SEEING IS BELIEVING

Waring Vision Institute offers cutting-edge laser surgery

BY BARRY WALDMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS

Waring Vision Institute is a leading center for patients who care about optimizing their ability to see.

If the name George Waring rings a bell, you may be thinking of the proprietor’s late father, George Waring III, a founding father of refractive surgery and one of the pioneers of Lasik surgery. His son, George Waring IV, carries on the tradition at Waring Vision Institute, right here in Mount Pleasant. An internationally recognized innovator, with a long list of honors from his peers in the field of refractive surgery, Dr. Waring IV performed the first Lasik surgery in the United States with a high-speed laser, the first laser cataract surgery in South Carolina with an advanced laser, and the first high-definition, custom Lasik surgery in the state.

Employing the safest and most cutting-edge Lasik surgery, Dr. Waring offers patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s the ability to see without glasses or contact lenses. Indeed, research has determined that refractive eye surgery is even safer than wearing contact lenses, which can, in rare cases, cause lens-related eye infections with long-term overnight use.

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In their 40s, when most people begin to develop presbyopia— the inevitable, age-related loss of close-up vision—new laser procedures can alleviate the need for reading glasses and bifocals. In fact, Dr. Waring conducted much of the research supporting these procedures.

For aging baby boomers, advanced diagnostic tests can reveal early-stage cataracts— what Dr. Waring calls “a dirty windshield.” Using lasers, Dr. Waring can implant a new lens that won’t age, thereby restoring focus permanently.

Visiting Waring Vision Institute is more like entering a five-star resort than an eye doctor’s office. Patient wait time is minimized through an online patient check-in. Mahogany, fresh flowers and tasteful modern art lend a calming warmth to the waiting room.

Upon arriving, patients are greeted by name and escorted to an advanced ocular center where they undergo a complete digital tour of their eyes. Support staff evaluate and address individual patient needs and educate each client about treatment options. No patient will ever see photos or models of the typical eye; at Waring Vision, they learn about their own eyes and the conditions that affect their vision.

“We use the most advanced technologies to treat our patients,” says Dr. Waring. “Our suite of Lasik equipment provides extraordinary outcomes that push the limits of visual potential. With Lasik, we don’t hope for perfect vision, we strive for better-than-perfect vision. By taking a holistic approach to eye care—one that emphasizes the overall health and wellness of the eye—we can help people see at their visual potential— and often better.”

Over a distinguished career, which includes serving as an associate professor of ophthalmology and director of refractive surgery at MUSC’s Storm Eye Institute and receiving international awards from his peers in ophthalmology, Dr. Waring has immersed himself in research and helped validate much of the equipment, procedures and techniques now in use at Waring Vision Institute.

Indeed, patients come to Waring Vision Institute from all over the world to take advantage of the safest, most progressive vision correction technology in a setting that puts the mind and body at ease. It’s possible for patients who walk in the door struggling to see to walk out with 20/10 vision—two lines better than perfect vision—and they can’t help but feel they’ve truly received a gift.

Barry Waldman is principal of Big Fly Communications, a PR/marketing firm for nonprofits and small businesses.

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