Why Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center

As is discussed in How to Choose a Richmond LASIK Surgeon there are four fundamentals of a real LASIK expert. Dr. Kenneth Lipstock is just such a surgeon. He fulfills each of the four requirements. Three out of four would not be sufficient, but find someone who has all four and you've found the real deal. These four requirements are:

A well trained surgeon.
An experienced surgeon.
A surgeon that cares enough to pay very close attention to his or her patients both before, during and after surgery.
A surgeon that uses state of the art laser technology.

Training:

Dr. Luis Ruiz of South America invented the microsurgical instrument that made LASIK possible. Years ago he helped train the refractive surgery leaders of the world that in turn went on to teach ophthalmologists LASIK. Dr. Lipstock has the unique distinction of training abroad for years with Dr. Ruiz. In fact he has the honor of being the only American ever being allowed to operate at the world famous Ruiz Center. Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Lipstock subsequently became partners in cofounding the International Center for Refractive Surgery in the Caribbean for training surgeons in advanced LASIK techniques before they were available in the U.S.

Experience:

Dr. Lipstock has been performing LASIK for many years. (Virginia's first surgeon and one of the first in the U.S.). He has operated on patients from all over the U.S. and Canada. He has performed thousands of LASIK procedures carefully examining and following each and every patient himself before and after surgery.

Attention to Detail:

You can be assured that Dr. Lipstock himself actively participates in the meticulous evaluation of your eyes both before and after surgery. Other highly skilled technicians and doctors may be involved in your care as well, but there is no substitute for Dr. Lipstock's in depth knowledge for your pre and postoperative evaluation.

Technology:

Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center has chosen the IntraLase femtosecond laser for computer controlled customized flap creation and combined this with the newest 6th generation VISX S4 excimer laser with which to perform LASIK. VISX is a company created by the original researchers in excimer laser technology for eye surgery. VISX has been the gold standard in the U.S. for years, and with its superlative research team it has maintained its position as an innovator and quality excimer laser manufacturer. And now VISX has done it again introducing CUSTOM LASIK with WaveScan technology. CUSTOM LASIK is probably the greatest advancement in laser vision correction in the past decade. It significantly increases both accuracy and safety.

Are annoying dilating drops required? Visx: NO. LadarVision: YES

FDA Custom LASIK clinical study results:
Percent of patients seeing 20/20 or better:

Visx: 98%
Ladar Vision: 79.7%

Astigmatism Approval: YES for insignificant amounts only

Accuracy:

At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center over 99% of our patients see clearly without eye glasses or contacts.

Safety:

At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center we have not had one serious complication (0%) on our LASIK patients. In the last 1000 cases we had 1 mild case of blurred vision we are aware of; that is 0.1% (similar to wearing contacts) whereas the national average is about 1%. And now with Custom LASIK, even this rare case is correctable!

Enhancement Rate:

The great thing about LASIK is that we are able to fine-tune the initial results. A repeat procedure is called an enhancement. At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center the enhancement rate is about 5%. The National average for enhancement procedures is about 10-15%. This means about 95% of our patients see clearly after one LASIK surgery (mostly 20/25 or 20/20 or even better) thus they do not request an enhancement. With those who wanted an enhancement procedure and received one included then 99% of our patients end up seeing clearly after LASIK! And now with Custom LASIK, 98% of patients can see 20/20 without an enhancement—the majority of patients end up seeing even better than 20/20!!

Multifocus Correcton for Patients over 40:

LASIK can be performed on patients beginning at about age 18 and up to about age 70. But many patients over age 40 are concerned that if they are nearsighted now and have LASIK they will simply be trading distance glasses for reading glasses. This is because nearsighted patients have the distinct advantage of being able to see up close without glasses after age 40 (people with normal eyes lose this ability at that age). Most nearsighted patients over age 40 place a priority on their distance vision and are willing to trade their near vision ability for clear distance ability. In fact most patients in the U.S. who are over age 40 and have LASIK are advised by their LASIK surgeon to be corrected fully for distance vision in both eyes; they thereby lose their ability to see up close. Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center is uniquely different from other laser centers in this regard. We use a multi-focus laser correction technique on 99% of our patients over 40 and this enables them to see great at distance vision while at the same time preserving a significant amount of their natural ability to see up close.

Important Intangibles:

At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center you'll quickly learn to appreciate the friendliness and warmth of all staff members.
The cozy and relaxing environment (especially during surgery days) at Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center is quite comforting. Very high tech? Yes. Cold and impersonal? No.
At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center we believe that good patient education minimizes unrealistic fears. During the preoperative LASIK exam we even carefully take the time to simulate the surgery for you, so on the day of surgery you have a good idea of what to expect.
At Lipstock Laser Center Dr. Lipstock is the ONLY surgeon. He will examine you before and after surgery and nobody else will be operating on you.