703.556.9155

TESTIMONIALS

Dr. Andrew Holzman and Washington Nationals Ace Pitcher John Lannan

I was referred to Dr Holzman by the Washington Nationals' team eye doctor, Dr. Smithson. I definitely wanted the best surgeon who would be very careful and make sure everything was perfect. Dr Holzman at TLC came very highly recommended. I felt totally comfortable through the entire process as Dr Holzman's confidence and skill let me easily relax. It was incredibly easy. My eyesight is 20/15 now and I can't believe how much better i can see than before surgery. This was a GREAT decision for me and i am really looking forward to the up-coming baseball season with my new eyesight.

-- John Lannan
Washington Nationals

Dr. Andrew Holzman with Major League Soccer Star Alecko Eskandarian of LA Galaxy

Alecko Eskandrian Major League soccer player

Dr. Holzman, I just want to thank you and your staff for taking great care of me when I recently had LASIK surgery at your TLC office. As a pro soccer player, my vision is extremely important and directly affects my performance on the field. Just like anyone else, I had questions about LASIK surgery and made sure I did my research before choosing to go forward with it. After wearing contact lenses and glasses for most of my life, I decided LASIK was the best option and have to admit the results have been fantastic. I am able to see clearer than ever before and haven't had to worry about the frustrations of managing my contact lenses. This has helped improve my quality of life in that I no longer have had to worry about my eyesight, both on and off the field. Thank you TLC!

-- Alecko Eskandarian
LA Galaxy

Dr. Andrew Holzman is located at:

TLC Laser Eye Centers - Tysons Corner
7930 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 250
McLean, VA 22102

Ph / 703.556.9155
Fax / 703.761.4960

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630 Peter Jefferson Pkwy # 180
Charlottesville, VA 22911-8630
Ph / 434-817-5275

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MonoVision Laser Vision Correction Washington DC and Virginia

We all have a Dominant Eye which is the eye which we primarily sight distant objects with. Usually, if the patient is right handed, it is the right eye. It is easy to test and we can usually determine this just by asking which eye the patient uses for photo shooting. The other, Non Dominant Eye, is obviously important in our overall sight, however it is not the primary eye which the brain relies upon for visual input. It is with this knowledge that we can adjust our LASIK Laser Vision Correction in order to help accommodate patients that are over 40 years of age, and who would ordinarily require drug-store reading glasses (magnifiers) for near vision tasks.

Presbyopia is the name of the condition which affects all people over the age of 40-45. Once we develop Presbyopia, our natural lens inside our eyes weakens, and we are no longer able to focus and refocus from distance to near. In patients that have had LASIK Laser Vision Correction, or in people who just see well at distance naturally, the development of Presbyopia results in the inability to see objects up close (reading) without the aid of magnifying reading glasses. As we age, the Presbyopia always worsens, resulting in the need for stronger reading glasses, and most often, the need for computer (intermediate range) glasses also.

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Patients that are over the age of 40, and who are having their distance vision corrected fully in both eyes, will at some point need to buy drugstore reading glasses (readers). This is due to the Presbyopia. In an attempt to limit the need for readers, and to keep some near vision while correcting the distance vision, some patients may elect to do a MONOVISION adjustment to their Laser Vision Correction. We treat the Dominant Eye with a full correction, targeting 20/20, so that the patient can see distance well - and then we slightly under-correct the Non Dominant eye so that it can still read menus and cell phones, etc. With BOTH EYES OPEN, the patient can see both distance and near objects. This is ONLY possible if there is a MONOVISION adjustment made in the procedure, otherwise the patient sees distance only. We offer monovision laser vision correction in the Virginia and Washington, DC area from our centers in McLean and Charlottesville.

Most commonly, this MONOVISION adjustment is very well tolerated by the patient. Usually when we first explain it, most people think it sounds like they will have headaches and dizziness, but this is not a usual experience. We can trial MONOVISION with contact lenses before the surgery, so as to simulate the outcome. This way, the patient has the ability to wear the contacts for a few days, sleeping in them also, and then report back to us if they like the MONOVISION adjustment or not.

Since there is a small overall compromise with this MONOVISION technique in the visual quality (one eye for near and one for distance isn't as sharp as both for distance), it is important that we do this on the right patients. Exacting, perfectionist-type personalities may not like this compromise.

Also, we do not perform this modification on pilots, law enforcement or athletes who require perfect distance vision and excellent depth perception as well.

So, if you are over 40, inquire about the MONOVISION approach to LASIK Laser Vision Correction offered at our McLean and Charlottesville offices in the Virginia and Washington, DC areas. Many patients opt for this approach and love the freedom from glasses at both distance and near. If you are under 40, no worries.. you don't have Presbyopia yet and you will be able to see both distance and near without glasses following LASIK, (until of course you get older and then develop need for readers!)

For a discussion of this topic, please see my video pertaining to Presbyopia and MonoVision by clicking here.

If patients over 40 yrs of age are unhappy wearing reading glasses, there is a simple, FDA approved procedure that Dr Holzman has been doing for almost a decade, called CK (Conductive Keratoplasty). This procedure can significantly reduce the need for readers, with a simple radiofrequency. For more information on CK, please click here.