Many patients seeking refractive surgery do so because they have dry eyes and are unable to wear contact lenses anymore. It is important that your dry eyes be treated. This usually involves the use of tear supplements and punctum plugs (tiny silicone plugs placed in the tear drainage openings of your eyelid) that delay the drainage of your own tears so your eyes will stay moist.

This is very unlikely. LASIK is a form of lamellar refractive surgery, and lamellar refractive surgery (myopic keratomileusis) has been performed since 1949. Patients who have undergone these related but less accurate and more invasive procedures fifty years ago have not developed any unusual problems. See similar questions...

Most patients are opting to have LASIK performed on both eyes on the same day, although this is an individual choice. Advantages include convenience, decreased time lost from work, and easier visual recovery because there is no imbalance between the two eyes when they are both corrected. Disadvantages include safety concerns (for instance, in the rare event of infection, both eyes may be affected) and accuracy concerns (if an overcorrection occurs in one eye, it is likely to occur in the other). See similar questions...

You can have bilateral simultaneous LASIK eye surgery (both eyes done at the same time). In the vast majority of cases, bilateral LASIK eye surgery has been shown to be safe and effective. In fact, more than 95% of people choose to have both eyes done at the same time. If the surgery of your first eye is not perfect, your doctor will likely hold off on proceeding with the second eye. See similar questions...

Although occurring very rarely, all patients should be aware that dry eyes are a possible complication following LASIK eye surgery. The laser eye surgery makes everyone's eyes somewhat dryer afterwards, but only temporarily. Your laser eye doctor will carefully test you for the potential of developing this complication after surgery if you suffer from a history of dry eyes or are severely bothered by contact lenses. After surgery, all patients should use tear drops as required. See similar questions...

Yes, the extremely low complication rate has been a primary reason for the popularity of LASIK worldwide. The risk of a serious problem resulting in any loss of vision is about 0.01 percent. More common but less serious problems include under or over corrections, flap-related problems, infection, dry eyes, and night vision problems. There have been no cases of blindness or loss of the eye with LASIK in the United States. See similar questions...

There is minimal discomfort with LASIK. Some patients even report absolutely no discomfort during the laser vision correction procedure. At Ocala Eye, topical anesthetic (numbing) eye drops are used prior to the procedure. As the microkeratome is applied to the surface of the eye, some patients may experience a pressure sensation. The cutting of the flap itself is painless, as is the laser treatment. See similar questions...

LASIK is a surgical procedure designed to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. During the procedure, the LASIK surgeon uses an excimer laser to correct abnormalities in the cornea’s curvature that negatively affect the way images are processed by your eye. LASIK belongs to a group of vision correction procedures collectively referred to as refractive surgery, of which it is the most popular. See similar questions...

Through LASIK eye surgery, numerous Michigan residents have safely eliminated or reduced their dependence on glasses. However, as with all surgical procedures, there are risks associated with laser vision correction. Potential complications of LASIK include: In rare instances, patients may experience reduction in visual acuity. These risks can be addressed at your consultation. Complications affect only a small minority of patients. See similar questions...

LASIK surgery is approved for patients 18 years or older who are nearsighted or farsighted, with or without astigmatism. Your vision must be stable for at least one year before the procedure can be performed. Both the health of your eyes and your overall health must be taken into consideration, as well. Pregnant women, for example, should not have LASIK surgery done. The best LASIK surgery candidates tend to be people who are dissatisfied with their contact lenses or glasses. See similar questions...

There are risks involved with any surgical procedure. However, because LASIK surgery uses a cool beam of light that is computer controlled, there is little chance of error. In the U.S. alone, the procedure has been performed well over a million times. According to recent data, 98% of patients treated with LASIK for nearsightedness and/or astigmatism see well enough to pass a driver’s test without glasses in all 50 states. See similar questions...

The treatment, itself, has been reported by most patients as being painless. You may experience discomfort and a “gritty” feeling in the first 24 to 48 hours after LASIK surgery. Our Sacramento area patients can be given medication to curb this discomfort. See similar questions...

Ke Ala Ike offers a complete step-by-step description of preparations, procedures and post-operative actions. For details, view our video documentary in our Refractive Surgery section. Yes, most candidates are suitable for the same-day treatment. However, patients must carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages and discuss them in detail with the surgeon. See similar questions...

LASIK surgery is known for having a particularly quick recovery, partly because the flap acts as a natural bandage for the cornea. Patients can usually return to work in a day or two, although it is best to take a few days off and take it easy to allow proper healing. One should wait a week or two before recommencing strenuous activities, and at least a month or more before contact sports. See similar questions...

Throughout childhood and the teens, a person's vision often does not remain stable. The body is constantly developing and changing. LASIK is a permanent procedure. For this reason, LASIK may not be performed on minors. Once your child is 18 or older, and his or her glasses or contacts prescription has been stable for at least a year or two, he or she may wish to consider LASIK corrective eye surgery. See similar questions...

LASIK stands for Laser In Situ Keratomileusis. It is a form of refractive surgery, which corrects near or far-sightedness and astigmatism. It cannot correct presbyopia, but treatment is sometimes aimed at leaving one eye slightly short-sighted in order to account for this condition. For more information on presbyopia, see our Optical Terms section. LASIK can only be performed by an eye surgeon. Use is made of a microsurgical instrument to create a flap through the cornea (front part of the eye). See similar questions...

Although it is very important not to rub your eye as you heal from surgery, once healing is complete ( about six weeks ), you can safely resume gentle, reasonable amounts of occasional eye rubbing. See similar questions...