LASIK Questions & Answers

Q. How does LASIK correct refractive errors?

A. If you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, you probably know that glasses or contact lenses help focus light onto the retina, resulting in a clear image. LASIK changes the shape of the cornea to improve the way light is focused on the retina. First a thin layer of the cornea, or corneal flap, is lifted up. The laser beam then ablates or vaporizes a thin layer of cells of the cornea thus reshaping the cornea by flattening it for nearsightedness, steepening it for farsightedness, and rounding it for astigmatism. This reshaping changes the angle at which light enters the eye, resulting in a clearer image.

Q. Who benefits from LASIK?

A. You need to meet certain qualifying criteria to be eligible for LASIK. Your eye must be healthy, your prescription must be stable, and you should be in good general health. The acceptable range is from -1.00 to -12.00 diopters of myopia (nearsightedness), 0.5 to 6 diopters of astigmatism, or +1.00 to +6.00 diopters of hyperopia (farsightedness).

Q. What happens during the evaluation?

A. Your evaluation involves a series of painless tests and dilation of your eyes. A refraction measures the amount of correction needed for you to achieve your best vision. Other tests that we perform measure the curve, shape and thickness of the cornea. A glaucoma test reveals the fluid pressure in the eye. All of these tests are performed as part of your exam. This thorough evaluation usually takes 1-2  hours.

Q. If I wear contact lenses, can I keep them in for the exam?

A. Since contact lenses help focus light onto the retina by flattening or reshaping the cornea, you will need to keep them out for several days depending on the type of contacts. In order for the doctor to formulate a proper surgical plan for you, your cornea must be in its natural shape at the time of your evaluation. If you wear soft contacts, they must not be worn for 7 days prior to your exam and minimum 24 hours prior to surgery. If you wear gas permeable contacts, they must not be worn for 3 weeks prior to exam and minimum 48 hours prior to surgery.

Q. Will I have to go to the hospital?

A. No. LASIK is performed at the Abilene Excimer Laser Center on an outpatient basis. The procedure normally takes less than 30 minutes and only requires anesthetic drops. The actual laser process takes less than 1 minute. LASIK patients are awake for the procedure and can return home shortly after surgery. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery.

Q. What is surgery like?

A. You are awake in a comfortable position for the procedure. You must fixate on a small light under the microscope. The Ziemer Femtosecond laser will create the flap in the cornea without a blade. Once the flap has been made, the WaveLight excimer laser gently reshapes the cornea by vaporizing a small amount of tissue, then the flap is replaced. During the treatment, two eye trackers follow your eye and compensates for any eye movement. Your doctor will talk you through the entire process to make you feel more comfortable. When the surgery is over, a clear shield is placed over your eye, which will be worn until you get up the following morning. You will wear the shield nightly for the first week to protect your eye while sleeping.

Q. Is there any pain?

A. There is no pain during the surgery. You may experience some mild discomfort during the first 2-6 hours after surgery. Rest as much as possible during this time. Most patients have little or no discomfort after this time period. Avoid activities that may cause eye strain, such as reading, for the first 24 hours.

Q. How often will I have to see the doctor?

A. You will be returning to the office the day after surgery. Then you will return at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. These visits are critical for monitoring the healing process.

Q. What kind of results are expected?

A. Most patients will notice a dramatic difference the day following the procedure. Your outcome will depend on how your body heals and on the amount of correction needed. Approximately, 80% of the vision recovery occurs within several days, with the last 20% improving over the next 3-6 months. If you are over 38 years of age and can read without glasses now, wearing bifocals, or starting to have difficulty reading, you will need reading glasses after surgery for close work. This is due to the natural aging changes of the focusing lens inside the eye.

Q. Are there any risks?

A. There are risks involved in all surgeries. Infection is possible, as are undercorrection, overcorrection, irregular astigmatism and flap related complications. Your doctor will take extreme caution to avoid as many risks as possible.

Q. Can I have both eyes done at the same time?

A. In most cases, yes. You also have the option of doing one eye at a time, with the second eye being done one week later. If you decided to do one eye at a time, you will be able to wear a contact lens in the non-surgery eye or glasses with little or no prescription for the operated eye. The contact lens must be removed 24 (soft) to 48 (gas perm.) hours before surgery is performed on the second eye.

Q. When can I have an enhancement if needed?

A. Enhancements (additional laser that fine tunes the original laser procedure) will be performed when vision is stable. Typically if 1.00 diopter or greater correction remains after your original surgery or the vision is remains worse than 20/40, an enhancement may be performed. Enhancements are generally scheduled 3 months after the initial procedure and only if there is adequate tissue remaining.

Q. If I am interested in entering the military or flying commercial airplanes, can I have refractive surgery?

A. There are several branches of the military that will not admit individuals who have had refractive surgery. Check with your local recruiting office to find out about the policy and procedure guidelines. If flying commercial planes, check with your employer and the FAA to see if there are any restrictions

Q. Which Excimer Laser is used at the Abilene Excimer Laser Center?

A. We use the WaveLight Allegreto Eye-Q laser. It is a flying spot laser with a dual eye tracker.  Our patients do not have to worry about moving their eyes during surgery. The laser to approved to treat myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia.

Q. Is the laser a mobile laser, moved from city to city in a truck?

A. No, our laser is always at our laser center. Excimer lasers are extremely sensitive to movement and changes in climate. Our laser is kept in a temperature and humidity controlled room 24 hours a day and is never moved. We feel these strict measures are necessary to ensure the best possible results.