Vision Correction Surgery: A Safer Option than Contact Lenses in Our COVID-19 Society?

San Antonio, TX – The COVID-19 crisis has had wide-ranging effects across our society, inspiring substantial changes to the way we carry out everyday tasks. For persons who normally wear contact lenses to see, the question has arised - Does COVID-19 pose an additional health risk? We know many viruses can impact the eye. Many patients have brought up the question, "Does putting in contacts or touching my eyes increase my chance to get COVID-19 or other germs?"

To avoid this possibility, vision correction surgery has become an increasingly appealing option for people who want crisp, clear vision without the risks associated with contact lenses. Not to mention the increased amounts of foggy glasses due to required masks. This is especially true for healthcare employees, who are at high risk for COVID-19 infection. That's why some local healthcare workers are coming to Parkhurst NuVision, a vision correction surgery center in San Antonio, TX, for Modern LASIK and other advanced vision correction treatments.

Recently, the medical team at Parkhurst NuVision had the opportunity to help healthcare worker Candice Vasquez, a nurse in a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), discover the varied benefits of the Visian Toric ICL permanent contact lens procedure. Mrs. Vasquez was looking for an alternative to the contact lenses she had worn for years to correct her nearsightedness. As a nurse, she was able to wear her lenses for only four hours at a time, and often had to use her finger to realign them when they rotated during the day. She also could not wear glasses in conjunction with a surgical mask because the lenses kept fogging.

Due to the threat of COVID-19, Vasquez needed another solution for her eyesight. She found it at Parkhurst NuVision, where Dr. Gregory Parkhurst outfitted her with Visian Toric ICL implantable contact lenses. Now, for the first time since childhood, Vasquez has good vision without the need for contacts or glasses. "When my nurse friends were asking about my procedure, I told them about the amazing feeling of freedom from thinking about glasses, contacts, buying solutions and drops, and all these things," she says. "There's no money that would ever be able to pay for the feeling that I have right now."

NuVision, located in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the top Visian ICL centers in North America. Dr. Parkhurst was the first surgeon in the U.S. to perform Visian Toric ICL surgery after the procedure was formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2018. Visian Toric ICL surgery involves placing an implantable contact lens under the surface of the eye, so the device does not require the routine cleaning associated with contact lenses.

For more information about Visian Toric ICL surgery, or any of the other eye procedures available at Parkhurst NuVision, please visit https://www.sanantonio-lasik.com.

About Parkhurst NuVision
Located in San Antonio, Texas, Parkhurst NuVision specializes in vision correction surgery, including Modern LASIK, Visian ICL, laser cataract procedures and treatments to restore reading vision. Dr. Parkhurst, MD, FACS, is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.