What is LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK is one of the most common elective procedures in the world. Yet, despite its popularity, many people don’t understand what LASIK eye surgery really is. Let’s explore exactly what LASIK is, what happens before, during and after the procedure, and how it can be life changing.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK is a form of refractive surgery. We call it refractive surgery because it fixes your refractive error (what people commonly call nearsightedness or farsightedness). To see clearly, your eye refracts (or bends) light so that you can see objects. When there is an issue with how your eye refracts (bends) light, it’s called a refractive error. The most common types of refractive errors are nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism.

LASIK eye surgery is also an elective procedure, which means that insurance will not cover the costs of the procedure and Wilmington Eye will not file a claim with your insurance carrier. Therefore, the cost of the procedure is solely your responsibility. To help make LASIK as affordable as possible and give every patient the chance to receive this life-changing procedure, we partner with CareCredit to offer financing with payments as low as $250 per month. You can also use funds in eligible FSA and HSA accounts to cover the cost of your procedure.

Is LASIK Eye Surgery for Everyone?

Many believe that wearing glasses or contact lenses means a person is by default a candidate for LASIK. However, LASIK is NOT suitable for everyone who wears glasses or contacts. To truly determine a person’s eligibility for LASIK, we conduct an extensive and comprehensive evaluation that ensures only those who will benefit from the procedure and receive optimal results have LASIK eye surgery.

As a rule of thumb, we evaluate the following 4 criteria:

Age Refractive Error Corneal Health Dry Eye

Age

To be eligible for LASIK, the first thing we consider is a person’s age. From the time we are born, our bodies develop and change, and our eyes are no exception. Just like the rest of your body, your eyes mature with age, resulting in new prescriptions whenever you experience one of these growth points. Typically, most adults will achieve a stable prescription around age 21. For this reason, only those 21 and older (or those who are 18-21 and who have had a stable prescription for an entire year) are eligible for LASIK.

We also have an upward cap on the age limit for LASIK. Patients who are 35 or older are generally not qualified for LASIK. If you are 35 years or older, we strongly suggest alternative procedures like ICL or Refractive Lens Exchange.

Refractive Error

When your eyes have a problem refracting (or bending) light, the result is what’s called a refractive error. LASIK eye surgery fixes the way your eye refracts (or bends) light. And while there are multiple different types of refractive errors, LASIK can only correct a few types of refractive errors.

Farsightedness: If you have trouble seeing up close, you may be a candidate for LASIK.

Nearsightedness: If you have trouble seeing far away, you may be a candidate for LASIK. Those who are severely nearsighted are typically not qualified for LASIK

Astigmatism: If you have trouble seeing objects clearly.

Not sure what type of refractive error you have? Schedule a comprehensive LASIK consultation and we’ll determine what type of refractive error you have and if it qualifies you for LASIK.

NOTE: If you have been diagnosed with presbyopia, you generally ARE NOT qualified for LASIK.

Corneal Health

LASIK eye surgery changes the shape of your cornea. With lasers, we remove and reform the tissue that makes up your cornea. Because we are altering the shape of your cornea, corneal health is very important. During a LASIK consultation, our surgeons will evaluate your cornea to determine how healthy it is and if LASIK will yield optimal results.

Dry Eye

While rare, dry eye has been known to occur post-operatively in LASIK patients. Because of this, our surgeons will determine if you have a higher propensity for developing dry eye. Those who currently suffer from dry eye symptoms will likely not be candidates for LASIK.

Determining if You Qualify for LASIK

The only way to determine true LASIK candidacy is to come in for a complete, comprehensive eye exam with our LASIK team. Our LASIK surgeons use state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to evaluate all aspects of your vision and determine if LASIK eye surgery is best for you.

Find Out If You Qualify For LASIK

What Happens if I Don’t Qualify for LASIK?

Occasionally, a patient’s anatomical measurements are outside of the FDA requirements for the LASIK procedure, or LASIK is simply deemed unsuitable for a patient. Not being qualified for LASIK does not mean that a person’s chances of living glasses or contacts free are gone. As the leader in vision correction, we offer some of the most advanced forms of vision correction that suit a broad range of patients. We have surgeons who are experts in ICL and Refractive Lens Exchange, some of the most popular alternatives to LASIK eye surgery.

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)

Like LASIK, PRK greatly improves your vision by reshaping your cornea using a laser. However, instead of creating a flap to expose the cornea, the entire protective (epithelial) layer is removed. Learn more about PRK.

ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens)

Best suited for patients with moderate to severe nearsightedness, implantable Collamer lenses permanently correct your vision. A small opening is created in the eye and an artificial lens is inserted and tucked behind the iris. Learn more about ICL.

Refractive Lens Exchange

If you’re a candidate for refractive surgery but have been diagnosed with presbyopia, a common age-related vision disorder, a Refractive Lens Exchange may be the best vision procedure for you. Learn more about Refractive Lens Exchange.

What to Expect Before, During & After LASIK Eye Surgery

Prior to LASIK Eye Surgery

Approximately 1 week prior to your scheduled surgery date, we ask that you refrain from wearing contact lenses and switch to glasses full-time. We understand that this is inconvenient for some, but keep in mind that this will be the last time you wear glasses! Another very important part of your pre-operative care is continuing any routine care, such as using prescription eye drops for dry eye. Your surgeon will duscuss any additional pre-operative care with you during your consultation.

You are required to have someone drive you to and from your LASIK procedure. Immediately following the procedure, you will be asked to keep your eyes closed for 4 hours—to help with the healing process—and will therefore be unable to operate your vehicle alone. Most patients arrive in comfortable clothes and we ask that you refrain from wearing makeup, lotions or sunscreen as these things can interfere with surgery. It’s common to be nervous as this is a big day! We have complimentary stress balls to alleviate some of your stress.

During LASIK Eye Surgery

Once inside the LASIK suite, you’ll be asked to lay flat and will be positioned directly between and underneath two large machines. Your LASIK surgeon will walk you through what each machine does and what to expect. During surgery, your LASIK surgeon will apply numbing eye drops to alleviate any pain or discomfort you may feel during the procedure. These drops also supress your urge to blink. Your surgeon will also apply a lid speculum to keep your eyelids open during the procedure.

Your surgeon will position you under the first machine. This machine uses a laser (called a femtosecond laser) to create a thin flap on the surface of your cornea. Thanks to advacements in technology, with laser precision we are able to customize the flap to meet the exact measurements of your eye. This ensures optimal healing.

Once this thin flap has been created, we gently pull the flap back to reveal your cornea. Next, we use a second laser (called an excimer laser) to gently reshape your cornea based on the information and measurements we collected during your consultation. When it’s finished, we place the flap back over your cornea and your LASIK eye procedure is complete!

The entire procedure is completed in less than 15 minutes!

After LASIK Eye Surgery

Immediately following your LASIK procedure, you’ll be given a pair of goggles to help protect your vulnerable cornea during this early postoperative stage. Driving is NOT permitted after LASIK surgery, so you will need to make arrangements for a loved one to drive you to and from the procedure. Once at home, you will be required to take a 4-hour nap. This nap ensures that the corneal flap begins to heal properly. Your surgeon may prescribe eye drops to aid in the healing process.

Blurry vision and haziness following your surgery are perfectly normal. However, many patients begin to see drastic improvements in their vision immediately after the procedure! Full recovery and stabilized eyesight can take days and, in some cases, weeks. You will be seen for your first post-operative exam within 24 hours following your procedure. During this exam, your surgeon will ensure that your corneal flap is in its proper place and healing accordingly.

At Wilmington Eye, post-operative care for an entire year following your surgery is included in the cost of LASIK eye surgery. Also included in our cost is one enhancement, should you need one, during your first year following surgery.

An important thing to remember for the long-term care of your vision is continued routine eye care. If you don’t have a regular optometrist, we can recommend one of our highly trained optometrists to help you manage and maintain your new vision.

Dr. Kathleen Leone, one of our four board-certified LASIK surgeons, operates the LASIK machine at the LASIK Center at Wilmington Eye.

Risks Associated with LASIK

LASIK has a very high satisfaction rate; most patients report seeing 20/20 or better after surgery. However, like any surgery, there are associated risks with LASIK. Some associated risks include:

Infection
Edema (swelling)
Corneal Warpage Syndrome (commonly known as Ectasia)
Loss of vision
Corneal scarring
Irregular astigmatism
Dry Eye Syndrome (may require the frequent use of lubrication or other dry eye treatments)
Need for reading glasses in the future
Need for enhancements in the future
Glare or halos
Light sensitivity

While many of these side effects are temporary, there have been rare instances of reported long-term problems. Your LASIK surgeon will be able to explain any risks or side effects during your initial consultation.

Achieving Your Best Vision with LASIK

Wilmington Eye completely personalizes LASIK not only to improve your prescription (most patients experience 20/20 or better following LASIK), but also to enhance the overall quality of your vision. Our advanced technology allows us to give you a unique LASIK procedure that will give you the most clear and vibrant vision possible.

Schedule a FREE Consultation

LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK Eye Surgery