LASIK Frequently Asked Questions
Completely normal. Fear is the single most common reason people wait years longer than they need to; it holds more patients back than candidacy or cost. Here is what our patients tell us almost universally after their procedure: it was far easier than they imagined. The procedure takes under 15 minutes for both eyes, and the laser treatment itself averages about 45 seconds. If you need extra time, you get extra time. We have guided even severely anxious patients comfortably through their procedures, including one patient so fearful she had never managed to wear contact lenses. We took three times the usual time, and she left amazed at what she had done.
Our founding surgeons, Dr. Mark Speaker and Dr. Jodi Abramson, have performed more than 130,000 LASIK and PRK procedures between them, working on every major laser platform in LASIK’s history. Dr. Speaker began performing LASIK in 1993, before the procedure was approved in the United States, and Dr. Abramson was among the first surgeons to use the excimer laser for vision correction. Meet our surgeons.
Yes. LASIK reshapes the cornea, which makes it corneal surgery by definition. Yet fewer than one in five ophthalmologists complete fellowship training in corneal surgery. Both of our founding surgeons did, and Dr. Speaker founded the Cornea Fellowship program at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he trained more than 25 corneal surgeons. When you choose a corneal specialist for LASIK, you are choosing a surgeon who is an expert in the exact part of the eye being operated on.
LASIK is a safe and effective laser vision correction surgery that uses highly accurate light energy to reshape your cornea. This allows your eye to bend light properly, improving your eyesight almost immediately and reducing your reliance on glasses or contacts.
While many procedures use your glasses prescription, LASIK with the WaveLight® Refractive Suite uses your “unique profile” to deliver a treatment designed specifically for your individual eyes.
The WaveLight® Refractive Suite is the fastest LASIK platform in the U.S.
The average treatment time is approximately 45 seconds.
Most patients notice sharper, brighter, and clearer vision immediately following the procedure. The majority of patients are able to return to work the very next day. You will need to have someone drive you home on the day of your surgery. You should avoid touching or rubbing your eyes during the initial healing phase.
Evaluation: Your doctor will perform a series of tests, including mapping your cornea, measuring corneal thickness, and screening for eye diseases.
Contact Lenses: If you wear contacts, you may be asked to stop wearing them for approximately two weeks before your evaluation and surgery to allow your cornea to return to its natural shape.
As with any surgery, there are risks to consider. Common risks include dry eye syndrome, the possible continued need for glasses, or visual symptoms such as halos, glare, and starbursts.
Then we will tell you, and we will tell you why. Our philosophy is simple: we don’t fit the patient to a procedure, we find the right procedure for the patient. Because we offer the full range under one roof, including PRK, the EVO ICL, refractive lens exchange, and staged Bioptics procedures for prescriptions as high as approximately -24, a no to LASIK is often a yes to something better suited to your eyes. Learn about high prescriptions and complex cases.
Preparation and repetition. Before diagnostic imaging, every patient rests for about fifteen minutes wearing focus-relaxing lenses, so the eye’s focusing muscles fully relax and our measurements capture the eye’s true shape. SightMap imaging is then repeated as many times as needed until the measurements are ideal, and your surgeon personally plans your treatment at the computer. See what to expect at your consultation.
PRK Frequently Asked Questions
In general, most people after PRK surgery are seeing better the next day. However, full visual recovery can be variable, and you will notice significant fluctuations in your vision over the first week. Your surgeon will place a bandage contact lens over your eye at the time of PRK surgery, which will be removed after one week. Your doctor will discuss with you what to expect at a PRK evaluation in terms of recovery of vision, and how soon it will be until you can resume normal activities.
PRK, unlike LASIK, does not involve the creation of LASIK flap. As a result, there is no structural weakness induced by a flap that may dislocate years later with eye trauma. This is typically recommended for patients who engage in physical activity with danger of head trauma (full contact sports without helmets, martial arts, boxing, working in law enforcement). PRK, in general, also involves a more shallow laser ablation on the cornea, which theoretically cuts fewer corneal nerves; this results in less dry eye PRK as compared to LASIK.
ICL Frequently Asked Questions
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Overall, ICL surgery is considered a very low risk surgery. Though there is no surgery or medical procedures that is considered zero risk, in general, every patient is seeing much better after ICL surgery.
ICL surgery may predispose somebody towards early cataract formation. ICL surgery may also place a patient at risk for a specific variety of angle closure glaucoma. Your surgeon will typically recommend that you are monitored with annual eye exams in order to screen and check for these issues.
Most patients are seen better the next day, however they can take up to 30 days for your vision to stabilize. Patients are typically taking eyedrops for 4 weeks after surgery. Some patients may have a small amount of residual astigmatism, which can be corrected by PRK. This cost is typically included with the initial ICL surgery fee, and is done at no additional cost to the patient. This usually only applies to astigmatism measured within 90 days of surgery, and varies between medical practices.