Focusing on You: Laser Vision Correction at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Dr. William Culbertson is a laser vision surgeon at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of UHealth, the University of Miami Health System. To make an appointment at Bascom Palmer's Laser Vision Center, call 305-243-2020. For more about vision care, visit the University of Miami's health news blog.  

MIKE'S STORY

Mike Fernandez is a high school teacher whose after-hours work as a jiu-jitsu instructor requires a high level of physical fitness, agility, and as he came to learn, good eye sight. "One of the main reasons I stopped competing was because of my vision," says Mike. "While you're competing you've got to look at the scoreboard, you've got to look at the time…and I couldn't see 10 feet away."

Eyeglasses were problematic for Mike. "If you look down, they fall, if you look to the side, they fall, if you want to do any activity, they fall. That's when I heard about Lasik and started researching," he says.

Mike discovered Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which offers multiple laser vision correction options for patients with an active lifestyle. "We have the largest selection of technology in the country, if not the world, so we can select the laser that's best for you and the procedure that's best for you," says Dr. William Culbertson, an ophthalmologist at Bascom Palmer's Lasik & Laser Vision Center.

Smaller centers may only have one laser, but applying a one-size-fits-all approach to vision care can be detrimental to patients with specific needs. Bascom Palmer offers a selection of laser procedures including Lasik, SMILE (SMall Incision Lenticule Extraction), and PRK, the procedure Mike chose. "It's an individualized approach for each patient," says Dr. Culbertson.

Research by physicians at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute led to the development of the first lasers for eye correction more than 25 years ago. Today, the Bascom Palmer Laser Vision Center has performed more than 20,000 laser surgeries. This expertise translates to better results for patients, who often achieve 20/20 vision – or better – following a laser procedure.

For many including Mike, the best part is eliminating the need for eyeglasses. "I'm thankful that when I wake up in the morning I don't have to worry about finding my glasses," says Mike. "I can just go, compete, train, without feeling that I can't see."

Free comprehensive laser vision screenings are available at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute locations in Palm Beach Gardens, Plantation, Miami, and Coral Gables, Florida.

FOCUSING ON YOU

Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine is a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on CBS-4. For more stories like this one, visit YouTube channels for UHealth, the University of Miami Health System and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

Above content provided by UHealth, the University of Miami Health System and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute