LASIK (Laser-in-situ Keratomileusis) is a corneal surgery procedure that allows us to reduce your dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses. It corrects a broad range of nearsightedness, farsightedness, as well as astigmatism in most patients. This procedure is virtually painless. The patient has to be at least 18 years old, have stable vision, have not worn firm lenses for at least a month to six weeks nor have worn soft lenses or disposable lenses for a minimum of three weeks. Also the patient should not have any other eye diseases such as keratoconus, cataracts, or glaucoma.
The pre-operative information is critical to your success. If you currently wear contact lenses or are a CAST patient, it is VITAL that you stop wearing those contacts and begin wearing your eyeglasses. If you don't have eyeglasses, we'll have you get a pair through our optical department at a reduced rate since you'll have to function for about a month without contacts. If you "cheat" and really don't tell us that you've been without your contacts as we told you, you will greatly raise your chances of having the procedure re-done or "enhanced." Why go through that aggravation when we can do it right the very first time?
Trust us...we know what we're doing, and we want you to not need to wear eyeglasses for distance vision for the rest of your life. A month out of your entire life isn't that much to ask.
The post-operative period is also very important and you will be seen a number of times until we are sure that you have the very best result possible. During this time we will alter your use of eye drops that we prescribed for you to use during the healing phase and monitor the "flap" carefully to make sure that you don't wind up with a major problem.
The biggest problem with ANY refractive procedure, whether it is CAST or LASIK is that it does not correct for the normal aging process of the eye called "presbyopia." Therefore, the patient will still, occasionally, have to use reading eyeglasses once he/she gets over 40 or so. Thus, you'll want to discuss this aspect of your eye care with your doctor before you have the LASIK procedure done.
Currently, the complete cost of a LASIK procedure is $2,995 which is divided between your pre- and post-operative (1 year) care, the surgical center, and the surgery itself.
To find out whether LASIK is right for you, please call our office and make an appointment to discuss your particular case with one of our doctors.
LASIK, like most "elective" or "cosmetic" surgery, is rarely covered by major medical insurance. Please check with your particular carrier.