Here are some common questions about LASIK surgery
According to recent studies, more than 5,000,000 Americans have had LASIK procedures to assist in helping them have better vision. This number continues to increase substantially every year as individuals become more educated about how safe and effective LASIK surgery is for your eyes and how it can free them from the hassle of glasses or contact lenses.
Complications from LASIK surgery are quite rare. Patients experience virtually no discomfort during a LASIK Vision Correction procedure. Anesthesia is used to numb the eye prior to the procedure and no injections are necessary. Immediately after the laser eye treatment, some patients have reported some minor discomfort, described as having an eyelash or a dry contact lens in their eye. Experienced LASIK surgeons report less than a 1% complication rate in LASIK surgeries.
No long-term side effects of the laser eye surgery procedure have been discovered. The technique is based on keratomileusis. Keratomileusis simply means a surgical improvement of the focusing power of the eye performed by lifting the front surface.
The surgery itself is very brief. It only takes a few minutes for each eye and the procedure is relatively painless. The next day individuals are astonished at how clearly they can see, and how quickly they can return to normal activities. Commonly, patients who underwent LASIK surgery are able to return to work within 24 to 48 hours following their LASIK procedure.
The success of a laser eye surgery is based on the skills and experience of the surgeon more so than other surgical procedures. When looking for a surgeon, they should exceed the following criteria which includes board certification ( American Board of Ophthalmology), posses advanced training refractive surgery and corneas; offers the skills & year’s of experience in treating patients and have a prominent practice. Additionally, you should look for surgeons that have performed thousands of LASIK & other refractive surgical procedures so that you know they have the ability to help patients who seek treatment for a variety of conditions and understand potential outcomes of surgeries and potential complications. Dr. Ferzaad Moosa of the Excel Laser Vision Institute is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and has performed tens of thousands of LASIK eye surgery procedures.
LASIK is a permanent procedure. However, an enhancement procedure may be required. Some patients’ eyes may change throughout their lifetime, which can happen with glasses or contact lenses.
Commonly, patients desiring LASIK surgery may have dry eyes or drier eyes than normal individuals. These individuals will have become intolerant to contact lenses because of the dryness that makes the lenses very uncomfortable. In some severe cases of dry eyes, punctal plugs can be used and will be placed in lower tear ducts to attempt to improve dryness within the eye. These plugs can be easily removed during an office visit once dryness gets resolved or they can even be left in place on a permanent basis to remove dryness.
Approximately 95 percent of eyes treated with LASIK reach 20/40 or better vision with one procedure, which is the requirement for driving legally without correction. If a patient does not achieve his or her goal with one procedure, additional correction often improves their vision to a satisfactory level.
The cost for lasik will vary depending on the patient, but with our convenient financing options it can be paid off over time to make it affordable on nearly any budget. Pricing can be as low as just a couple of dollars each day. Thesefinancing options are available at our practice, The Excel Laser Vision Institute.