What is LASIK? Your LASIK Questions Answered

What Is Involved In LASIK?

LASIK is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. LASIK is a common alternative to another vision correction procedure entitled PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). A small portion of the cornea is lifted away from the eye first. Using the outer layers of the cornea, a flap is painlessly created with a laser. The flap stays attached to the eye but is folded back on a small “hinge” that is not completely cut. In order to reshape this part of the eye, a laser is used.

How Long Does LASIK Take?

Typically, the laser portion of the procedure takes less than one or two minutes to complete. The entire process generally takes less than 25 minutes for both eyes and you can leave shortly afterward. You can return to a normal lifestyle quickly, and there are very few restrictions during the healing period.

Is LASIK For Everyone?

LASIK is a procedure that covers a wide range of vision correction, but many factors need to be considered when determining whether LASIK is for you.

These include the health of your eyes, shape, and thickness of your cornea, and your visual objectives. During your evaluation, we would assess your cornea and the rest of the structures of your eye, using advanced corneal imaging as well as a dilated examination. This will allow the doctor to determine if there are any problems that would preclude you from surgery. If you have cataracts or keratoconus you may not be eligible for LASIK. If there are other issues that relate to your eligibility for LASIK, your doctor will discuss these in detail.

What Vision Correction Options Are There?

Your optometrist and our highly-trained LASIK surgeons Dr. Mando, Dr. Neispodzany, and Dr. Ambati will go over your test results and your available options. Expectations need to be realistic as well. While no surgeon can guarantee 20/20 vision, in our experience at Pacific ClearVision Institute, the majority of patients do achieve 20/20 and are very happy.

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