Which LASIK Eye Surgery Is Right?

Which LASIK Eye Surgery Is Right for Me and How Much Would it Cost?

There are three kinds of people: those who love flaunting their quirky and cool glasses, second who swear by contact lenses and the third group consists of those who can’t wait to get rid of glasses/contact lens. If you fall in the third category, then LASIK is your savior.

LASIK, which stands for Laser in-situ Keratomileusis, is a corrective surgery used to fix common vision problems such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism. It uses specialized laser known as ‘excimer’ laser which reshapes the cornea to give better, clear and focused vision. Excimer laser precisely removes extremely tiny amounts of tissue without disturbing adjacent tissues.

Types of LASIK Eye Surgery

There are three types of LASIK procedures. Consultation with your doctor will help in determining which one will give you the best results.

• • Conventional LASIK:

This primarily uses your prescription for contact lenses or eye-glasses. Based on that, laser settings are determined to reshape the cornea. The level and accuracy of vision correction is similar to that of the familiar procedure of choosing glasses in a vision test – “which offers better clarity: this or that?”

• • Custom LASIK: 

Custom LASIK allows surgeons to customize laser treatment according to patients’ individual eyes. It uses Wave Front technology that creates a customized map of all unique attributes of your eye. This further enables your surgeon to address unique visual correctional requirements of an individual. Surgeons can achieve sharper and clearer vision by addressing higher order aberrations and correcting refractive errors, including subtle vision problems.

• • Bladeless LASIK: 

Bladeless LASIK eliminates the need of blades to cut corneal flaps before surgery. It uses a gentle laser instead of a manual blade to create a uniform and precise corneal flap. The laser is operated at an extremely high speed and is controlled by a computer, which allows the tissue to be targeted and divided at a molecular level without damaging the surrounding tissue. Recovery time is faster since the flap is more accurate and falls back naturally into place.

• • Costs of LASIK Eye Surgery:

The cost of LASIK surgery varies according to geographic location, surgical experience of the doctor and technology used. Avoid those who present extremely low prices and shady offers. Risking the safety of your eyes to save a few bucks may end up costing you more in the long run.On an average, LASIK eye surgery (bladed) costs about $1,700 per eye. Alternatively, state-of-the-art technologies such as bladeless Custom-Wavefront LASIK can be around $2,500 per eye. Depending on eye’s health and magnitude of vision problem, the cost may even go up to $4,000 per eye.

Typically, insurance does not cover the cost of laser eye surgery unless your job requires perfect vision. Combat fighters and athletes usually qualify for full insurance cover. Feel free to ask your insurance company for negotiated rates and membership discounts that are applicable for AAA holders or those in military. US employees have an FSA, HSA, or HRA to cover health expenses with income-tax-free accounts. The cost of laser eye surgery is an eligible expense for all these accounts. Check with your tax preparer if you qualify for the same.

Book an appointment to visit us and know more about the options.

LASIK Surgery – 101

The human body, although amazingly designed, does suffer from some serious design flaws. An obvious example of this is the rate at which your vision deteriorates with age. With the dependence on technology and electrically operated gadgets increasing, more and more people, ranging from kids to the elderly, have started having vision issues.

Nearly two-thirds of the adult population wears prescription eyewear, according to the statistics from the Vision Council of America. Another twenty percent use contact lenses. However, wearing glasses and contact lenses have their own limitations. The good news is that with one simple LASIK eye surgery you can have restored vision. LASIK uses lasers to reshape the cornea, enabling proper focus of the light that passes through it onto the retina situated at the back of the eye. The inevitable result of this procedure is a significant improvement in eyesight.

How Is LASIK Performed?

• First, your surgeon uses a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome, a mechanical surgical tool to create a circular thin flap in the cornea.
• Thereafter, the surgeon folds the flap that was hinged back, in order to access the underlying cornea or the stroma, and uses an excimer laser to remove the corneal tissue.
• An ultraviolet light beam is then used to remove the tiny amounts of tissue from the cornea in order to reshape it so that it can focus light more accurately on the retina for an improved vision.
• For people suffering from nearsightedness, the goal is to flatten the cornea. For people with farsightedness, a steeper cornea will work.
• Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is then put back in its place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed. After this is done, the cornea is allowed to heal naturally.
• This surgery involves application of only topical anesthetic drops for the healing to take place. No bandages or stitches are required. Quite a relief!

Preparing for LASIK

• Before you undergo LASIK, your eye doctor will perform a thorough examination of your eyes to ensure that they are healthy enough to undergo this procedure. Important aspects such as the thickness and shape of your cornea, moisture content, pupil size as well as the presence of any refractive errors will be evaluated.
• The curvature of the front surface of your eye is measured using an automated instrument called a corneal topographer which also creates a “map” of your cornea.
• You also are likely to undergo a wavefront analysis to provide an even more precise map of aberrations that affect your vision.
• Since contact lenses usually alter the natural shape of your cornea, you will be asked to discontinue wearing contact lenses for sometime as advised by your doctor, before you undergo the surgery.

What Happens During LASIK?

• LASIK is performed individually on each eye, with each procedure taking just about five minutes. It’s really quite simple.
• First and foremost, numbing eye drops are applied to your eye to prevent any sort of discomfort that you may face during the procedure. Required medication may also be administered to help you relax.
• Thereafter, using an eye-lid speculum, your eye will be positioned under the laser. The speculum will keep your eyelids open throughout the surgery.
• Your eye surgeon will mark the cornea using an ink marker before creating the flap. A suction ring is then applied to the front of your eye in order to prevent any eye movements or loss of contact that might affect flap quality.
• Once the corneal flap is created, the surgeon will then adjust the excimer laser for your particular prescription, with the help of a computer.
• Next, you will be asked to focus on a particular beam of light for a short time. Meanwhile, your surgeon, using a microscope, will watch the eye as pulses of light are sent upon the cornea with laser.

Post-Surgery Scenario

• Once your LASIK eye surgery is over, your surgeon will have you rest for a while. You might feel momentary itching or burning sensations right after the procedure. You will also, most likely, experience some blurry vision and haziness immediately following the surgery. However, clarity should start improving by the very next morning.
• You will be asked to take certain precautions post your LASIK and it is recommended that you refrain from doing any arduous exercise for at least a week, since this can traumatize the eye and affect healing.
• You also will have to take care of little things such as not rubbing your eyes and making sure you wear glasses both during the day and nighttime.

LASIK eye surgery is a breakthrough for curing eye vision related issues. It is by far the most effective procedure for correcting common sight problems. It is relatively painless and quick and the benefits following this surgery make the entire process totally worth it. Say goodbye to your boring glasses and irritating contact lenses because what you now have is this brilliant treatment called LASIK.

Considering LASIK? To get the best rates book an appointment with Insight Vision Center, an eye care center in Fresno, CA.