News/Blog

Gotham News – February

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Special Offer

For a limited time, Gotham Lasik Vision is discounting custom lasik procedures for groups of 2 or more! Contact Ahmad Sahar, our Managing Director for additional information and guidelines. ahmad@gothamlasik.com or at 212-581-1280.

Doctor’s Note

Welcome to another issue of our newsletter. It is February where the cold of winter is fully upon us with all that that entails in respect to our eyes and bodies. The name February comes to us from the latin Februum, meaning purification, from the purification ritual Februa held Feb. 15th in the old Roman calendar. It seems appropriate then at this time of year when our thoughts turn to improving ourselves and making ready for the rebirth that is spring, that an assessment and checkup of our present physical condition should be undertaken.

Of paramount importance is the annual eye exam. For many, this simply includes a check of the vision and a prescription if one wears glasses or contact lenses. This is not a complete eye exam and a disservice is done if that is all that is performed. An eye exam should consist of a full exam of both the front (e.g. eyelids, conjunctiva, cornea, iris, lens) and the back (viteous, retina, optic nerve) of the eye. In addition the muscles and nerves of the eye should be checked for any problems with movement, focusing, double vision, etc.. Intraocular pressure and visual fields should be assessed for signs of glaucoma (a common disease usually with no symptoms that can lead to blindness). Cataracts, macular degeneration, infections and inflammation of the eye need to be checked for before serious blindness ensues. The thousands of diseases that can effect the eye are often symptomless with the person unaware until the disease has progressed far along.

The importance of such a complete eye exam cannot be overstated. Systemic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, cancers, nerve palsies, to name but a few, can be picked up. Problems with the lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, liver, intestines, heart, etc can often be seen, diagnosed and then be treated. So, besides localized eye diseases and conditions, an eye exam can often be the first indication of a more widespread condition and so can often aid in early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

So, if February can teach us anything, it should be a month in which we evaluate our bodies and ready them for spring’s renewal. And as the month of love, it should be a time where we think of our loved ones and ensure they also get checked – it will show just how much you care.

Eye Health Assessment

What better way to say “I love you” to those closest to you then with the gift of perfect vision? Gotham Lasik Vision can provide your loved ones the opportunity to rid themselves of glasses and contacts and achieve remarkable results with their custom lasik procedure. No heart shaped box of chocolates nor any amount of red roses can compare to the gift of perfect vision. Contact the Gotham Concierge today to arrange for a complimentary consultation and eye health assessment and give the gift that will be remembered for a lifetime!

FSA: The time to save is NOW!

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Take full advantage of open enrollment with your companies FSA (Flex Savings Accounts) and save thousands of dollars of the price of your custom Lasik surgery. Using tax free money in combination with special 2010 incentives can make January the best time of the year to have your custom Lasik procedure. You can stick to a new year’s resolution of being done with the hassle of contacts and glasses so start your New Year right and book your complimentary consultation today! You will meet directly with Dr. Brian Bonanni who will answer all your Lasik questions.

Top 5 Ways Lasik is More Affordable Than Ever:

Easy Application Process that takes just minutes to see if you qualify!
Over 90% of our patients are eligible and qualify for financing.
Finance your full procedure cost interest free for 18 months!
We can custom tailor a program that fits your current budget.
All our financing programs require ZERO down payment, making it more affordable than ever!

Contact us directly to see if you qualify. You can be scheduling your procedure within days and be rid of your glasses and contacts forever!

Doctor’s Note

At this time of year it is natural to look back and contemplate the significant events of the past year. And being the end of a decade I thought about how much laser vision correction has changed over the past ten years. Back in 2000, most were happy with getting 20/40 vision – the vision needed to pass the driver’s vision test and good enough to get around without glasses. Now, I think most people should be achieving vision of 20/20 or better. This is due not only to the advances in laser technology, but also the added experience and care of many surgeons.

The evolution of lasers over the past ten years has been profound. Early lasers had small optical zones (sometimes 5.0 mm). These zones were then enlarged and transition zones added to smooth the edges of the treatment. This decreased the rate of side effects. The broad beam lasers which sculpted the cornea in a rough manner were challenged by the scanning spot lasers which offered smoother and larger treatments – improving the quality of vision and again reducing side effects. Custom treatments which took into consideration other factors of the eye besides just the prescription also came about and should now be the norm.

It’s hard to imagine not measuring the thickness of the cornea or looking at its shape but many doctors early on did neither. Thinning of the cornea too much, especially in individuals with certain corneal conditions, led to problems – poor vision and often corneal transplants. Then, the pachymeter to measure thickness and the topographer to check the shape for corneal disease became common place – because it was found not everyone was a good candidate for surgery.

However, certain corneal conditions, especially in their early forms, were hard to diagnose and still sneaked through the screening process causing problems. Now we have instruments to visualize both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea to better diagnose these conditions in their earliest forms – ideally preventing these patients from being operated on.

What the next ten years hold anyone can guess. With each new advance, we will be able to operate on more and more types of conditions – people that now can’t have surgery. And of course, perform the procedure more safely.

New Year, New You

Its a new year, a new decade! Pamper yourself with one of Gotham Skincare’s New Year New You Specials

Renew and Relax with a Gotham Glow Signature Facial and a 20 minute Massage for $150
Erase the stress and leave it behind, and get your Glow Back!

Refresh your appearance and begin the year with confidence! With the purchase of any one area of Botox, receive the second area 1/2 price & enjoy the results from your complimentary Rejuvinating Peel!

With both specials a Free Skincare and Makeup Consultation is included.

Happy New Year from Gotham Skincare, we look forward to helping you address all of your Skincare needs!

The Liquid Facelift: Look Your Best in 2010

There are many names for it, Facial Revolumization, the Non-Invasive Facelift, The Filler Facelift, and The Liquid Facelift. Dr. Bonanni has always known the power of facial fillers, neurotoxin and chemical peels and the dramatic effects that a combination of treatments can produce, however in 2010, Dr. Bonanni wants his patients and the public to know that one does not need to have invasive procedures to refine and sculpt the face and skin. From the list of treatments that can be combined to address your concerns, it is not the individual procedures that are the trend. The Liquid Facelift is the trend; the trend is to get the results you dream of without being invasive.

To address skin texture, tone, elasticity, fine lines, and overall complexion, a series of custom chemical peels are recommended to leave you with a flawless canvas for the artist. Dr. Bonanni will then discuss with his patient his or her concerns and makes decisions as to which of his palette of facial fillers he will choose from to best achieve the desired goals. He will choose from Juvaderm, Radiesse, Perlane, Sculptra, all which have optimal results when used by a skilled, experienced Physician such as Dr. Bonanni. The fillers can be used to create volume where it has been lost, for example in the cheeks or lips; it can also be layered with Dysport or Botox, to address deep wrinkles on the forehead or glabellar region. The fillers can also be used to fill extremely deep acne scars, or to define the jawline or the bridge of the nose. Botox or Dysport can be used to treat wrinkles on the upper region of the face, however it can also be used to turn up the tip of the nose, treat dimpling on the chin, it can even be injected on the sides of the jaw to soften the shape of the face and create a more oval shape.

To maintain the results of your liquid facelift, a common trend for skincare and 2010, will be to end the never ending hunt for skincare products that work, and actually produce results. The search will end with people throwing away the thousands of jars, bottles and creams that litter your bathroom shelves and, committing to using a medical skincare system that changes your skin on a cellular level. Dr. Bonanni and the Director Alexandra Plotkin of Gotham Skincare will consult with their patients to find the appropriate skincare protocol from Obagi Medical, their choice in Medical skincare lines.

Call 212.616.9995 to book your appointment.

Why Now is the Right Time for LASIK – Part 2

Friday, November 6th, 2009

In my last blog concerning the right time for LASIK, I wrote about some of the advances in the technology of the procedure itself. Today I want to focus on the advances in the evaluation of a patient and determining whether he/she is a good candidate for laser vision correction (whether it be LASIK, PRK, LASEK, or epiLASIK). Patients especially in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut seem to be very unsure what makes a person a bad candidate for LASIK or PRK. Most think that if they have astigmatism they aren’t good candidates. That’s not true, even large amounts of astigmatism can be treated now.

One of the great advances in the evaluation of a patient came with the invention of the High Resolution Pentacam – a diagnostic machine which provides a beautiful and complete picture of the entire front of the eye. Before this we were limited to corneal topography which only shows us the front surface of the cornea. This is good in detecting some corneal diseases but usually not until these diseases have progressed to often an advanced state. The goal has always been to detect the early stages of these conditions so LASIK can be avoided or PRK or other surface treatment substituted if indicated.

An early attempt in going beyond the anterior surface of the cornea was the introduction of the Orbscan. But this machine suffers from a variety of inadequacies and doesn’t give a true and reliable picture of the posterior surface of the cornea. The visualization and analysis of the posterior surface of the cornea is critical in determining whether a patient is a good candidate for LASIK or PRK/LASEK – for many corneal diseases start by altering the back of the cornea.

With the introduction of the Pentacam and now the High Resolution Pentacam, a true picture of the cornea, anterior and posterior surfaces, is obtained. The analysis of this data is also at a high level making the assessment of the corneal health and structure easy and reliable. This translates into a better and more accurate determination of the patient’s candidacy for laser vision correction. Subtle characteristics of the cornea which can affect the results of the procedure can now be seen. The planning of the surgery can be finessed and the visual results improved.

Also, our knowledge of how systemic disease can affect laser vision correction has advanced over the past 10 to 15 years. We now know which medical conditions would prevent a patient from getting good results, which conditions we used to think would provide bad results but now have no effect on the results, and other conditions which should be treated first and then LASIK performed. It is very important to discuss any medical condition you might have with the surgeon during your lasik consultation.

InTouch Weekly online features Dr. Bonanni

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

The Pros and Cons of Advanced Surface Ablation (PRK, LASEK, epi-Lasik)

Monday, August 31st, 2009

For most of us in the tri-state region and especially New York, PRK or LASEK or epi-Lasik seem to be less-than ideal vision correction procedures simply because the healing time is longer than with LASIK. Most people want to enjoy the benefits of laser vision correction as quickly as possible and return to their regular routine promptly, so if they are candidates for LASIK that is what they choose. However for many reasons surface ablation techniques like PRK, LASEK, and epi-Lasik may be preferable. When we talk about any of these three procedures we are really talking about essentially the same thing with very minor differences in the actual surgical technique giving rise to the different names. For the consumer, they may be considered one in the same – a procedure in which no true corneal flap is made and so the laser pulses are applied to the ‘surface’. (In LASIK a corneal flap is made and the pulses are applied to the ‘middle’ of the cornea and then the flap is repositioned.)

After the PRK, LASEK, or epi-Lasik procedures, the surface epithelium (skin) of the cornea has to grow back and so the first few days can be uncomfortable and the vision variable. (In LASIK, this layer is preserved.) As healing continues the vision generally improves over the first few weeks and months. Usually by the third to fifth day the vision is good enough, and the patient comfortable enough, to return to work, school, or other normal activities. (It is sometimes hard to convince New York, New Jersey and Connecticut workers to take a few days off.…) Advanced surface ablation techniques like these are used for people with thinner corneas, in some situations where the corneal shape is less than ideal, or where the patient prefers not to have a corneal flap. These techniques leave a thicker base to the cornea after laser correction since the treatment starts at the surface. This is important in thin corneas.

PRK/LASEK/epi-Lasik are not always indicated in people with large prescriptions because there is an increase in the possibility of corneal haze formation, which can cause a decrease in vision and increased side effects like glare and halo. With the use of mitomycin C , along with the newer scanning spot lasers, their incidence is decreased.

LASEK and epi-Lasik were developed in the hope of avoiding the major drawbacks of PRK: the discomfort and long healing time. This proved not to be the case. However, because the corneal base is left thicker and there is no flap made, PRK/LASEK/epi-Lasik may be safer. However, in experienced hands, the risk of flap complications in LASIK with the newer microkeratomes (flap makers) is minimal. Fortunately, the final visual results with PRK, LASEK, epi-Lasik and LASIK are equivalent and the major disadvantages of the surface ablation techniques can be minimized.

Why Now is the Right Time for Lasik – Part I

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

The past 25 years or so has seen the advancement in technology, techniques, and knowledge about laser vision correction that allows consistently great visual results, few if any side effects, and unprecedented safety. Whether an individual decides to have LASIK, PRK, LASEK, epiLASIK or any similar Advanced Surface Ablation or Laser vision correction, the results should be excellent. For the average person there is nothing new on the horizon that should make a person wait to have laser correction of their vision. I will discuss just a few of the advances in the last few years that have made a significant difference.

The advent of newer and safer flap-making devices (microkeratomes) has eliminated many of the potential risks to LASIK surgery, especially if used by an experienced surgeon. With the addition of laser microkeratomes (Intralase and Ziemer) the ability to make thin, accurate, smooth, and large flaps (the first step in the LASIK procedure) with minimal chance of complications has improved overall results.

With advanced surface treatments (LASEK, EpiLasik, PRK) the risk of haze formation and subsequent visual complaints has been decreased with the use of the application of a mitomycin C solution for a few seconds after the laser treatment. And it appears with the newer scanning spot lasers with their smoother treatments, the healing time for surface procedures is decreased, giving a quicker recovery – this is in addition to their creating less visual side effects.

I think the greatest advance has been in the laser that does the reshaping of the cornea and the correction of the vision. We are now at a point where excellent visual results should be commonplace. The Allegretto laser developed over ten years ago in Germany and the first laser to do a Custom laser treatment has set the bar for all other lasers to try and match in terms of visual results. No other laser maintains the natural shape of the cornea (the normal curvature of the front of the eye). Every other laser will distort the shape – in nearsighted patients, the lasers flatten the center of the cornea. By maintaining the normal shape, the Allegretto actually improves the quality of the vision after laser correction and instead of creating glare and halos like all the other lasers, can even improve them if the patient has glare and halos to start. Most patients feel their vision is better after Lasik with the Allegretto than it was before with their glasses or contact lenses. The routine improvement in the quality of the vision after laser correction has been the standard result for which refractive surgeons have always strived – and is now attainable.

Not Just an Eye Doctor

Monday, July 6th, 2009

By Alexis Wolfer–July 3, 2009– “One-stop-shop for your medical and cosmetic eye care needs”

Instead of going to a cosmetic surgeon for your sagging eyes and an opthamologist for your vision, it is now possible to one-stop-shop for all your eyecare needs at Dr. Bonanni’s new Gotham Lasik and Skincare.

Dr. Bonanni is a fellowship-trained corneal and refractive surgeon as well as a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American and European Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the International Society of Refractive Surgery. While the qualifications are impressive, he is most sought by celebrities, music moguls, models, and business executives for his unique approach to overall “eye rejuvenation.”

In addition to general ophthalmology, Lasik, and corneal procedures, Dr. Bonanni does Botox and restylane injections and various other eye-rejuvenation treatments. “In my practice, I have a lot of Lasik surgery patients who come back for their cosmetic needs like Botox and facial fillers,” Bonanni says. “As an ophthalmologist, my patients realize that I know the anatomy and function of the eye and face better than even a plastic surgeon would.”

Gotham Lasik and Skincare may not only be better qualified to address all your eye issues, but could also be a serious time saver for those on the run. I look forward to the day my dentist will give me Denise Richards’ lips after a teeth cleaning. It’s probably only a matter of time.

Visit StyleCaster’s “It’s a Beautiful Life” here.

Examiner.com – There’s a new doctor in town! Dr. Bonanni has opened Gotham Lasik and Skincare practice!

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

NY Examiner- June 29th, Gabrielle Long- Beauty Secrets Examiner

One of the few surgeons in the world to have extensive experience with, and to be certified on, all the major laser platforms available in the country today, Dr. Bonanni is a fellowship-trained corneal and refractive surgeon who has performed over 35,000 successful laser refractive procedures. He is an expert in all types of laser vision correction; including LASIK, PRK, and LASEK, along with the new non-laser surgical modalities for refractive eye correction.

Dr. Bonanni has opened his own practice on West 56th – called Gotham Lasik and Skincare. Finally, there is a go-to doctor for lasik eye procedures. When people think of top derms, they think of Wexler, Brandt, etc., but there is not really a well known doctor for lasik…until now.

He is the sought after doctor for lasik surgery among celebs, models, business moguls, etc. His calming manner and charming personality make him the doctor of choice for New York’s elite J. He is also one of the only doctors in the state with Wavelight Allegretto Excimer, the type of surgery that does not require making cuts on the surface of the eye (although he offers that too for people who are not right for the newer technology.)

Besides his reputation and clientele, his overall approach to “eye rejuvenation” makes him unique. In addition to lasik (and general ophthalmology, corneal treatments, etc), he also does botox and restylane injections (amongst other kinds of injections) – his whole philosophy is that he offers a one-stop shop for your eyes – ditch the glasses and dry/red eyes from contacts and at the same time (if you want to) take off years with injections, etc. – a total eye makeover.

Visit NY Examiner Homepage here.

See 2008

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

On Friday, January 11th, Level V held an exclusive lounge in NYC’s Meatpacking District to celebrate. See 2008, the annual star-studded party held by Gotham Lasik. Gotham Lasik’s large celebrity following made “See 2008″ the event to be seen at for 2008! The event was attended by Richie Rich, Lydia Hearst, Tinsley Mortimer, and countless TV stars and socialites. The crowd sipped cocktails from RioD and rose wine. Gotham Lasik’s Dr. Bonanni has been seen on ABC’s 20/20 and is considered to be the best Lasik Eye Surgeon in the world.

Full article at Blogspot.

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