LASIK Frequently Asked Questions

No. Numbing drops are used and you feel pressure, not pain, during the procedure. The first few hours afterward are gritty and watery; sleeping through them is the usual advice.

About 15 minutes in the laser suite for both eyes, and typically around two hours at the office including measurements and a rest afterward.

Yes. You look at a fixation light while the laser works. If you are anxious, your surgeon can discuss options to help you relax.

A small holder keeps the eyelids open and an eye tracker follows the eye hundreds of times a second, pausing the laser if you look away.

For well selected eyes, LASIK is one of the most studied elective procedures in medicine, with serious complications rare. The selection is the point: the consultation exists to identify the eyes for which it is not safe and to offer them something else.

Loss of sight from LASIK is extraordinarily rare. The risks that do occur, such as dry eye, night glare, infection or flap problems, are uncommon and almost always treatable. Your surgeon will go through them with you honestly.

The corneal reshaping is permanent. Your eyes continue to age, so reading glasses in your forties are normal, and a small number of patients need an enhancement years later if their prescription drifts.

18 or older with a stable prescription; most patients are treated between their early twenties and mid forties. After 45 a lens based procedure is often the better choice.

LASIK treats nearsightedness to roughly -10 to -12 diopters, depending on corneal thickness and the surgeon's assessment. Beyond that, the EVO ICL is usually recommended.

Yes, regular astigmatism can usually be corrected. Irregular astigmatism needs further evaluation.

Once the dry eye is treated and stable, often yes. For significant dry eye the EVO ICL may be recommended instead because it does not affect the corneal nerves.

No. LASIK weakens a cornea that is already thin and unstable. Keratoconus is treated with cross-linking and specialty lenses.

Most patients are cleared to drive at their next-morning check. You cannot drive home on the day of surgery.

Desk work within one to two days. Dusty or physically demanding work may need a few days more.

Light exercise after a few days, eye makeup and swimming after two weeks, contact sports after one month with eye protection.

Some halos and starbursts are common for the first weeks and fade as the surface heals. Custom wavefront treatment is designed to minimize them.

It depends on the technology and treatment your eyes need. You receive a written quote at your free consultation, and financing at 0% interest for up to 18 months is available.

LASIK is elective and is not covered by medical insurance. Ask whether your vision plan offers a discount; FSA and HSA funds can be used.

Yes, including all the measurements, at all four offices.

PRK, SMILE, the EVO ICL and Refractive Lens Exchange are all offered here, and the consultation is built to find the right one for your eyes rather than to fit you to LASIK.