LASIK Frequently Asked Questions
When considering LASIK surgery, it is important to be informed about the surgery, what to expect before and after and what risks may be involved.
1. How safe is LASIK?
LASIK has been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective eye surgery procedure. The LASIK procedure uses a computer controlled laser, that the surgeon turns on and can turn off at any moment. The laser has many built in safeguards to reduce the risk of error. As with any surgical procedure, however, there are always risks.
While the majority of LASIK patients achieve better vision without any serious complications, a small percentage of LASIK patients do experience some difficulties. According to studies, around 3% to 5% of LASIK patients experience minor difficulties such as dry eyes and nighttime glare, and less than 1% experience serious complications such as decreased vision. There are no reported cases of blindness from LASIK. On the other hand, millions of patients have had LASIK with excellent results.
While not all risks can be eliminated, many negative LASIK results can be avoided with proper screening to ensure you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery. Also, custom (wavefront) LASIK can help increase the chance of better results in many patients. Overall, the safety and effectiveness of the LASIK procedure will be greatly impacted by proper pre-screening, the skill of the surgeon, and proper follow-up eye care.
2. How do I know if I'm a good candidate for LASIK?
A good LASIK candidate must have healthy eyes (no glaucoma, infections, cataracts, severe dry eye, or other condition that would impact healing), must be at least 18 for some procedures and at least 21 for others, and since vision must be stable for at least a year before surgery, often good candidates are often in their mid-twenties before their eyes stabilize. LASIK patients cannot have a degenerative or autoimmune disease since this affects healing, and women who are pregnant or nursing (and related hormonal changes of these conditions which affects the shape of the eye) will need to wait until their hormone levels are back to normal.
If you want to seriously consider LASIK, however, your eyes will need to be thoroughly examined by the LASIK surgeon. After examining your eyes, the doctor will determine if you are a good candidate, explain the LASIK procedure and options, answer your questions, and explain what results you can reasonable expect based on your prescription and your eyes.
3. Does the LASIK procedure hurt?
Anesthetic drops are put in your eye before LASIK which numbs the eye, so you won't feel pain during the procedure. Afterwards, there may be a day or so of mild discomfort, often an itchy feeling as if there were sand in the eye (but don't rub your eyes - you don't want to dislocate the flap). If necessary, the doctor can prescribe medication, although most standard over the counter pain relievers are adequate. Most doctors will also prescribe the use of artificial tears which helps the eye during the healing process as well as helps to soothe the itchy, dry eye feeling.
4. Are there any side effects with LASIK?
Two of the most common side effects are dry eye and seeing starbursts or halos around lights at nighttime, both which are usually temporary and disappear with time as the eyes heal. Dry eye can be soothed with the use of artificial tears which soothes the eye by keeping it moist. Less than 1% of LASIK patients have vision that worsens rather than improves.
5. What is the difference between Conventional LASIK and Custom LASIK (Wavefront LASIK)?
Custom LASIK, also called Wavefront LASIK, allows for a more customized treatment based on 3-dimensional measurements of your eye. The wavefront technology uses light to make a map of your eye. While two people can have the same eye prescription, no two people have the same wavefront measurements.
Wavefront LASIK usually results in fewer "higher order" aberrations, tiny imperfections which affect your overall quality of vision, such as visual glare and halos. While wavefront LASIK is the better choice for some patients, Conventional LASIK will be the better choice for others. Wavefront LASIK removes more corneal tissue than Conventional LASIK, and would not be a good choice for those with thin corneas, high degrees of aberration, or severely dry eyes.
6. What is monovision?
Monovision is when the dominant eye is treated with LASIK to correct for distance, while the other eye is left alone for close up vision. Some patients are happy with this treatment, while others are unable to adjust. Many doctors will suggest wearing contacts in one eye to simulate monovision before LASIK. For those patients who decide against monovision, some opt to correct both eyes with LASIK for distance and wear reading glasses for close up vision. Others may decide they prefer the vision correction they have with contacts or glasses. For those who have monovision and are able to adjust, they enjoy the benefit of seeing long distance with one eye and close up with the other eye.
7. Which LASIK Laser is best?
For most LASIK patients, the choice of lasers makes no significant difference. All approved lasers are considered safe and effective, and while there can be subtle differences between the lasers that can benefit some patients, overall vision correction is more often the result of the skill of the surgeon and quality of care before and after LASIK.
For those who are interested in the specifications of each laser, the information is posted on the FDA website. When reading thru the data, there are several important things to keep in mind to keep the FDA data in perspective. 1. FDA data cannot be compared from one study to the other, as the testing criteria can vary between manufacturers. FDA trials don't compare lasers to each other. 2. Studies don't cover every possibility. A laser may be approved, but it may or may not be the right one for your condition. 3. Today's results are often better than the FDA data, as improvements are allowed to be made, as well as increased surgeon experience.
