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Andrew L. Leitzel, OD Inducted as Chairman of the Board for the Tri-County Association for the Blind
June 8, 2010
Andrew L. Leitzel, OD was inducted as Chairman of the Board for the Tri-County Association for the Blind today. Premier Eye Care Group wishes to congratulate him with his new leadership role. We support his efforts serving with such an outstanding organization.
Premier Eye Care Group Awarded Who’s Who in Business for LASIK surgery in Harrisburg for 2010
January 15, 2010
Once again, Premier Eye Care Group was awarded Who’s Who in Business for LASIK surgery in Harrisburg for 2010. Premier Eye Care Group won this category in 2009 also. Susquehanna Style Magazine contracts with Polk-Lepson Research Group, and independent market research firm, to conduct an objective telephone survey.
Dr. Brent’s Healthy Eyes Salad
June 11, 2009
Fill a large bowl with spinach and other dark leafy greens. Pour the following on top of the greens:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup blue cheese
sprinkle w/ lots of sliced almonds and serve with your favorite salad dressing.
For the Puppy Chow recipe click on the following link: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,158182-234196,00.html
Congratulations to Andrew Leitzel, OD
June 2, 2009
Premier Eye Care Group wishes CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Leitzel, OD for being awarded YOUNG OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR - 2009 by the Central Pennsylvania Optometric Society. His outstanding leadership and service to his profession and the visual welfare of the public was recognized at the annual awards ceremony on Sunday, May 31st, 2009.
Premier Eye Care Group Wins the Who’s Who in Business for LASIK Surgery for Harrisburg
January 2, 2009
Premier Eye Care Group won the Who’s Who in Business for LASIK Surgery for Harrisburg. Susquehanna Style Magazine contracts with Polk-Lepson Research Group, an independent market research firm, to conduct an objective telephone survey to Harrisburg, York and Lancaster. Premier Eye Care Group was statistically chosen as the Leader in LASIK Surgery for Harrisburg for 2009.
Shopping for the “BEST” price for LASIK
December 8, 2008
It’s 3:00 AM the morning after you had LASIK surgery and your eyes feel “funny.” Is this normal? Who will you call? If your surgeon is from PREMIER EYE CARE GROUP - your care is 24/7. There have been other LASIK providers in the area who have set up shop in trucks and strip malls that have come and gone, leaving behind their “customers.” Premier Eye Care Group has been providing quality service to “patients” in the Harrisburg area for over 20 years. And will continue to be there for their LASIK patients for years after surgery. U.S. FDA Checklist to find the right doctor for LASIK surgery. Experience ‑ How many eyes has your doctor performed LASIK surgery? Dr. Jane Barton and Dr. Geoffrey J. Brent have performed thousands of refractive procedures. Equipment ‑ Does your doctor use an FDA‑approved laser for the procedure you need? Premier Eye Care Group offers ALL-LASER-LASIK– the flap is made with the Intralase laser. We also have the two best excimer laser available in the USA; the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q and the Visx Star4,IR. Informative ‑ Is your doctor willing to spend the time to answer all your questions? Dr. Barton and Dr. Brent will meet you and perform your exam before your surgery so they can recommend the best procedure for your eyes. Our surgeons welcome all your questions. Long‑term Care ‑ Does your doctor encourage follow‑up and management of you as a patient? Yes! Your payment for surgery includes all your pre-op and post-op appointments. Our surgeons track patient outcome and encourage all our patients to come to all of their post-op appointments. Pre-op and post-op care – Will your care be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon. The entire team of doctors and staff at Premier Eye Care Group may be involved in your pre-op care. Both surgeons want to see all refractive surgery patients the day after surgery. At your post-op Be Comfortable ‑ Do you feel you know your doctor and are comfortable with an equal exchange of information? We hope you will attend one of our LASIK seminars to meet our surgeons and ask all your questions. You can also reach our surgical counselors with your questions during regular office hours. (Dr. Barton’s surgical counselor – 991.2014; Dr. Brent’s surgical counselor - 919.3090)
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You use your eyes everyday and keep them for life. What type of investment should you make? When “shopping“ for a LASIK provider, what is the price you place on piece of mind? Although we do not charge the highest
If you are wearing contact lenses and glasses, consider what you pay each year. The following is the average annual expenses for a contact lens wearer:
| Average one year supply of contact lenses: | $100 - $ 250 |
| Average one year supply of contact lens solutions | $50 - $ 200 |
| Annual contact lens exam | $15 - $ 250 |
| Glasses replaced every 2-3 years | $200 - $ 500 |
| Vision Insurance Premium | $60 - $ 150 |
| TOTAL ANNUAL PRICETAG: | $425 - $1350 |
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*These numbers are estimates and will be different for individual patients. |
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How quickly would you break even from an investment in LASIK?
EXAMPLE: A patient with Davis Vision Insurance wearing a monovision contact lens for only one eye currently would have an approximate annual cost of $400 or more. The discounted cost of LASIK for this patient would be $1870 for the one eye – a $2450 value. Besides the joy of excellent vision, one would recover the cost of LASIK in less than five years. Then year, after year, after year, he would be saving approximately $400/year which would be over 20% ROI (Return on Investment) — beating most investments in the current market.
Other concerns when paying for LASIK:
You can reduce the cost of LASIK by paying with tax-free money available with a Flexible Benefit Plan or Medical Reimbursement Account. Call your Human Resources Department to learn what you can do to make LASIK tax-free. Also check your vision plan for a discount. Schedule a no-charge consultation at Premier Eye Care Group to be sure you are a candidate for LASIK.
Interest-free financing is available at Premier Eye Care. Apply online at www.premiereyes.com to add to your ROI (Return On Investment.) Try the 12-Month or 18-Month plan with O% interest.
When you consider your vision for the next ten years, consider what would be best for your healthy eyes.
Dr. Robert F. Stegura
The Aug. 2008 issue of Harrisburg Magazine, which has announced SIMPLY THE BEST for the past ten years, awarded Premier Eye Care Group READER’S CHOICE for 3 categories… Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and LASIK Surgery. Harrisburg Magazine asks their readers to complete ballots online or by mail. We were honored to be included in 3 categories.
Premier Eye Care Group Announces Two New Lasers
August 1, 2008
Premier Eye Care Group is pleased to announce two new lasers during the summer of 2008.
The VISX Star4, IR(Iris Registration) is the excimer laser used for the iLASIK procedure. The Advanced CustomVue WaveScan with 3D mapping creates a blueprint of your eyes before surgery. This technology is used by the Star4 laser during surgery to apply treatment unique for your eyes.
The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q is the fastest excimer laser available today. The strategic delivery is designed differently than other excimer lasers based on the curve of your eyes.
Both excimer lasers are safe and precise. The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q and the AMO Star 4 IR are the two best excimer lasers in the world today. They have different strategies and most people would get excellent results with either laser. However, because of their different strengths some individuals will have better outcomes with one than the other. For example, eyes with steeper curvature on the front of the eye do better with the strategy of the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q. Those individuals with larger amounts of irregularities (higher order aberrations) are proven to have better vision with the iLASIK Star 4, IR with Advanced CustomVue. Many patients feel their night vision is better than with contact lenses. We are careful to do a full range of measurements to make sure you get the best results possible. A free LASIK consultation at Premier Eye Care Group will let you know which laser is best for you.
Each circle represents the two different excimer lasers and all of our patients with excellent visual outcomes.
Six Things You Should Know Before Having LASIK
March 24, 2008
1. Who should have LASIK?
People who want to be less dependent on their glasses or contact lenses should consider LASIK. Patients who are nearsighted and/or have astigmatism have the best results. LASIK is the most common vision correction procedure in the United States because the procedure is safe, predictable, and because patients appreciate the speedy recovery. However, LASIK is not recommended for every spectacle-weary patient. Surgeons advise patients against LASIK surgery for a variety of reasons with the overall health and long-term integrity of each eye as the main goal.
Before having LASIK you should have a competent eye evaluation with an ophthalmologist who uses measurements from advanced equipment such as an Orbscan or the Pentacam. Other vision correction procedures may be the answer for people who cannot have LASIK. Some people will get a better result from another procedure such as PRK, (Photorefractive Keratectomy,) the Visian ICLs (Implantable Contact Lenses,) multifocal IOLs (IntraOcular Lenses,) or NearVision CK (Conductive Keratoplasty).
2. What Laser is used for LASIK?
There are a variety of lasers used today in medicine. Two separate lasers can be used when a surgeon performs LASIK. The first laser is a femtosecond (FS) laser which creates a thin corneal flap. The faster (60 kHz speed) FS lasers produce a smoother flap resulting in a better quality of vision for patients.
Once the flap is created and lifted to the side, an excimer laser reshapes the cornea. The small spot lasers are known for being superior to the traditional broad-beam lasers because they apply a smooth scanning technology to reduce halos or glare after surgery.
“Laser radar” is extremely important with excimer lasers. The radar is an active tracking system that can follow rapid involuntary eye movements during surgery. The eye tracking radar locks on to a specific point on each eye and allows the small spot laser beam to apply the precise amount of treatment to the exact area of the cornea. The excimer laser also reshapes the cornea for Custom-LASIK or PRK. Be sure to ask the surgery center you visit if it has the newest upgrade for their laser.
3. Is Your Surgeon Board Certified?
Not every doctor is board certified. A board certified doctor has not only completed medical school and a residency program, but has also passed a national examination in the specific field of medicine in which he or she will practice. You can find out if your eye doctor is board certified in ophthalmology through the American Academy of Ophthalmology website. Go to www.aao.org and enter your doctor’s name, city and state in the fields for “Find An Eye M.D.” When the doctor’s name appears, click on it to see the details of his or her career. “American Board Ophthalmology” will be entered if the doctor is board certified.
Not only should you meet your surgeon before surgery, you should expect to see him or her for some of your post-operative appointments. The standard of quality care does include seeing your doctor more than just the day of surgery.
4. How much does LASIK cost?
Premier Eye Care Group has contracted with several vision insurance plans to give a discount LASIK price to their participants. Every patient should speak with our surgical counselors to learn his or her exact price. Once we quote you a price it is good for a year. Our quoted price includes your consultation with the surgical counselor, the evaluation with the doctor, all pre-operative testing, the surgery and all post-operative appointments for one year.
Many patients pay for LASIK with cash or on a credit card, but financing is available with Care Credit and Chase Health Advance. For a low-monthly payment we offer 36 or 48-month payment plans. Our most popular financing plan is the 18-months, no-interest option.
5. How long do I need to be out of my contacts?
Wearing a contact lens affects the shape of your eye. Every contact lens patient desiring LASIK must suffer through a period of time without contacts for your eyes to achieve their natural shape. You must be sure your eyes have completely unmolded from you contacts for your surgery to be successful. The period of time you must be out of your contacts depends on what type of contacts you wear and how long you have worn them. The minimal time to unmold from contact lens wear is as follows:
Soft, spherical contacts 2 weeks
Soft, toric contacts 3 weeks
Rigid Gas Perm contacts 1 - 6 months (A good benchmark is 1 month for every decade of wearing RGP lenses)
6. What if I wear bifocals?
LASIK for a twenty year old is different than for someone over forty-five. LASIK involves reshaping the cornea but does not alter the lens inside the eye. Presbyopia refers to the aging of one’s lens inside the eye which loses its flexibility and inhibits the ability to easily change focus from far to near. Most patients notice presbyopia during their forties and usually wear reading glasses for near vision.
Monovision may be an option for some presbyopic patients. Monovision is the ability for the dominant eye to focus clearly on items far away and the other eye to focus up close. Doctors can use contact lenses or refractive surgery to treat a patient with monovision. You should try monovision with contact lenses before you attempt monovision through LASIK.
If monovision is frustrating to a patient because of a significant difference between the two eyes, a patient may want to try modified-monovision, also called “blended vision.” Modified-monovision is when a patient’s dominant eye is corrected for distance and the other eye is slightly under-corrected. The difference in correction between the two eyes is usually not as noticeable to patients during their daily activities. However, the slightly under-corrected eye allows patients to see things that are near or at an intermediate distance more clearly.
Anne Quist, MBA
Community Education and Marketing Analyst
Premier Eye Care Group
