Posted on December 4, 2013

Did you know that December 7 is Letter Writing Day? It’s a real observance that encourages people to swap their computer keys and texting thumbs for a pen or pencil…and to craft a hand-written note to someone. Sending someone a personal letter shows that you took time out of your busy schedule to share a story or two about your recent activities…or to thank them for a kind gesture…or to ask Santa for that new remote-controlled car!

For some people, writing a letter means getting out their glasses or putting in their contacts to see their words form on the page. Farsighted people have difficulty seeing things up-close, which can make writing, reading and fine detail work just plain impossible without corrective lenses. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the ability to jot down a note anytime, day or night, without the hassles of glasses or contacts?

LASIK vision correction can make letter-writing a breeze for some patients. The process actually corrects the shape of the cornea in farsighted patients, helping light to focus directly on the retina as opposed to behind it.

LASIK won’t help you craft the great American novel, but it has helped millions of Americans see up-close more clearly. It’s also important to know that even after LASIK, some patients need reading glasses in later life due to the natural stiffening of the eye’s lenses…a naturally-occurring condition called presbyopia.

To find out if your next Letter Writing Day could be celebrated without glasses, contact Colorado Ophthalmology Associates in Denver today by calling 303-320-1777 or visiting coloradoophthalmology.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation.

 

Posted on November 27, 2013

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the team at Colorado Ophthalmology Associates would like to take a moment to share a few of the things for which we are thankful.

We are thankful that:

We’ve had the privilege of providing eyesight care for the people of Denver and Lakewood since 1960.
We have an outstanding ophthalmologist who is specially trained and highly experienced in LASIK vision correction.
The LASIK technologies we’ve invested in are allowing us to improve vision for even more patients – even some of those who were not candidates in the past.
Our entire team maintains strong ethical standards and only performs LASIK on qualified candidates.
We help patients afford the improved vision they desire through LASIK financing options.
We get the opportunity to help educate people about every aspect of LASIK, whether or not they choose us for their procedure.
Our goal is to make our patients feel thankful that they chose Colorado Ophthalmology Associates for their vision correction.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your loved ones this holiday season. And if the quality of your vision isn’t something that is making you thankful, contact Colorado Ophthalmology Associates in Denver to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. Call 303-320-1777 or visit coloradoophthalmology.com.