| Thank you for taking this step in order to learn more about laser vision correction. For most farsighted, nearsighted, and astigmatic people, laser vision correction can reduce dependence upon corrective lenses, allowing a degree of freedom and lifestyle enhancement unimaginable until recently. There are several ways that your vision can be corrected, including glasses and contacts. Hundreds of doctors and tens of thousands of patients have discovered laser vision correction through LazerVue Centers is a safe and effective alternative to the other available methods.
Take the True/False Quiz on Laser Vision Correction FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Does it hurt? PRK and LASIK are generally considered to be "painless procedures." Your eye is numbed with eye drops and you are awake and aware during the entire procedure. Some patients may experience what they describe as a slight discomfort, similar to feeling as if there is something in your eye, during the initial healing period of 2-3 days after the procedure is performed. Does it require stitches or shots? No. At the time of the procedure, drops are used to numb the eye and then you will be asked to stare at a light during the laser procedure. With PRK, a protective contact lens, or medicated ointment is then placed on your eye until it completes its healing process. With LASIK, the "flap" is resealed using air, so a bandage contact lens is not required. Is it an outpatient procedure? Yes. You will spend about an hour at the laser center, but the actual laser procedure times are 5 minutes for PRK and 10-15 minutes for LASIK. How do I keep my eye open? What if I can't see the blinking light? Many people are worried about blinking or not being able to focus on the light during the procedure. An eyelid holder is used to hold the eye open during the procedure and the doctor can stop the procedure at any time during the laser treatment if you were to look away from the light. The computer will remember exactly where the doctor stopped the treatment and it will not have an impact on your outcome. Again, since the laser is a cool laser, there is no damage to the tissue and even if you somehow blinked, nothing would happen to your eyelid. How does laser vision correction affect the eye long term? In numerous clinical studies throughout the world since the late 1980's, excimer laser procedures have not produced any long-term negative effects on the eye's integrity. Experts are confident that they will not discover any long-term problems, but significant data is not year available for over 10 years. Since the excimer only evaporates only a very small amount of the tissue of the cornea, the integrity of the eye remains intact and no stability problems for the future are expected. The procedure is considered permanent, although in some cases the procedure must be retreated to enhance the final outcome. Can I wear contacts again? One of the advantages of LASIK and PRK is that they do not alter the integrity of the eye and, therefore, do not generally result in scarring which would eliminate your ability to wear contacts again. How well will I see after the surgery? It is realistic to expect to achieve correction comparable to what you are able to achieve with glasses and contacts after the surgery. Ninety-eight percent of all people can see well enough to pass a driver's license test without any correction after laser vision correction. We cannot, however, promise you that you will never have to wear glasses again. While almost everyone has significant improvement in their best uncorrected vision (what you can see without any glasses or contacts), some people may still need to wear a mild milder prescription for reading or driving after the surgery. What are the risks? As with any surgical procedure, you may have some risks and/or potential complications. Early and temporary complications for refractive surgery are considered to be:
Can I do both eyes at once? The decision to have one eye done or both eyes done consecutively is a decision for the doctor and the patient. Initially, it was felt that time should be allowed between eyes. However, the standard of care in the United States, particularly with LASIK has evolved to be either both eyes done on the same day or one eye at a time - whatever the doctor and patient decide. How do I compensate for the other eye's correction in between surgeries? This is only a problem if you have your eyes done on separate days. If you wear contacts, you can continue wearing the contact in the uncorrected eye until your doctor instructs you to discontinue its use to prepare for surgery on the second eye. If you wear glasses, you can have one lens without any correction put into your glasses until you can have the second eye corrected. Do I have to do anything special before or after the procedure? A comprehensive eye evaluation is required prior to the procedure. Your doctor will explain all of the instructions to you for before and after the procedure. If you wear contacts, you will have to remove them prior to you pre-operative evaluation (2-3 weeks before for hard lenses, 3 days - 1 week before for soft contacts) and the procedure. After the procedure, you will need to have someone drive you home, and you will need to see your doctor within the first few days following the procedure. You will also be required to visit your doctor post-operatively at one-month, three months, 6 months and 1 year. How much time off of work will it require? This answer is closely related to the option above regarding having both eyes performed at once. Most people can return to work within 2 days. Although your vision may continue to improve over time, average initial healing times for the procedures are as follows: - PRK - initial healing 2-3 days with continued vision improvement over 2-4 weeks. - LASIK - 24-48 hours for visual recovery How does it affect my eyes long term? Does it lead to future unrelated procedures? Since both PRK and LASIK are relatively new procedures, there may be some long term risks that have not yet been discovered. To date, however, excimer procedures have not been found to affect or cause any unrelated eye problems. Certain conditions of the eye related to aging, such as presbyopia (the loss of flexibility in the lens of the eye), will not be corrected by the procedures and will be experienced by everyone sooner or later. Many patients are candidates for monovision, however, which is a technique to counteract presbyopia. Monovision relies on correction of one eye for clear distance vision and undercorrection or no correction of the other eye for clear reading vision. How much does it cost? The cost is dependent upon the laser vision correction procedure chosen. The fee includes the price for the procedure and all follow-up care, including enhancements when necessary. Many patients choose to use our patient finance program, which works out to be a little over $100 per month for both eyes. Is laser vision correction covered by insurance? Refractive surgery is generally considered to be an elective procedure and, therefore, is not usually covered under most insurance programs. There are a few progressive companies that may provide coverage. The doctor will be happy to provide you with a letter for your insurance company and will also provide you with a receipt so that you may submit the expense for reimbursement.
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