The FDA has approved Lasik as a safe and effective procedure. It is important, however, to remember that Lasik is not the right choice for everybody. Some people are not appropriate candidates and, if treated, could have less than optimal results. It is important that you receive a thorough pre-operative evaluation to determine if Lasik is right for you.

No. The actual treatment itself is painless. You will be given plenty of anaesthetic drops to completely numb the eye. You may feel a light pressure sensation around your eye, and after the procedure is finished, you will feel a sensation our patients describe as gritty or like a lash in your eye for a few hours…but most people experience very little pain. We’ll give you a prescription for a pain reliever should you need it, but most people need nothing more than Tylenol or Advil and a little rest time.

The actual procedure usually takes less than 10 minutes per eye. Depending on your prescription, and the amount of correction needed, the laser itself only takes 20-50 seconds to correct your vision. However, you should plan on being in the hospital for approximately an hour-and-a-half on your day of surgery.

Visual recovery varies from one day to one week. Most patients resume normal activities one to two days following surgery, but it may take one to two months for your vision to fully stabilise. Although everyone is a little different, most of our Lasik patients achieve legal driving vision or better the very next day. That is one of the most exciting advantages of the Lasik procedure; clear vision comes in quickly. Initially, your vision might not be crisp and may fluctuate slightly. This is perfectly normal and should improve gradually day by day.

On the day of your surgery, it is important to have a driver take you home. You will also need a driver to bring you to your post-operative appointment the day after surgery. In most cases, patients can drive by the end of that day.

It’s perfectly normal to be concerned about the “worst case scenario”. With an experienced surgeon, the procedure itself is relatively safe. The excimer laser is computer controlled, pre-programmed with your treatment data. Statistically, there is a remote possibility of the loss of vision due to corneal infection or inflammation which we address by maintaining sterile conditions in the laser suite and by instructing you to use medicated drops for the first week after the procedure. Potential complications include: under or over correction, corneal flap healing problems, pain or discomfort, dry eye, hazy vision, sensitivity to light, glare at night, loss of best corrected visual acuity, or infection. Most patients who are safe candidates for treatment have a trouble-free experience. Before considering surgery, we carefully evaluate each patient to understand whether you are a good candidate. The doctors will be happy to discuss any concerns that you may have. Our goal is for you to understand as much about this treatment as possible before surgery so that you can be comfortable with your treatment options.

In most cases, the treatment effect of laser vision correction is permanent, especially if your eyeglass prescription was stable before treatment. If there is something in your genetics that says your prescription will change in the future, having surgery now will not prevent that from occurring. In our experience, a change like this is very uncommon. If necessary, though, you may be able to be re-treated many years later should that occur.