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What does Lasik do and why is it popular?

What can't Lasik do?

What can’t Lasik do?

When can I drive and go back to work?

Can I have Lasik done again if I need to?

Does Lasik hurt?

What is the difference between PRK, Lasik and Smile Lasik ?

Are all patients who wear glasses and contacts candidates for Lasik?

Has anyone gone blind from Lasik?

What if I blink or move during the procedure?

How long does Lasik last for?

Will I need to undergo anesthesia?

How long will the Lasik treatment take?

What is the recovery time after Lasik ?

What is Smile Lasik?

Can Lasik eliminate my reading glasses?

Is there pain after Lasik?

FAQ text

I have heard that the results of conventional LASIK as far as needing touchup are better than for custom LASIK. I have heard the statistics that 1 in 10 need touchups with conventional whereas 5 in 10 may need touchup with custom. Please give me the statistics.

I had custom lasik with the Alcon Ladarvison 4000 just over a month ago, and am currently overcorrected in both eyes. The left is about a +3.00, and the right a +1.00 (although this eye was supposed to be intentionally undercorrected for monovision). What type of enhancement would you reccomend it this refraction is the “final result”? My Doctor mentioned possibly CK, but doesn’t that “wear off” over time? What sucess does this have for my situation, and are there any other options?

I’m scheduled for wavfront lasik next week. I’ve been told I’m a good candidate, but I’m starting to get nervous. What would you say is the most common error or complication, and how would it be corrected. I’m afraid when they go to make the slice, that they may cut it completely off.

I had laser corrective surgery done about five years ago. My vision went from 20/450 to 20/20. However, my vision has regressed to about 20/40. I am a 37 yr old male. Can I have another procedure? If so, what are the probable risks?

Greetings, My thirteen year-old son was diagnosed two years ago with Esophoria, Anisometropia – astigmatism, and Right Amblyopia. His visuals are OD: 20/400 and OS: 20/20. The treatment is to wear eyeglasses full-time. He has not adjusted well and I am highly concerned about his quality of life and learning. As a parent, I need to understand what corrective options are currently available, or on the horizon. I was warned by his treating pediatric opthalmology that surgery on minors is frowned upon. Is this true? Regards, Rachel E. Diaz

I I had LASIK 5 days ago. The first post op day it was discovered I had “striae” OS. I was seeing 20/20 OD and 20/40-20/60 OS. I got the feeling the situation was quite emergent and was told to return that p.m. where a different surgeon would be refloating my flap. The surgeon rolled the flap back onto itself and then I believe used something called a Q-cell to clean the surface. At no time was any solution used to hydrate the flap. He then proceeded to roll the flap back out and try to flatten it. He was not happy with the results and attempted a refloat one more time, again rolling the flap back onto itself and then flattening it back again. At the completion of the procedure there were still some fine striae (not sure if they are micro or macro) but there was also some inflammation so I was told to used pred forte q 2 h in each eye. A contact lens bandage wasplaced on the left eye immediately post procedure. The following day striae were still present. They decided at that point that the surgeon who did the surgery should evaluate. He determined the surgeon could not have done a better job refloating the flap and he did not want to mess with it as he did not think he could get any better results. I am now being told to wait a couple of weeks, that the vision can fluctuate for up to 6 months post op but my gut feeling is that this eye has been blurry from immediately post op and really has been little change after the refloats. Should I be getting a second opinion? Have you ever done a refloat without using any solution? The surgeon’s thinking on my particular case was by not using solution it would keep the cornea “sticky” and that he might get a better result in having the flap stick to the cornea to work the striae out. Obviously I can function at this level of visual acuity, but I am very disappointed the left eye is not “perfect” like the right eye and do not feel I have BCVA in that left eye. Please help me out as I feel the clock is ticking.

I had RK in 1984 when I was 42 to correct near sightedness. Distance vision was good for about 10 years but I gradually began needing reading glasses. After the 10 years my distance vision began getting worse. My eyes had become farsighted and I began wearing bifocals for distance and close correction. Three years ago I went to a lasik surgeon to see if he could restore my distance vision – I play golf and glasses distort my depth perception. He at 1st scheduled me for an operation, but before the appointment came he called and cancelled saying because of my RK he didn’t think I was a good candidate. My question is, has technology changed in the last 4 years sufficiently to hope I might be able to get distance correction for my RK/farsighted-now eyes? Thanks, Dennis

I had Lasik surgery using the VISX Star3 about 1 month ago. I’m 50 yrs old and had my surgery done in Indianapolis, Ind. My vision still is blurry, better than it was, but not 20/20. I have a prescription for glasses now of OD -100+050×100 and OS -100+050×065. My best vision is when I first wake up in the mornings. Once I started reading or usng the computer, I need reading glasses too, then my distance vision worsens and does not clear up until after sleeping. What went wrong? My dr. says to come back in 3 months and if my eyes have stopped changing, then we can do an enhancement. Does this all sound ok? I used to need glasses to see a person’s face clearly standing 4 ft. away. Also, I’m currently on HRT and my eye surgeon knew this. Could this be the problem?

Which machine is better and should this be the determining factor between surgeons? Ladarvisoin custom cornea 4000 VISX CustomVue Should a surgeon use a new kerotome blade for each eye or is standard to use the same blade for both eyes? I¿ve been told that I could go either PRK or Custom Lasik. I understand that PRK takes longer to heal. What is the difference in halos and night vision after PRK in comparison to custom Lasik? If my vision does change in the future, can I have another corrective procedure after Custom Lasik or PRK? I have a slight astigmatism, should this impact my decision at all? Are there any other factors to consider between the two procedures other than recovery time? Is there a non biased resource that ranks or names top corrective surgeons? Are there any other factors to consider when deciding on a surgeon?

Is their any problems with LASIK caused by high-G loads on the body, such as in the acrobatic or military flight fields. I think the max G-force I would pull is around 9.

Am 77 rys, had prisim in glass lens for one eye for double vision, 3 years ago, now have double again, is Lasik a good procedure for me will it cure double vision?

Hello and good day! I am a male in my late 20?s. I am excitedly looking forward to having LASIK done. I have done tons of research. I still just have one quesiton. I am nearsighted (myopic) -3.5, and currently have great close-up vision. I find when I wear my glasses or contacs for distance, my close-up vision appears a bit de-magnified. Meaning, when I hold something a few inches from my eyes, it appears a bit smaller, maybe by apprx. .5 times or so. I’m sure you know what I mean. I am wondering what type of outcome usually derives from LASIK concerning this matter. I mean, if I have my choice, I would prefer to lean more towards the best distance vision and continue to deal with the appearance of close-up items as they are currently when I wear glasses or have contacts. I was wondering if by any miracle, I could have the best of both worlds. Not something like monovision, but to be able to keep this great close-up vision and to be able to shoot for 20/20 or better for distance. Just one more thing, what’s the ~percentage of achieving ‘eagle’ vision? And what is the max resolution of the human eye (i.e. 20/10 or even megapixels )? Thank you kindly for your time! Sincerely, Peter M Leo III

I am currently pregnant and am intrested in getting Lasik surgery. I am sensative to light and my vision is gettting worse during this pregnancy. When can I get lasik and am I canidate?